Free Forever Young: Blessing or Curse (Always Young Trilogy) by Morgan Mandel Page A

been married for years, she
still seemed an innocent. Her naiveté charmed him, making him want her all the
more.
    Too
bad her heart still centered on her dead husband. Whenever she spoke of him her
eyes softened and a shadow crossed her face.
    Witnessing
the depth of her emotions amazed him, making him ponder the meaning of love.
He’d heard of it, but not witnessed it. His father had knocked up his mother
and fled, without sticking around to see what his seeds had sown. His helpless
drunken bitch of a mother had accused Roman of taking after his father.
Accepting the challenge, Roman had done his best to live up to her
expectations.
    When
he so much as glanced at Dorrie, with her full breasts, tiny waist, and
innocent brown eyes, habit reared its head. It would be simple to break her
down. Not only that, it was his job. The longer he delayed, the more the
operation remained in jeopardy.
     
    “By
the way, Dorrie. We’re leaving again. Next stop, Hollywood, so pack your bags.”
    “How
soon?” 
    “I’ve
booked a redeye for Monday night.”
    ***
    Only
a short while to get ready. How exciting, to take off again on short notice.
She loved her new job and her new life, though sometimes she felt guilty about
being happy so soon after Larry’s death. When the melancholy hit, she told
herself to be practical. She had no means to bring her husband back, so she may
as well live life to the fullest. It’s not like she’d been given a choice in
the matter.
    “I’m
off to Hollywood Monday,” she told Kelly at lunch.
    At
first her friend had been aloof when she’d discovered Dorrie’s deception over
her age. She’d caved in after learning the heartbreaking circumstances behind
it, and they’d remained fast friends as if there were no difference in their
ages. Practically speaking, Dorrie found it easier to relate to people in her
present age group, than the older one.
    With
news of Dorrie’s new trip in the offing, Kelly almost choked on her hot dog.
“I’m so jealous. While you’re flitting about on grand tours, here I am stuck in
Dullsville entering boring numbers into a never-ending database.”
    “Think
of what the numbers represent. All those people will get a new lease on life
because of one man’s marvelous invention.”
    Kelly
sighed. “I know you’re right. And, really, my job’s not that hard to do, and,
it does pay the bills. Doug’s such a darling, but his policeman’s salary is
peanuts.”
    “Money
shouldn’t matter. Your husband’s a good man and you love him. Larry never made
much either, except near the end, but we were so much in debt by then his new
salary didn’t make a dent.”
    Dorrie
frowned and set down her suddenly dry sandwich. She couldn’t eat another bite,
not with the awful memory of Larry sprawled on the asphalt flashing through her
mind. The thing about sadness was it obeyed no timetable, striking at any given
time, even in her happiest moments. She could never blot out memories of her
husband and didn’t want to. He’d been too much a part of her life to forget
he’d been there.
    Kelly
gave Dorrie a telling look. “You’re right, of course. I should be thankful for
what I have. It takes a tragedy like yours to remind me of my good fortune. I
do love my husband. Also, Doug’s a saint for serving people. I only wish he
were home more often to service me.”
    “I
know what you mean,” Dorrie said, blinking back a sudden tear.
    It
had been way too long since she’d made love to Larry. God, she missed the feel
of his arms around her and the oneness of being joined together. If she hadn’t
known how good it could be, she’d not know what she was missing. Some women
never experienced such closeness, and had no idea what it could mean. At times
like this, she knew she should be grateful for the love they’d shared, but
still it slashed her heart to know she could never get it back.
    “Sorry,
I shouldn’t complain. Your situation is much worse,” Kelly