Georgie on His Mind Read Free Page B

"That's easy for you to say. You weren't
there. It was like being in my own private episode of Cops."
    "Hey, I personally like that show."
    "It's not funny, Dee. Brad's going psycho on me. He treats
me like I'm twelve and hawks over me every waking hour
I'm not here" She thought about that statement and wondered if Brad didn't have a patrol car cruising by the place
that very minute or maybe even a policeman standing guard.
    Standing up on tiptoe, she took a peek out the window. Whew. No police bodyguard in sight. Okay, so he hadn't
gone completely overboard.

    Yet.
    "He's your darling big brother," Dee reminded her. "Overprotection is what they do best."
    Georgie perched herself back on the stool and shook her
head. "No. Not to this degree, they don't. Do you know since
I've moved back, Brad has not once gone out on a date himself? Once in a while he goes to a poker game at Steve Wilson's house, but that's it. The man has no life, and now he's
trying to make me the same way. We're going to end up as
the town's only brother and sister spinster team"
    "Can a man be considered a spinster?"
    She shot her a mock glare. "You know what I mean"
    "Okay, I do," Dee said with a laugh. "So you think because Brad has no life, he wants you to have no life?"
    She thought about that for a minute. "Well, no, I guess
not. I just think he's been playing the role of Mom and Dad
for so long he can't stop. Brad doesn't realize I'm an adult
now. He needs to stop worrying about me. He needs ... he
needs a diversion."
    Dee leaned her chin in her hands and smirked. "A diversion, huh? What are you going to do, order him a stripper for
his birthday?"
    Georgie mulled that idea over. It wasn't bad, actually, but
too temporary a solution to her problem. Plus, his birthday
wasn't until winter. She didn't think she'd be able to survive
seven more months of the brotherly prison sentence she was
in, and she didn't know when she'd have enough money
saved to move out on her own. No, what Brad needed was
someone else to focus on, someone else to care about for a
change. And a little fun.
    Dee waved a hand in front of Georgie's face. "Uh, I was kidding about the stripper," she said with concern. "I didn't
realize things were that bad at home."

    "They're worse. Brad's giving me a complex. I'm beginning to doubt my ability to make decisions for myself."
Georgie picked up a prescription and began entering the information in the computer, then asked, "Is there something
wrong with me?"
    "Believe me, it's not you. There's absolutely nothing wrong
with you. You're just having an off couple of week-ermonths. Besides, Hank wasn't so great. You could do much
better."
    Hadn't her brother said the same exact thing last night?
    Georgie finished typing out a prescription and looked up
with surprise. "You really think I could do better?"
    "Oh, yeah," Dee said, bobbing her head up and down.
"Hank had muscle, but no brain. You need to find someone
who's more of an intellectual equal. One who pays his traffic
tickets would be a bonus too. But someone hot. He has to be
hot. Smart and hot. A smart hottie with-"
    She held up a hand. "Uh, thanks. I get it now. But honestly, looks don't mean that much to me. At this point, I'd
settle for someone with a face"
    "A face, huh?" Dee snickered. "Okay, I guess that's a
start. But besides the obvious necessities of a body, face, and
limbs, what else are you looking for in a husband?"
    "Husband!" Her face contorted. "Oh no, Dee, I don't
want a husband-unless of course he doesn't want to get
married."
    Dee stared at her for a moment, her brows scrunched together. "I see," she said slowly. "A husband who doesn't
want to get married. Uh-huh, that makes sense" She shook
her head. "Honey, I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I'm beginning to
see Brad's side of the story now."

    She let out a laugh. "I'm serious, Dee. I don't want a husband. Besides, I could never find one as great as yours. And
just because I don't want