Page 585 of Cold Case, Warm Hearts

Ginger raised an eyebrow. Instead of replying, she shook her head and then waved her hand. “No thanks.”

She watched Sydney maneuver up the wall like spider man, her blonde hair swinging. Admittedly, despite her best efforts, she was a tad envious of Sydney’s lean, athletic frame. Ginger was always trying in vain to lose those last five pounds. “I can hear it now,” she would often complain to Sydney, “here comes Barbie and her short, stubby sidekick.”

The two girls met their freshman year at Texas Christian University when they were assigned as roommates. They were an unlikely pair, but they clicked. They had been inseparable until Ginger’s marriage to Mark six months earlier.

Now Ginger and Sydney saw each other less but remained close. Today they were shopping for a dress for Sydney. Even though they both lived only five minutes from the mall in Ft.Worth, Sydney insisted on driving the extra twenty minutes to the Parks Mall in Arlington so she could go climbing on the wall at Galyan’s Sports Center.

Ginger examined her nails. How many would she break this time? She thrust her hand in the chalk pack and then gave her harness a swift yank. She looked up at the gray knobs that looked like blobs of putty. It could be worse, she told herself. This could be a real mountain with no hand or footholds.

Ginger could feel every muscle strain in protest when she reached to grab the knob on her left. She held on for dear life and heaved her left leg up to a knob even with her chest. She tried to pull her body up and lost her grip. She fell about a foot before the harness caught her. She swung back and forth for a moment before looking up. “Hey Syd, let’s grab some frozen yogurt at TCBY on our way home. I can just taste a white chocolate mousse waffle cone dripping with wet walnuts.”

Ginger atea spoonful of frozen yogurt and leaned back in her chair. “Now this is what I call recreation.”

Sydney studied her friend and then shook her head. “What am I gonna do without you?”

Ginger’s lively brown eyes grew filmy. “You don’t have to go, you know.”

The two sat quietly for a moment. There was so much between them. Sydney felt a lump rise in her throat, and she swallowed hard. “Yes, I do.”

“How did Adam take the news?”

A brief smile flittered at the corners of Sydney’s mouth. She shrugged. “About like I expected. The very notion of my leaving Ft. Worth to interview in some podunk town in Alabama thathe’s never even heard of is almost as unfathomable to him as my having the gall to leave him.” Sydney frowned when she remembered the heated conversation she and Adam had the night before. She kept her voice light. “Aside from that … I think he’s handling it okay.” She forced a laugh. “You know me, Gin. I’ll be all right. It’s like you always say: I change boyfriends about as often as most women change hairstyles.”

Ginger twirled a lock of glossy chestnut hair around her finger without responding.

“Hey, you could at least pretend to disagree with that last comment.”

Ginger chuckled. “You’re the one who said it.” She shifted in her seat and started chewing on her lip. “Are you sure about this?” She looked at Sydney. “Adam Sinclair is quite the catch. And he’s crazy about you.”

“And I guess my recent inheritance doesn’t hurt me any in his eyes either, does it?”

Ginger’s eyes grew wide. “Surely you don’t believe that. His family is just as wealthy as your aunt was.”

Not a tenth as wealthy, she could have said. She stirred her yogurt. “Oh, I know.” The truth of the matter was she’d already thought about what she’d be losing by leaving. She and Adam had met a year ago at a charity function. Her aunt was on the board of directors for the Kimbell Art Museum and had insisted that Sydney accompany her. Just when she’d resigned herself to another boring evening at a social parade, Adam’s eyes caught hers through the crowd. She’d been instantly drawn to Adam’s wry sense of humor and quick smile. There was a boyish charm about the way he brushed back the hair that kept falling over his left eye. He was everything she’d always wanted and yet …

Ginger seemed to read her thoughts, something she did quite often. “Adam is a hunk. I would’ve gone after him myself if itweren’t for Mark.” Sydney’s expression didn’t change. She was used to Ginger’s teasing. “When do you leave?” Ginger asked.

“I have to be there by next Tuesday.”

“Mom’s gonna want to have you over for one of her famous send-offs, complete with lasagna and her famous chocolate cake.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Ginger’s family had practically adopted Sydney. At first Sydney had felt out of place in the Parkins’ boisterous home where Ginger was the middle child of seven. She made up excuses so she wouldn’t have to accompany Ginger on her visits home, but Ginger refused to accept any of them. Finally, Sydney gave up. She went to the Parkins’ home and grew to love them as much as they loved her.

The biggest change in Sydney’s life came when Ginger invited her to attend her church. Religion had never played a major part in Sydney’s life, so she was reluctant at first. Ginger pestered her until she finally gave in. The Church and the Parkins had helped fill a void in Sydney’s life.

Ginger interrupted her thoughts. “Even if Adam is mad at you, he won’t be able to stay that way after he sees you in that little black Armani dress you bought.”

Sydney chuckled. “Let’s hope not. The thing cost me a small fortune.”

“You can afford it, and besides, you needed something to wear to the club. It’s not every day a girl gets to have dinner at the Colonial Country Club with the prestigious Dr. and Mrs. Peter Sinclair.”

Sydney wrinkled her nose. She didn’t relish spending one of her last evenings with Adam in the company of his nice but stuffy parents. She would have rather had a quiet evening alone with him. She paused. “Adam is something, isn’t he?”

Ginger nodded.“

Do you think I’m crazy for even considering that job in Alabama?”