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pockets of his jeans and headed for the kitchen. A bologna sandwich would help take his mind off his family.
    He was halfway to the kitchen when the phone rang.
    Only a few possibilities existed anymore, since Luke had lost most of his old friends. And the new ones-usually they were too busy being enlightened to think about something as mun dane as calling to shoot the breeze. It was a part of his old life Luke missed, the social part. Playing basketball with his bud dies, catching a movie off-campus, hanging out at Art’s Attic for a couple games of pool.
    Freethinkers didn’t spend their time that way; wasn’t that what Lori had said?
    Basketball was a source of unnecessary com petition, the kind that eventually led to war; movies were tailor made for nonthinking middle America and contained political agendas and influential stereotypes that were harmful to free thinkers. And playing pool at a bar? Uneducated cretins and male chauvinists, that’s who found fun in such simple pastimes. So much for any of his old gang.
    The phone rang a third time just as Luke picked it up and punched the On button.
    “Hello?”
    “Luke? Hi … it’s Mom.”
    Here we go…. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Hello, Mother.” He took the phone into the living room and plopped onto the sofa. His father hadn’t called in weeks, not since Luke snapped at him to get out of his business. But his mom called no matter what, once every few days at least. So why did she have to
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    sound so strained and frightened, as though he might hang up on her the moment he heard her voice? He cleared his throat. “How was the party?”
    “Good. Ryan and. Kari announced their engagement.” She hesitated. “The wedding will be September twenty-first.”
    “I figured that was it.” Luke closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his free hand. Lori had his mother pegged. From the beginning, she’d said his mother emanated negative vibes. The whole vibe thing didn’t sit well with Luke, but it was hard to deny the tension between him and his mother.
    “Ryan wants you to be in the wedding party.” Her voice trembled. “He wanted me to ask you about it.”
    Luke squinted toward the window. “I’m not sure. Can I let him know in a week or so?”
    His mother paused, and when she spoke again she sounded tired and old. “Kari’s your sister, Luke. Why wouldn’t you say yes?”
    “Because.” He let his frustration out in a huff. “Maybe I don’t believe in marriage anymore, weddings and all that ‘tildeathdous-part stuff. And maybe I don’t want to stand up there dressed in some establishment-driven black tuxedo making a hypocrite of myself.” He eased back on his tone. “That’s why.”
    “Well, then …” She didn’t seem to have an answer for that. “At least think about it. Ryan cares a great deal for you. It would mean a lot for you to be part of the celebration that day.”
    “Fine.” He leaned forward and dug his elbows into his knees. His stomach hurt, but he wasn’t sure if it was the “bad vibes” or just the tension of his old life clashing smack against his new one. “I’ll let you know.”
    “Thank you.” She paused. “Luke, I have something else to tell you.”
    A dozen possibilities flashed into Luke’s mind. Something had happened to Ashley or Landon … Maddie was sick again …
    or his father was passing on an apology. He waited.
    “Reagan called the other day. She wanted to talk to you.”
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    At those first two unbelievable words, Luke felt the blood drain from his face, felt his heart beating hard in his throat, sensed the room begin to spin. His mother couldn’t possibly have said what he thought he’d heard. Reagan had called? His Reagan? She’d called looking for him? After how long-seven months?
    The idea was insane.
    While his mother was waiting for his reaction, he grabbed a quick couple of breaths. The blood was returning to his face, but in