Sins and Needles Read Online Free PDF Page A

Hugs’s shoe size is twelve, extra wide.”
    â€œBobby Lee’s is only nine—but my son Glen’s is fourteen. I’m telling you, I was about to study how the Chinese did that foot-binding thing when Glen was in high school. He was going through shoes like I go through embroidery floss.”
    â€œI’m glad I didn’t think of it. I might’ve tried it with Reese. His feet are even bigger than his father’s.”
    Their sandwiches came at last, and after a few bites and exclamations of pleasure, Jan took her courage by both hands. “Lucille,” she asked, “did you Google me?”
    â€œI beg your pardon?”
    â€œDid you use the Google search engine to see if you could find out about me?”
    â€œNo. Why, should I have? What would Google have told me about you?”
    â€œI don’t know. I’ve never Googled myself.”
    â€œDo you have a Web site?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œMe, neither. I wonder what Google would say about me?”
    Jan asked thoughtfully, “What would you like it to say?”
    Lucille took a bite of her sandwich and thought that over while she chewed. After a few moments, she said, “That I hope no one thinks I love my mama and daddy less because I’m trying to find my biological family.”
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    J AN came into Crewel World the next day, Saturday, to buy some tatting thread. “I’m going to knit a bedspread,” she said.
    Betsy held up the single ball of thin white thread Jan was buying. “With number three thread? That should take you a few years. And I don’t think this single ball would be enough to knit even an edge on a bedspread.”
    Jan laughed. “No, it’s for a dollhouse bedspread. A friend at the clinic bought a dollhouse for her daughter, but now she’s caught the bug herself and won’t let Chloe anywhere near it. This will be a birthday present for her.”
    â€œDo you need a set of needles, too?” People in business for themselves quickly learn to never pass up an opportunity to make a sale.
    â€œNo, I’ve already got four pairs of double-zero steels.” As Betsy opened her cash register, Jan asked, “Has Lucille been in today?”
    â€œNo, I haven’t seen her. Are you still thinking you’re twins separated at birth?”
    Jan smiled. “You know, I almost could. It’s weird how alike we are. Like, we both used to love camping, but wouldn’t go now for a million dollars. We both love swimming, water-skiing, and fishing—though where on earth you can find a lake big enough or a river deep enough to ski on in all of Texas, I don’t know—and we both love it when we can mix a conference or seminar with pleasure travel to make it tax deductible.”
    â€œNow that last one really is a peculiar coincidence!” Betsy said.
    Jan’s smile turned a little odd. “I know. You know what’s even odder? She tells great stories, just like my uncle Stewart. And she knows it. Her eyes twinkle just like his when she tells one. Betsy, what do you think? Could Lucille and I be related?”
    Betsy didn’t know what Jan wanted to hear, so she fell back on the truth. “I don’t know. Is there a mystery in your genealogy? An uncle who was suspected of having an affair? An aunt who disappeared for, oh, say, nine months?”
    â€œNot that I know of. Well, except the man part. I mean, how long does it take to father a child? Part of an evening? Shoot, a coffee break will do for some of them.”
    Betsy grimaced. “But that would mean…”
    â€œI know. And there’s never been a hint of anything like that.”
    â€œYet, you two look so much alike that it’s hard not to think there’s a genetic link in there somewhere. I’m sure you’ve heard about those cases of identical twins separated at birth who turn out to have a lot of traits in common. But we’re not