Sweeter Than W(h)ine Read Online Free Page A

that show where the guy meets different women, and picks one to be his wife.”
    Oh, no. Now she’d want to start a whole conversation about that. “It’s a good thing you didn’t,” Rafe said, in a stern tone. “I would have refused to go on the show. It’s not really a date. I promised a patient I’d stop by later tonight and cheer her up since she’s not having any visitors today.”
                  He could hear the disappointment in her “oh.” “But, Rafe, the patients at the nursing home are all senior citizens. Don’t tell me you’re falling for an old lady.”
                  “You found me out,” Rafe said. “She’s terribly old, and uses a walker to get around. I think she’s around thirty-five, pretty close to the age of your decrepit brother-in-law.”
                  “Don’t be silly, Rafe. I didn’t mean…oh, what-ever. Adam and I will see you next month. Happy New Year.”
                  “Happy New Year to you,” Rafe said, taking a secret satisfaction in the fact that his teasing had gotten to Merissa. “and Adam. ’Bye.”
    ***
                  “Bastardo’s Taxi,” Dina said, when her phone rang. Her aunt Florence had been trying to get in touch with her, although she’d never been close with her or her cousins. Aunt Florence kept them at arms’ length because she was wealthy. Her cousins had attended the prestigious private Ida Malloy Academy. Now she’d decided she wanted to be close, so Dina answered the phone funny to throw her off the track.
                  “Hey, you! It’s Jay Bastardo.”
                  “Hello, Jay Bastardo,” Dina said, brightening at the sound of her friend’s voice. “Happy New Year.”
                  “Happy New Year. When do you think they’ll spring you from that place, honey?”
                  “I don’t know, sugar,” Dina said. She teased him for calling her “honey,” but when she looked outside, she felt depressed. It was a gray, cloudy day, but she wanted to be out there, not sitting around in a skilled nursing facility. “I wish they’d spring me tonight so I could use those tickets I bought for your concert.”
                  “I wish you could be there, too,” Jay said, sounding sincere.
                  “I usually don’t do much for New Year’s Eve. Either I go to my mom and dad’s or they come to see me and stay overnight. Are you doing anything special after the concert?” She meant did he have a date and hoped that if he did, he’d have better luck than he’d had lately. She wanted all her friends to be happy.
                  “Nope. I thought I’d give the girls a break and go stag tonight. What about you? It must be pretty exciting there in the nursing home, y’know?”
                  Dina laughed. “You always know just the right thing to say. I have sort of a date with your boss’s nephew.”
                  “So next time I see you you’ll be saying stuff like ‘Jay, this cannot go on?’”
                  “Now Jay, I’d never say anything like that to you,” Dina said. “And I hope I’ll see you soon. It’s pretty lonely out here in the middle of nowhere.” She was far away from her home base. Wellstone Village was way out in the boonies in the town of Cliff Field.
                  “I’m really busy because of the holidays, but maybe things will calm down and I can come out for another visit before you get to go home. I have a feeling it won’t be long.”
                  “I hope you’re right. “ ’Bye, Jay, and Happy New Year.”
                  “Happy New Year!”
                  Dina ate her supper, a salmon patty, rice pilaf, broccoli and Jell-O cake for dessert, had a pain pill and waited for Rafe. He showed up at about six, with presents.