Faking It. Dorie Graham

she walked Trent to the door. “I can drive you…or you could stay.”

      His eyes widened. “No, it isn’t that far.” He gripped the doorjamb. “I can make it. I’ll recuperate faster in my own bed.”

      “Right. I’m sorry again about…” She gestured lamely, feeling three times an idiot and hating herself for causing him such discomfort.

      After nodding awkwardly, he lurched out the door. Relieved beyond measure, she turned the dead bolt behind him. At least her sisters had moved out. The thought of discussing her little problem with them sent dread twisting through her. They’d never taken her seriously. Why would this be different?

      She’d avoided an interrogation over Ryan only by refusing to discuss the issue, and they’d taken her silence for heartache. In this case, they might not have given up so easily. The last thing she felt like doing was explaining what had happened with this latest love interest.

      Where both of you inherited the wonderful gift of sexual healing, I seem to be experiencing some kind of quirk in the gene pool. You sleep with a guy and he comes out of it revived and ready to conquer the world. I sleep with a guy and he ends up so ill he wishes he could die.

      She let her gaze sweep the apartment that had been home to her and her sisters for the past several years. Memories flooded her: bumping into one of Nikki’s lovers as he made a hasty but ecstatic exit in the middle of the night. Tess’s ex-lovers falling all over themselves to please her sister and never taking notice of Erin; the old guy next door leering at her after a particularly high-traffic day.

      It was time for a change. Her lease was nearly up and she didn’t need such a big place all to herself. Nikki and Tess had moved on with their prospective lives—they had both issued invitations for her to move in, but the thought of living with either of them sent unease racing through her. Besides that, they were both basking in glorious love affairs and the two had embraced Aunt Sophie’s ridiculous assertion that the three of them had descended from a long line of sexual healers.

      “Sexual healers.” Erin’s mouth quirked into a lopsided grin.

      “Sexual healers.” A giggle tickled its way up her throat.

      “Sexual healers.” Laughter burst from her in a rush of nerves and incredulity.

      She laughed until she sank to the floor, her back to the wall. She pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes. How could they have bought in to such foolishness?

      Hurt and resentment swirled through her. When they had been kids, she’d been excluded from all the fun, and as they’d grown up, she’d been left out of all the more serious discussions. Things had improved and she’d come to terms with being the youngest sister, but her sisters’ acceptance of this “gift” felt too much like a betrayal. Logically she knew it wasn’t, but the feeling had lodged itself in her and she hadn’t been able to shake it.

      Again she let her gaze sweep the empty rooms that had once overflowed with Nikki, Tess and Tess’s minions, as they called her collection of men. The quiet settled around Erin and she breathed deeply, savoring the peace. She’d had so little peace sharing this apartment with them. She had no desire to stay in a place tainted by less-than-happy memories.

      It was time to move. She longed for something different, a normal place, where no one talked about empathic natures, Aunt Sophie’s brews or sexual healing—a place far removed from the McClellan lore.

      “WHY IS THIS ESTIMATE SO HIGH?” Jack Langston frowned over the total on the work order from the electrician his mother had contracted.

      “These fixtures aren’t up to code. They need fireboxes installed. When was this house built?” the electrician asked.

      “Sometime in the seventies?” Jack glanced at his mother for confirmation. He’d grown up in this house and they’d always had the same lighting fixtures.

      His mother shrugged. “Seventy-four, I think. These are probably the original fixtures.”

      “Yes, ma’am, you were lucky when this shorted it didn’t start a fire,” the electrician said. “I can’t install the new lights without first putting in fireboxes.”

      “Jack, when you’re done with that, do you have a minute?” His mother’s sister, Rose, peered over the electrician’s shoulder. “I can’t decide about this new insurance policy. I’ve been putting this off forever and my current policy is about to expire. I need to make a decision today. I could use your advice.”

      Jack’s cell phone buzzed in his pocket. “Hold on a minute, Aunt Rose.” Rubbing the tightening in his chest he answered his phone. “Jack Langston.”

      “Hey, bro, what’s up?” his brother, Bobby, asked in his usual laid back manner.

      “Trying to help out Mom and Aunt Rose.” The heaviness in Jack’s chest increased as he glanced at his watch. If he didn’t tie things up soon, he’d be late for his one o’clock appointment with a new client.

      “Great, you’re at Mom’s?” Bobby asked. “I’m right around the corner dropping off my car. Do you think you can swing by and get me, then take me back to my place?”

      The heaviness grew into a dull ache as Jack’s gaze drifted over the electrician, his aunt and his mother, with her worried frown. His cardiologist’s words rang in his ears.

      You’ve got to cut back, not push yourself so hard. This fatigue and these chest pains are your body’s way of warning you that all isn’t as it should be.

      But Jack was fine and how could he let his family down? “Give me about fifteen minutes to finish up here, Bobby, then I’ll come get you.”

      His brother gave him directions to the garage, then Jack hung up and turned to the electrician, saying, “Go ahead and replace both fixtures and install the new fireboxes.”

      “But, Jack,” his mother said, “I’m not sure I can afford that right now.” She turned to the electrician. “Maybe you should come back at the end of the month?”

      “He’s here, Mom, let him do the work. I’ll take care of it.” Jack gave her arm a reassuring squeeze.

      “Sweetheart, are you sure? I hate to count on you all the time like this.”

      “Not to worry. I’m here to look after you.” He spent a few more minutes with the electrician, before he felt satisfied the man would do the job to his specifications, then he turned to his aunt. “Okay, Aunt Rose, I have exactly one minute. How can I help?”

      Fifteen minutes later he raced for his car. His aunt had had questions about everything from deductibles to flood insurance, with a sidetrack on term life insurance. In the end, she’d opted to renew her current policy.

      He shifted, trying to ease the tightness in his chest as he sat at a light on his way to pick up Bobby. Why had he told his brother he would get him? Jack would have to hurry and make every light on his way to meet his client.

      The light turned green and Jack sped on. Ten minutes later he pulled up in front of the garage where Bobby said he’d be, but his brother was nowhere in sight. Jack slammed his door shut, then hurried into the low brick building. A kid with a Mohawk greeted him at the counter.

      “I’m looking for my brother. He just dropped his car off here.”

      “Yeah, looks kind of like you. He ran across the street. Said he’d be right back.”

      “Across the street?” Jack turned to look where the kid pointed. An adult novelty shop. Jack’s frustration burned into anger. “Thanks.”

      He hurried across the street, running to avoid an approaching sixteen wheeler. Bobby’s platinum head was clearly visible through the wide front window of the shop. Jack entered to find his brother leaning over the counter flirting with the young woman behind it.

      He turned as Jack entered. “Hey, big brother, this is Deloris. She says they’re having