Page 106 of True

"And you didn't want me to go in the first place."

"Alec, baby, I don't want to lose you. Ever. But I want you to be happy."

"What if he's just a rebound… like the others?"

"I thought of that. Believe me… that's the first thing that came to mind. But he's been solo for quite some time. And your eyes—"

"What about my eyes?"

"Alec, when you talk about him… right now, or on Skype. You just…it's different."

"And you think I should move to Montana?"

"No. I didn't say that. But I don't think you should let an opportunity like this slip. Either one of you. You ain't young' uns." His accent dipped briefly back to that of his Mississippi upbringing.

"But what about my home? What about you?"

"I'll be fine, girlfriend. But I wouldn't be fine knowing I kept a friend from happiness. That's why I never hounded you about Mac. Because, at times, he did make you happy. But you deserve

better. I said it before. We all do."

"So I should just give up my house… my life here?"

"Hell no. There should be some compromise on his part as well. Hopefully, he knows that. But

if you're out there with him you can still write. You ain't paying his rent, so you can still afford the mortgage on this place. And what about the book?"

Alec stood, pacing away, and then turning. "I don't know, D. I don't know if it would sell. How in demand are gay romances? How much does ten percent of the population read?"

Demarco scoffed. "It's more than that, believe me. Fuck Kinsey. Throw in the closet cases and it's half the men in America."

"You would know."

"Yes, honey. I would. And didn't you say you were re-purposing chapters for the column? And

that your editor was happy with the results."

"Yeah. Ecstatic."

"Then what's keeping you?"

Alec stared long and hard. Demarco held both hands out like a scale. Slowly he lowered one

and lifted the other.

"You just want to see me as a prairie wife."

"You know it—Real Housewives of Walton's Mountain."

"It's closer to Laura Ingalls Wilder than you think."

"Do I get to be Nellie Olson?"

"Without question."

"Then you need to book a flight, half-pint."

"Now? What about Christmas?"