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cheeks.
    “ Sorry. I forgot who I was talking to.”
    Cassie shrugged. “Don’t let my virginal state hold you back. I can live vicariously, can’t I?”
    Sky shook her head, at a loss for words.
    “ Look, Sky. I just never found the right guy. No one worthy of ‘my special gift’, as Mom says. I’m sure it’ll happen before I turn into a crazy old spinster with too many cats.”
    Skyler folded Cassie into her arms. “He better be some great guy.”
    “ He will be. I’ve waited this long. I can wait for the real deal to come along.”
    Sky pulled back and examined her little sister’s face. “He could be right here. Maybe some wonderful guy has been kicking around South Padre Island, looking for his dream girl.”
    Cassie emitted an indelicate snort. “Right. So far, I’ve seen crusty old shrimpers and a ton of beach boy types.”
    Sky chortled. “I would have thought Zach was a beach boy type. Wouldn’t you?”
    Cassie considered, returning Sky’s amused expression. “He’s hot, tanned and has that lean muscular body. But when he opens his mouth, you know there’s a brain engaged. I really like his dry sense of humor.”
    Sky leaned back against the sofa. “I like his honest, head-on attitude. He doesn’t know how to dissemble. It’s quite refreshing, especially after all the young male residents and interns only interested in nurses for one thing. Even the doctors at my last job were on the prowl and a lot of the nurses played along, hoping to land a doctor husband.”
    “ Sounds like an unlikely place to meet a dream guy.”
    “ It was.” Skyler wrapped her arms around herself, staring out the glass at the clear blue sky. “I learned my lesson about partying with my co-workers.”
    “ Don’t go there. You’ve moved past the accident.”
    “ A woman and her son died. I have to live with that all of my life.” Tears welled in her eyes.
    Cassie’s gaze darkened. “Someone slipped you a date-rape drug. Some complete stinker planned to have sex with you when you were under the influence or unconscious.”
    Sky nodded. “But I got in my car and drove. I may have passed out at the wheel. I killed a woman and a child.”
    “ Sky, stop obsessing about it. The police report said the other driver was traveling at a high rate of speed and she plowed into you. What kind of mother would be driving that fast with her child in the car? She was at fault.”
    “ But, if I hadn’t tried to get home that night, they might both be alive.” Sky buried her face in her hands.
    “ You can’t keep rehashing the event. You were lucky to escape the wreckage with your life.”
    Sky nodded, mutely.
    “ And I, for one, am glad you lived through it. Other than the scar on your leg, you’re going to be none the worse for wear.”
    Sky focused on Cassie’s face. “Did I say thank you for letting me crash here with you?”
    “ Lots of times.” Cassie hugged Sky around her shoulders. “And I love having you here. It’s like all those summers with Gram when the parental units dumped us and ran off together.”
    “ We were such horrible little brats. How did Gram put up with us all summer long?”
    “ Gram loves us. She thinks we’re her little blessings. Remember?”
    “ Maybe she’s delusional?”
    Cassie put on a horrified expression. “For shame! The woman is sharp as a rapier. Gram does the New York Times Crossword in ink.”
    Sky rested her head against the back of the sofa. “It’s good to be important to someone.”
    “ We’re very important to her.”
    The sisters sat, facing each other for a few minutes.
    “ Want some breakfast?” Cassie asked.
    “ Sure. I’ll help.”
    “ Nope. You relax. This is your last day of indolence. Your new job starts tomorrow, so you should just chill out today. Take it easy.
    Skyler smiled. “Thanks, Cass. I’m scheduled for a day of orientation tomorrow and then I’ll find out what shift I’m assigned to.”
    “ Didn’t you put in for days?”
    “