“Nothing important, then. So stay with me.”

Her eyes widened. “In the apartment? For the whole weekend?”

“Yes. But with a rule—no talking about them.”

Kelly laughed. “The rulers of our lives.” She thought for a moment. “I can’t do that.”

“Tomorrow we could look for a place to open your own veterinary clinic.”

Kelly looked like she was going into a dream. “I couldn’t run it by myself, but there was a guy I went to school with who I think would like a job. He’s older, a widower. And Linda Conlan could run the office. She hates her boss and she’s smart. I tried to get Mrs. Carl to hire her, but Linda is too pretty, so...” Kelly trailed off.

“I see you haven’t given this idea any thought.”

“A little bit, maybe.”

Their plates of chicken were put before them. Big bowls of green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy were set on the table. And a beer for Adam and iced tea for Kelly.

“I plan to eat every bite of this,” she said.

“Please do. Go on, tell me more about your plans.”

“That’s it.” The chicken was divine: crunchy outside, soft, hot and delicious inside. “I haven’t thought more about it except that it’s all impossible.”

“No, it’s not. As soon as we find a place, you’ll be free to tell the truth to everyone.”

“And you get to tell Vera that she is going to have a big wedding whether she wants it or not. And she gets to wear a dress you and I picked out for her. Plus—”

Adam groaned. “Stop! You’re scaring me. Are you going to stay or not?”

“I have no clothes, so I’d have to go home and pack. I can’t imagine the questions I’d get. My mother would be horrified. ‘You and Adam are what!’”

He gave a half smile. “You know there’d be no impropriety and you’re close enough to Mom’s size that everything is there. Tell your mother you’ve been offered a weekend seminar with Dr....?”

“Hollander. He’s the world’s leading expert on the reproduction system of...?”

“Cows, of course,” Adam added.

Kelly hesitated. “You don’t mind? I wouldn’t be in your way? You might want to be alone.”

“I need a distraction. Let’s go to a movie tonight. I haven’t been to one in years.”

“Me neither.”

“You and Treeboy didn’t go on movie dates?”

“We were both too busy and I needed to study and work. I managed to cut a year off my school. Why are you looking at me like that?”

“So what movie do you want to see?”

“I have no idea what’s on,” she said.

“Vera mentioned one called The Godfather.”

“Heard of it, didn’t see it.”

“Let’s get a newspaper and see if it’s still playing somewhere.”

It was early Sunday morning and Kelly was stretched out on the white silk couch in the living room of the beautiful apartment. She had on a pink satin blouse and flowing trousers of black tussah silk. She wasn’t sure, but she had an idea the clothes cost more than she made last year.