Free The things we do for love. by Abigail Anderson Page A

buddy.” Luke stared at Vera for a moment. She had that stern look on her face again. The one that said I am a dog with a bone and I’m not giving up, if you try and take the bone from me I will savage your hand.
    “It could never be...” Luke began but was abruptly cut off.
    “I know she’s got a ratty sister but that shouldn’t put you off.” She gave him a wink and she turned to walk from the room. Her ample frame swaying as she went.
    “I told her that her sister was a nutter.” Luke said.
    “Yes that you did.” Vera agreed.
    “And I told her she should have her sister committed.” Luke reminded her quietly.
    “Yes you did that too, and I bet she probably agrees with you, but she is going to stick up for her sister. Because she is her sister and that’s what sister’s do.” Vera smiled at him.
    “I told her that she couldn’t stand up to her and make her do as she was told.” Luke continued unrelentingly.
    “She most likely agrees with that too, although it probably rubbed her up the wrong way. No one likes to be reminded of their failures.”
    “I told her there are special places for a sister like that.” Luke continued to drive his point home.
    “But she probably already knew those places existed anyway.” Vera pointed out and despite his best efforts Luke laughed.
    “I told her that her sister’s behaviour was her fault.” he said quietly.
    “You didn’t.” Vera exclaimed as she threw up her hand in exasperation and then dropped them back to her sides. “What on earth possessed you to say that.”
    “You saw my car.” He pointed out.
    “And you have a point. But…”
    “But, now that I have alienated her there’s no way forward.” Luke told Vera with a sense of satisfaction that he had been right all along and that Vera was flogging a dead horse.
    “There is always a way.” Vera told him sharply refusing to be defeated just yet.
    “No there isn’t. Not only did I tell her that it was her fault, I also told her that she was enabling her sister and that if it wasn’t for her then perhaps her sister would have turned out better.”
    “Wow, you really enjoy committing suicide don’t you?” Vera stated.
    “So then, that is that.” Luke told her triumphantly.
    “Not necessarily.”
    “Yes necessarily. Are you not listening. I told her that Faye’s behaviour was her fault. That she had created monster Faye. That she enabled her bad behaviour.” Luke relentlessly continued.
    “But that doesn’t mean all is lost. Like I said there is always a way, if it was meant to be.”
    “Perhaps that’s true in fluffy, nonsense romantic fiction that you so enjoy reading. But, this is real life and Cassie hates my guts.” Luke responded despondently. “And I don’t blame her. After the way I spoke to her, I hate my guts.”
    “We’ll see.” Vera told him and she left the room. A kind soul Vera may have been but she was also quite naive for someone approaching sixty.
    Luke wished that things could have been as easy as Vera thought they were. Life just wasn’t like that and neither had been his luck, especially since his encounter with Faye.
    He sighed again as he put his papers away. He couldn’t concentrate anyway so there was little point in continuing to stare blankly at it.
    His stomach growled at him reminding him that he had eaten very little today. That settled it. He would go out for dinner and stop thinking of Cassie or her sister.
    Perhaps he could finish the paperwork after his surgery tomorrow if he had time. He should be back by two thirty as he only had three minor surgery’s scheduled for the morning.
    Luke left the room and went to find Vera in the kitchen to tell her he was going out to dinner.

Chapter 9.
     
    “So where is your dreaded Frankenstein twin tonight?” Adam contorted his face and closed one eye at Cassie and she grimaced as a reluctant laugh escaped her.
    Her friend was either trying to do an impression of an evil sidekick or an ugly one.