When Everything's Said & Done Read Online Free PDF

put that way before.”
    “Cora doesn’t like to beat around the bush—” Brenda gave her a pinch “—^no matter how rude it might be.”
    Cora jumped. “But of course I could always count on Brenda to let me know when I was being rude.” She picked up a Styrofoam cup with ice in it and popped a small cube in her mouth. “Still, what else is family for if they can’t cool you down when you need it?” With double action speed Cora dropped another ice cube down Brenda’s back and flicked the water from her fin gers into Annette’s face before she broke into a run. Brenda and Annette dashed after her.
    The party went on for a few more hours; it was al most midnight before the outdoor festivities fizzled out. Afterward, a few guests went inside and played Tunk, Spades and Bid Whist. Then, when everyone had gone home, Brenda and Laura finished things up in the kitchen, while Cora and Annette put her graduation presents away upstairs.
    “It sure is good to have all three of you here at the same time again,” Laura said as she dried a Pyrex dish.
    “It is good, isn’t it?” Brenda took the dish from her mother and placed it in the cabinet.
    “I don’t know how long Cora’s gon’ stay this time. But you’ll be here for quite a while, won’t you?”
    “I sure will. I’ve got to find me a job, though. I’m going to pick up some applications from downtown on Monday. I already applied for a job in Tampa and one in Sarasota.”
    “Well, you know you’re welcome to stay as long as you need to. Now that Annette has graduated, I guess it won’t be long before all of you are married and gone,” Laura said with a distant look in her eyes.
    “Lord, can you imagine Cora married with babies?” Brenda shook her head. “I can’t.”
    “You know—” Laura thought about it “—^I can. I think Cora would make a good mother if she settled down and put her mind to it. Now when will that be? That’s a whole different subject. Only the Lord and Cora know.” Laura looked up at the ceiling.
    “Now that dress is going to look good on you, girl,” Cora said as Annette hung the gift inside her closet. “Maybe you can wear it for Michael one day. Put some fire under him.”
    “I don’t know about that.”
    “What do you mean you don’t know? I thought you liked him.”
    Annette turned around slowly and looked at her sis ter. “I think I love him. And Cora, it’s the first time I’ve ever been in love.”
    “Well isn’t this a trip?” Cora replied. “This is the first time my baby sister has beat me to the punch in anything.” “You’ve never been in love?”
    “I don’t think so.”
    “But what about all those men you’ve been with? You mean you didn’t love them?” She was shocked. “Fornication is a sin anyway, but to think you were fornicating and weren’t even in love...that’s worse.”
    “All what men? You make it sound like I’ve been to bed with the whole state of California.”
    “Well how many were there?”
    Cora sat back. “You’re not suppose to ask me that.” Annette looked down. “I used to be able to ask you anything. ”
    “And you still can, Annie.” Cora tugged at her sister’s hand and made her sit down beside her. “I’ve had a few men—” she looked into Annette’s eyes “—^but not nearly as many as people would like to believe. You don’t always have to sleep with a man for him to treat you good. Do things for you. You just have to make them want to.”
    “How do you do that?” Annette watched Cora’s face intently.
    “By making them believe that eventually they will sleep with you.”
    “But that’s just as bad.”
    “Don’t you want to sleep with Michael?”
    “I thought about it, but I put it out of my mind be cause I’m not gonna sleep with anybody without being married to them. ”
    “All right. There’s nothing wrong with that. It might be a little boring, and you won’t know the quality of the goods that you’re getting until you buy