Silver Linings, стр. 40

“I made a mistake last year,” Hugh said. “I'm paying for it.”

“How long you going to go on paying?” Silk dabbled the brush in water and then in blue paint.

“Don't know.” Hugh took another swallow of beer and thought gloomy thoughts. “Until I can convince her of something, I guess.”

“What's she want to be convinced of?” Silk studied the blank white canvas and then put in a wash of blue that came close to the color of the afternoon sky over St. Gabriel.

“That she's more important to me than her sister was, I guess.”

“Well, shoot.” Silk studied the blue wash with slitted eyes. “You could spend a lifetime trying to convince a woman she's the most important thing in your life. Women are never satisfied.”

“Mattie will be. Eventually. She just needs a little time to get used to the idea that I mean what I say.”

“What are you gonna do with the charter business while you're busy convincing Mattie she's Number One?”

“That, my good man, is where you come in.”

“Oh, no, you don't. I ain't running it for you. I don't mind making a few flights when you're short of pilots, or doing some maintenance for you, but I don't want to play boss. You know I can't stand paperwork.”

“I need you, Silk. You're the only one I can trust to handle Abbott Charters while I'm in Seattle.”

“Forget it.”

“It'll only be for a few weeks or so at the most.” Hugh leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs and cradling the beer bottle between his palms. “I just need some time in Seattle.”

“She know you're only planning to spend a few weeks convincing her?”

Hugh scowled. “No, and if you open your big mouth, I will personally close it for you.”

“You're gonna keep working for Vailcourt, aren't you?”

“Might as well. The money's good. Work's easy. Charlotte Vailcourt thinks handling Vailcourt security is hard and dangerous, but she doesn't know the meaning of the words hard and dangerous. Don't see why I should be the one to set her straight. Not as long as she's willing to pay me a fortune to consult.”

“Yeah, you got it cushy working for Vailcourt, all right.” Silk added a lemon tinge to the blue sky. “You ever tell this Mattie Sharpe what you used to do for a living?”

“Hell, no.” Hugh gave his friend a cold stare.

“Don't worry. I'll keep my mouth shut,” Silk said quietly. He deepened the yellow. “But you don't know women. If they think there's some mystery in your past, they won't stop digging until they uncover it.”

“I can handle Mattie.”

Silk snorted. “Sure. That's why you're leaving everything behind here on St. Gabe and traipsing off with her to Seattle. Who's handling who, boss?”

“Look, let's just forget this whole subject, all right?”

Silk heaved a massive shrug. “Whatever you say, boss. But take it from me, you're wasting your time. Things ain't what they used to be in the old days when a good woman would follow a man to the other side of the world and stick with him come hell or high water. Nowdays we got this new liberated female who wants her own career and a fancy condo and what you call a sophisticated lifestyle. What's more, she wants to marry a man who works for a corporation, drinks white wine, and drives a BMW.”

“So now you're an expert on the modern woman?”

“A wise man learns by observation,” Silk informed him loftily. “I watched you screw up last year. I ain't looking forward to watching you shoot yourself in the foot again. It's embarrassing.”

“Mattie's different,” Hugh insisted stubbornly. “Once she's sure of me, she'll stop fussing about where she lives.”

“Sure.”

“Hey, you want to come over to dinner tonight?”

Silk's bushy brows climbed. “You making another batch of that godawful chili?”

“No. Mattie's going to be doing the cooking.” Hugh could not help feeling smug. It was curiously pleasant to be able to extend an invitation for a home-cooked dinner to a friend. He liked the idea of entertaining in his own home. Just like a real married man. “She's a great cook. I told her to pick up some nice thick steaks and stuff for a salad. Maybe dessert. What do you say?”

Silk considered that. “Sounds good. I haven't had a real home-cooked meal since that little blond tourist lady made me scrambled eggs when she stayed overnight on the Griffin.”

“That was damn near a year ago.”

“Yeah. I'm drooling already. Don't mind telling you. But I doubt if Miss Mattie Sharpe will want me coming to dinner. I didn't exactly get off on my best foot with her yesterday.”

“I explained all that,” Hugh said.

Silk put a dark blue wash in over the area that would be the sea. “Well, if you're sure she won't poison me, I'd be mighty pleased to join you.”

“Good. Six o'clock.” Hugh glanced up and saw Mattie approaching along the quay. She was wearing the new jeans she had bought yesterday and a flower-splashed top. She had complained that the jeans were too tight and that the bright, short-sleeved camp shirt was rather garish, but he thought she looked terrific. Which only went to show how low-class his tastes were, Hugh supposed. He got to his feet. “One more thing,” he said to Silk. “Don't stop off at the Hellfire first.”

Silk contrived to look offended. “I got manners when I need 'em, Abbott. Don't worry, I won't embarrass you by showing up three sheets to the wind. You hear anything yet from Purgatory?”

“No. It might take a little time. But the word is out. Bound to hear something sooner or later.” Hugh vaulted onto the dock. “We'll get whoever did it.”

“I get first crack at the bastard who blew Cormier away when we do find him,” Silk muttered.

“You're going to have to get in line. I'm first. Whoever it was came too close to getting Mattie, too, remember?”

Silk frowned thoughtfully at Mattie, who was making her way down the harbor steps, two large