Free Between Strangers by Linda Conrad

around me.”
    â€œWere you with the rodeo?” Marcy realized too late the question might be another blunder, but…
    Marianne just laughed. “I did barrel riding as ateenager. But I wasn’t the best. After a few years I took charge of one of the concession stands…hamburgers, tacos and nachos…you know?”
    Marcy nodded and breathed a little easier. She’d heard of women who did nothing but follow the rodeo around the country so they could shack up with the cowpokes along the way. She was glad to know that Marianne wasn’t one of that kind.
    â€œAnyway, after Hank’s last big tumble,” Marianne continued, “the one that put him in the hospital for six months…I decided it was time for us to do something different with our lives.” She waved a hand around at the industrial-looking kitchen and the stainless equipment. “I’ve always been a good cook, so this was a natural.”
    â€œYour food is wonderful,” Marcy told her. “I’m glad your business is doing well.” The baby picked that moment to pitch the spoon on the floor, so Marcy began to rock her softly.
    â€œThanks,” Marianne said with another one of those dazzling smiles and picked up spoon. “Does Angie need anything else?”
    â€œNo. She’s getting sleepy. If I rock her a minute, she’ll probably nod off.”
    Marianne stood up. “Then how about her mother? Can I get you anything? A cup of coffee, maybe.”
    â€œNo, thanks. I’m still stuffed.” She sat back in her chair and let Angie relax against her chest. “Are you going to shut the restaurant down for Christmas so you can be with your family?”
    â€œYes, it’s the one day of the year when we won’t open at all.” Marianne quietly poured herself a cupof coffee and returned to the table. “But the whole family won’t be able to be here. Bobby and Vicki and the kids have gone to Florida to be with her parents for the holidays. Hank has other brothers and his parents live nearby, but we’ll miss Bobby and Vicki.”
    Marianne sipped in silence for a few minutes, watching Angie as her eyes drifted closed. “He really is a very special man,” she whispered at last.
    â€œWho? Your husband, or his brother?”
    â€œNo,” she chuckled. “I mean…yes, of course Hank is wonderful and I love him very much. But I was talking about Lance being the one that’s so special.”
    â€œOh.” Marcy wasn’t sure she wanted to hear that from one of his old lovers. But this time she decided not to say anything.
    â€œHe tells me that you two just met,” Marianne began again. “I thought you might like to know what kind of a person he really is.”
    Yes…or…no. Shoot, Marcy couldn’t decide what she wanted when it came to Lance. She did want to get to know him…maybe even become his friend. But they only had a day or so left together. Maybe it would be better if they stayed strangers.
    She remained in indecisive silence for so long that Marianne seemed to accept that as a go-ahead to keep on talking. “It would take me all day to tell you everything he’s ever done that was extraordinary. So I’ll just say that he would give his right arm to help a friend in need. I’ve seen him do seemingly impossible things when someone he cared about was in trouble.”
    Marianne set her cup down and sighed. “As a personal example, he lent Hank and me the money to start this business.” She looked around at her gleaming appliances. “None of the banks would consider lending money to a couple like us with no experience and huge hospital bills to pay. But we didn’t even have to ask Lance. He heard of our trouble and simply handed us a check. When the first year nearly put us out of business, he came through with another loan then, too.”
    Marianne stood and took her cup to the