1. That's What Friends Are For Read Free Page A

room. "Wow!" he said in a reverent voice.
    Penny couldn't help it. She began to laugh. "That's one of the things I've always liked about you. Brad," she said, grinning. "You were always so articulate, with such an artful turn of phrase."
    He walked over to her and took both her hands, staring down at her. "And that laugh is one of the things I've always liked about you. I had almost given up hope that it was still around."
    She could not ignore how well Brad looked in the navy blue blazer and gray slacks. The ensemble set off his blond good looks. Let's face it, she thought, he looked like every woman's dream of the man she hoped would appear in her life and take her away from daily drudgery. No doubt that was one of the reasons Hope for Tomorrow had become one of the most successful daily serials.
    The doorbell served as a reprieve from Penny's runaway thoughts. "Oh, there's Gregory now." she said, unconsciously betraying her relief.
    Brad frowned slightly as he watched her return to the hall. For just a moment he'd seen a ghmpse of the Penny he'd known forever, but then she'd disappeared behind the polite, sedate facade of the woman he'd seen this afternoon.
    He heard murmured voices in the hallway, and an intimate male chuckle that caused the hair on his neck to rise in protest. Brad determinedly ignored the fact that Penny's lipstick was definitely smudged when she returned to the room, leading a man who must have been Gregory Duncan.
    Brad wasn't prepared for the shock he received when he saw Penny's fiance. There was no denying that he was in his late thirties. The mark of time had added character to his face. What hit Brad like a doubled-up fist in his stomach was that Gregory Duncan looked enough like him to be a close relative.
    They were both approximately the same height and build, and their hair was the same shade of blond. Brad felt as though he were looking into the future, at what he would look like in another thirteen years.
    And this was the man Penny had chosen to marry.
    After the introductions were made. Brad said, "I've looked forward to meeting you, Gregory. I've heard some very good things about you." He didn't miss the exchange of glances between Gregory and Penny.
    "It's good to meet a friend of Penny's, Brad," Gregory replied in a deep, mellow voice that Brad was sure could be used to great effect in a courtroom.
    "Unfortunately, I'm at a disadvantage. She's never mentioned you to me."
    Brad glanced at Penny in surprise, and acknowledged to himself the pain Gregory's remark caused him. She had truly dismissed him from her life.
    Penny couldn't meet Brad's eyes. She smiled at Gregory and said, "Oh, I'm sure I told you about Brad, Gregory. You've probably just forgotten. He lived next door for years."
    'Tm sure you have, love," Gregory said, holding her possessively to his side. "It must have slipped my mind."
    Brad was unprepared for the almost despairing rage that swept over him at the sight of Gregory holding Penny so intimately.
    What had he expected, for God's sake? She was marrying the man, wasn't she? He found himself clenching his teeth in an effort to control his emotions. Helen earned his undying gratitude when she came into the room and announced that dinner was ready.
    Dinner was almost as bad. Brad sat across the table from the engaged couple, a silent witness to their smiles and murmurs. Ralph and Helen kept the conversation going, and Brad determinedly joined them, knowing he would have to deal with his pain later.
    Penny began to relax about midway through dinner. As usual, her mother had outdone herself with the meal, and the men were obviously enjoying it. She had just felt the tension in the muscles along her spine ease when Brad said, "Too bad you never learned to cook like your mom, Runt. Maybe she'll take pity on Grre-gory and have you two for dinner often."
    Gregory glanced up from his meal and looked at Brad in surprise. "What did you call her? Runt?''
    Brad looked a little