Page 23 of Misfortune and Mr. Right

“Thank you.” Lynette tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and looks down at the dog.

“Rhett,” Logan blurts.

“What?” Lynette asks.

“His name is Rhett, like inGone With the Wind?” Logan’s voice is clipped, as if repeating his dog’s name was some sort of hardship for him.

“Well, Rhett,” Lynette coos to the dog, “it’s nice to officially meet you.”

Rhett strains at the leash to get to my sister. She rewards him with more pets and scratches all over.

“We’d better get going,” Gil says. “Maisy wants me home so we can cook dinner together.”

“That’s so cute!” Lynette exclaims.

Gil smiles, and Logan does his best impersonation of a Sphinx.

The guys leave, and once she’s sure they’re out of earshot, Lynette whispers, “What ishedoing here?”

I smile over at her. “You didn’t seem so upset when you were practically swooning over his dog.”

“The dog is adorable,” Lynette says. “It’s not Rhett’s fault he has an objectionable owner.”

Lynette studies me for a minute and then she says, “The tension between you two is still so thick, you could cut it with a knife.”

“Rivalry.”

“Well, I still think there’s something there. I always did.”

“He’s an ogre,” I remind her. “A heartless, self-driven ogre.”

“And you’re not neutral where he’s concerned. You never have been.”

Chapter Eight

Logan

From the time we’re born,

our brothers and sisters are

our collaborators and co-conspirators,

our role models and our cautionary tales.

~ Jeffrey Kluger

Rhettand I walk Gil out to his car after that awkward interaction with Olivia and Lynette.

Well, things were fine with Lynette.

It’s Olivia. Always Olivia.

“Man, you weren’t kidding,” Gil says.

“I know.”

“You don’t do yourself any favors, you know?”

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