Free A Taste of Fame by Linda Evans Shepherd

sure we’ll slip into last place and be eliminated.”
    Olivia visibly relaxed. “Good.” Her eyes widened. “Sorry, Mom, but I have to tell you, I’ve been worried.”
    “About what? About your old lady actually winning something?” I frowned at her. “That’s not very nice, Olivia.”
    “Oh no, no, no. Not about your winning. About you winning and leaving Dad here. Alone.”
    I felt the hair on my head bristle on my scalp. Did Olivia know something about her father I didn’t? Since we’d ended our separation and returned to our marriage and to counseling, I’d not had any reason to be suspicious of Jack having another affair. Another in a long line of affairs, to be more precise. “Are you trying to tell me something, Olivia? Because if you are, just come out and say it. Do you know something I should know?”
    It took a moment for understanding to register on my daughter’s face. When it did, she reddened. “Mom, no. No, nothing like that, I promise. I just … I’m worried about Dad.”
    “In what way?”
    She shrugged, dipping her head to the right and setting her spoon on the table next to the bowl of stew. “He hasn’t looked well lately. He’s out of breath when we talk on the phone, and when I see him I think he looks pale. Tony says I have too much Southern in me and I should quit worrying, that Dad is fine. But …”
    I had to giggle at her “Southern” comment. Yes, we Southerners had pretty much cornered the market on worry. It’s a way of life with us. “Tony is right,” I told her. “Not to worry. Dad is fine. He had a physical last month after the school year ended, and the doctor proclaimed him a fine specimen for his age.”
    Olivia’s eyes misted with tears. I reached across the table and clasped her hand. “Honey, what is it?” I asked her.
    “I don’t know, Mom. It’s just that … with you losing your father a few months ago, I haven’t been able to help but think what it would be like to lose Dad. In spite of the things he’s done, I love him so much.” Her voice cracked.
    I patted her hand and gave her my best Mother-knows-best smile. “Not to worry, Livvy. Dad’s fine, I’m fine, and we’re fine.” I sat back in my chair. “Now, let’s talk about how we’re going to celebrate Team Potluck’s loss tonight. Just you and me. What’s say we hit the outlet malls this weekend for a new outfit? My treat.”

Donna
    8
High-Altitude Cooks
    A line of parked cars flowed out of the lot and down both sides of the street outside Grace Church. I pulled behind David’s black Mazda 3 and got out. As I started past his car, his door popped open and he stepped out into the summer evening still dressed in his paramedic uniform. “Long time no see,” he teased, as we’d both just come from working an accident.
    “How’s old man Carpenter?” I asked as he fell into step with me.
    “He definitely had a heart attack behind the wheel. He was stable when Randall and I wheeled him into the ER.”
    “Good. It could have been a lot worse, especially if that railing hadn’t held.”
    We hurried through the church parking lot, squinting against the glare of two hundred setting suns reflecting on the windshields surrounding us. “I’ll drop by the hospital later to check in on him,” I said.
    David gave me one of his famous smiles. “Mind if I go with you?”
    I smiled back. “Why not?”
    “How late are we?” David asked as we ducked into the church. I checked my watch and tugged on his arm. “Not a minute to spare, come on.”
    We pushed through the double doors of the activity center. Heads turned to stare as light applause broke out. I was glad the lights were too dim for the crowd to see the flame of celebrity burning my cheeks.
    Abruptly, the crowd turned to gawk at the huge flat-screen TV, which was surrounded by greenery and speakers. Wade caught my eye as he stood and waved. “Over here!”
    David and I hurried over and squeezed down the aisle to where Wade