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Matt Payne felt nowhere near as bright and clever as he was trying to appear. As a matter of fact, he could recall few times in his twenty-two years when he had been more uncomfortable.
"Then congratulations, Matt," Penny said.
"Thank you, ma'am," he said.
"But that doesn't answer why you? Out here, I mean?"
"I think the idea, I thinkAmy's idea, is that I am the best person to be with you as you begin your passage back into the real world. Amy, I hope you know, is calling the shots."
"She's been coming out here," Penny said.
"Yeah, I know," Payne said. "For whatever the hell it's worth, Penny, even if she is my sister, the word on the street is that she's a pretty good shrink."
That was the truth: Amelia Payne, M.D.,was a highly regarded psychiatrist.
"'The word on the street'?" Penny asked, gently mocking him.
"The consensus is," he corrected himself.
"I don't understand:" Penny said.
"Neither do I," he said, "but to coin a phrase, 'mine not to reason why, mine but to ride into the valley of the hustlers'…"
"Well, thanks anyway for coming out here, even if you didn't want to."
"Better me than Madame D, right?"
Matt Payne had been calling Grace (Mrs. H. Richard) Detweiler " Madame D" since he had been about twelve, primarily because he knew it greatly annoyed her.
Penny laughed.
"Oh, God, I don't think I could have handled my mother out here."
"You better prepare yourself, she'll be at the airport."
"And then what?"
"Jesus Christ, Penny, I don't know. Knowing her as I do, I suspect she'll be a pain in the ass."
"I've always liked your tact and charm, Matt," Penny said, and then, "God, that beer looks good."
"You want one?"
"I'm asubstance abuser," Penny said. "Don't tell me you haven't heard."
"You're a…youwere a junkie, not a drunk."
"Alcohol is a drug," Penny said, as if reciting something she had memorized.
"So is aspirin," Matt said, and pushed his beer glass to her.
She met his eyes, and looked into them, and it was only with a good deal of effort that he could keep himself from looking away.
Then she picked up his glass and took a swallow.
"If you're going to start throwing things, or taking your clothes off, or whatever, try to give me a little notice, will you?" Matt said.
"Go to hell, Matt," Penny said, then almost immediately, first touching his hand, added, "I don't mean that. My God, I was so glad to see you this morning!"
