ponder

A good traveller is one who does not know where he is going to, and a perfect traveller does not know where he came from.

Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials.
Hope is like a road in the country; there was never a road, but when many people walk on it, the road comes into existence.
If you can spend a perfectly useless afternoon in a perfectly useless manner, you have learned how to live.

No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.

Our lives are not in the lap of the gods, but in the lap of our cooks.

Society can exist only on the basis that there is some amount of polished lying and that no one says exactly what he thinks.

The wise man reads both books and life itself.

This I conceive to be the chemical function of humor: to change the character of our thought.

Today we are afraid of simple words like goodness and mercy and kindness. We don't believe in the good old words because we don't believe in good old values anymore. And that's why the world is sick.
Where there are too many policemen, there is no liberty. Where there are too many soldiers, there is no peace. Where there are too many lawyers, there is no justice.

marriage

MARRIAGE
When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I've got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.
Suddenly I didn't know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly.
She didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why? I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we
didn't talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Dew. I didn't love her anymore. I just pitied her!
With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company.
She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Dew so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me
for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.
The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn't have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Dew.
When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again.
In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn't want anything from me, but needed a month's notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month's time and she didn't want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.
This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day.
She requested that everyday for the month's duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door every morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.
I told Dew about my wife's divorce conditions. She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully.
My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mummy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don't tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.
On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn't looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.
On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me.
On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn't tell Dew about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.
She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily.
Suddenly it hit me... she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.
Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it's time to carry mum out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day.
But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn't noticed that our life lacked intimacy.
I drove to office... jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind... I walked upstairs. Dew opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Dew, I do not want the divorce anymore.
She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Dew, I said, I won't divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she
and I didn't value the details of our lives, not because we didn't love each other any more. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart.
Dew seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away.
At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I'll carry you out every morning until death do us apart.
The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank, blah..blah.. blah. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves. So find time to be your spouse's friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage!
If you don't share this, nothing will happen to you..
If you do, you just might save a marriage.

A+

The following is an actual question given in a University of Washington chemistry mid term.
The answer by one student was so "profound" that the professor shared it
with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now have the
pleasure of enjoying it as well :
Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)?
Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using
Boyle's Law (gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant.
One student, however, wrote the following:
First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need
to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which
they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to
Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving. As for how many
souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today.
Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there is more than one
of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can
project that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are,
we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially. Now, we
look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states
that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to
stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added.
This gives two possibilities:
1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter
Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase
until all Hell breaks loose.
2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell,
then the temperature and pressure will drop
until Hell freezes over.
So which is it?
If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my
Freshman year that, "It will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep
with you," and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then
number two must be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has
already frozen over. The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has
frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is
therefore, extinct..... .leaving only Heaven, thereby proving the
existence of a divine being which explains why, last night, Teresa kept shouting:
"Oh my God."
THIS STUDENT RECEIVED AN A+

amen

Butch Jimenez, head of PLDT's media and strategic communications
department, delivered this speech at the UP Diliman Class 2003
commencement exercises
AS college students, you're just about to set sail into the real
world. As you prepare for the battleground of life, you'll hear many
speeches, read tons of books and get miles of advice telling you to
work hard, dream big, go out and do something for yourself, and have
a vision.
Not bad advice, really. In fact, following these nuggets of truth may
just bring you to the top. But as I've lived my life over the years,
I have come to realize that it is great to dream big, have a vision,
make a name, and work hard. But guess what: There's something better
than that.
So my message today simply asks the question, What's better than...?
Let's start off with something really simple. What's better than a
long speech? No doubt, a short one. So, you guys are in luck because
I do intend to keep this short.
Now, let me take you through a very simple math exam. I'll rattle off
a couple of equations, and you tell me what you observe about them.
Be mindful of the instructions. You are to tell me what you observe
about the equations. Here goes:
3+4=7, 9+2=11, 8+4=13, and 6+6=12. Tell me, what do you observe?
Every time I conduct this test, more than 90 percent of the
participants immediately say, 8+4 is NOT 13, it's 12!
That's true and they are correct. But they could have also observed
that the three other equations were right. That 3+4 is 7, that 9+2 is
11, and that 6+6 is 12.
What's my point? Many people immediately focus on the negative
instead of the positive. Most of us focus on what's wrong with other
people more than what's right about them.
Examine those four equations. Three were right and only one was
wrong. But what is the knee-jerk observation? The wrong equation.
If 10 people you didn't know were to walk through that door, most of
you would describe those people by what's negative about them. He's
fat. He's balding. Oh, the short one. Oh, the skinny girl.
Ahhh, 'yung pango. Etc.
Get the point? It's always the negative we focus on and not the
positive. You'll definitely experience this in the corporate world.
You do a hundred good things and one mistake-guess what? Chances are,
your attention will be called on that one mistake.
So what's better than focusing on the negative? Believe me, its
focusing on the positive. And if this world could learn to focus on
the positive more than the negative, it would be a much nicer place
to live in.
Better than working hard We have always been told to work hard. Our
parents say that, our teachers say that, and our principal says that.
But there's something better than merely working hard. It's working
SMART.
It's taking time to understand the situation, and coming out with an
effective and efficient solution to get more done with less time and
effort. As the Japanese say, "There's always a better way."
One of the most memorable case studies I came across with as I
studied Japanese management at Sophia University in Tokyo was the
case of the empty soap box, which happened in one of Japan's biggest
cosmetics companies.
The company received a complaint that a consumer had bought a box of
soap that was empty. It immediately isolated the problem to the
assembly line, which transported all the packaged boxes of soap to
the delivery department. For some reason, one soap box went through
the assembly line empty.
Management tasked its engineers to solve the problem. Post-haste, the
engineers worked hard to devise an X-ray machine with high-resolution
monitors manned by two people to watch all the soap boxes that passed
through the line to make sure they were not empty. No doubt, they
worked hard and they worked fast.
But a rank-and-file employee that was posed the same problem came out
with another solution. He bought a strong industrial electric fan and
pointed it at the assembly line. He switched the fan on, and as each
soap box passed the fan, it simply blew the empty boxes out of the
line.
Clearly, the engineers worked hard, but the rank-and-file employee
worked smart. So what's better than merely working hard? It's working
smart.
Having said that, it is still important to work hard. If you could
combine both working hard and working smart, you would possess a
major factor toward success.
Better than dreaming big I will bet my next month's salary that many
have encouraged you to dream big. Maybe even to reach for the stars
and aim high.
I sure heard that about a million times right before I graduated from
this university. So I did. I did dream big. I did aim high. I did
reach for the stars. No doubt, it works. In fact, the saying is
true: "If you aim for nothing, that's exactly what you'll hit:
nothing."
But there's something better than dreaming big. Believe me, I got
shocked myself. And I learned it from the biggest dreamer of all
time, Walt Disney.
When it comes to dreaming big, Walt is the man. No bigger dreams were
fulfilled than his. Every leadership book describes him as the
ultimate dreamer. In fact, the principle of dreaming and achieving is
the core message of the Disney hit song, "When You Wish Upon a Star".
"When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are; anything
your heart desires will come to you. If your heart is in your dream,
no request is too extreme. When you wish upon a star, as dreamers
do," as Jiminy Cricket sang.
But is that what he preached in the Disney company? Dream?
Imagineering
Well, not! exactly. Kinda, but not quite. The problem with dreaming
is if that's all you do, you'll really get nowhere. In fact, you may
just fall asleep and never wake up.
The secret to Disney's success is not just dreaming, it's
IMAGINEERING.
You won't find this word in a dictionary. It's purely a Disney word.
Those who engage in imagineering are called imagineers. The word
combines the words "imagination" and "engineering."
In the book "Imagineers," Disney's CEO, Michael Eisner, claims
that "imagineers turn impossible dreams into real magic."
Walt Disney explained there is really no secret to their approach.
They just keep moving forward-opening new doors and doing new things,
because they are curious. And it is this curiosity that leads them
down new paths. They always dream, explore and experiment. In short,
imagineering is the blending of creative imagination and technical
know-how.
Eisner expounds on this thought by saying that "Not only are
imagineers curious, they are courageous, outrageous, and their
creativity is contagious."
The big difference with imagineers is that they dream and then they
DO! So don't just be a dreamer, be an imagineer.
You must have all been given a lecture at one time or another about
the importance of having a vision. Even leadership expert John
Maxwell says that an indispensable quality of a leader is to have a
vision. The Bible also makes it very clear that "Without vision,
people perish." So no doubt about it, having a vision is important to
success.
But surprise! There's something more potent than a vision. It's a
CAUSE. If all you're doing is trying to reach your vision and you're
pitted against someone fighting for a cause, chances are you'll lose.
The Vietnam War is a classic example. Literally with sticks and
stones, the Viet Cong beat the heavily armed US Army to surrender,
primarily because the US had a vision to win the war, but the
Vietnamese were fighting for a cause.
In the realm of business, many leaders have visions of making their
company No. 1, or grabbing market share, or forever increasing
profits.
Nothing really wrong with that vision, but take the example of Sony
founder Akio Morita. He did not just have a vision to build the
biggest electronics company in the world. In his biography, "Made in
Japan," he reveals that the real reason he set up Sony was to help
rebuild his country, which had just been battered by war. He had a
cause he was fighting for. His vision to be an electronics giant was
secondary.
What's the difference between a vision and a cause? Here's what sets
them apart...
No one is willing to die for a vision. People will die for a cause.
You posses a vision. A cause possesses you. A vision lies in your
hands. A cause lies in your heart. A vision involves sacrifice. A
cause involves the ultimate sacrifice.
Just a word of caution. You must have the right vision, and you must
be fighting for the right cause. In the end, right will always win
out.
It may take time, and it may take long. But if you have the right
vision and are fighting for the right cause, you will prevail. If
not, no matter how sincere you are, if you are not fighting for what
is right, you will ultimately fail.
Two final quotes
Allow me to end with two quotes that I have lived by ever since I
stepped out of UP.
The first comes from the Bible, which says, "To whom much is given,
much is required."
Having been given the opportunity to study in UP, no doubt, much has
been given to you in terms of an excellent education. Don't forget
that in return, much is now required of you to use that education not
just for yourself, but for others.
And as you move up and start reaching the pinnacle of success, even
more will be required of you to look at the wel! fare of others, of
society and of the country.
Though I have often dreamed of addressing any graduating class of UP
Diliman, I never really thought it would happen. This brings me to
the second quote I have held close to my heart as I traverse the
destiny God has laid out for me.
"There is no destination beyond reach of one who walks with God." My
standing in front of you today, as the youngest commencement speaker
of this esteemed university in 92 years, is proof of how true that
quote is.
A final review:
* What's better than focusing on the negative? Focus on the positive.
* What's better than working hard? It's working smart.
* What's better than dreaming? Imagineering.
* What's better than doing something for yourself? Doing something
for your country.
* What's better than a vision? A cause.
* What's better than a long speech? Definitely, a short one.
Thank you and congratulations, UP Diliman graduating class of 2003.

inday and others

AMO: inday, paalisin mo nga yung pulubi sa labas ng bahay.
(nilabas ni Inday)
INDAY: off you go! Under no circumstance this house would relent to such unabashed display of vagrant destitution!
PULUBI: oh! I'm so ashamed! Such a mansion of social climbing freaks!
(nakakuha na ng katapat si Inday!)
NOSEBLEED!!! .hehehe
Amo: Inday di ba nanood ka ng The Buzz kahapon? Bkit daw umalis si Angel Locsin sa GMA7?
Davy72se (1:36:09 AM): Inday: Sometimes people choose to leave not because of selfish reasons but because they just know that things will get worse if they'll stay. Leaving can be a tough act and it's harder when people can't understand you for doing so.
"don't limit my capacity in the four corners of this luxurious abode. expose me to the real challenges of the outside world. I want to grow as an individual with dynamic experiences."
Davy72se (1:37:45 AM): -- Inday nagrereklamo kasi ayaw siya isama sa enchanted kingdom
"Nurture others with positive, ruthful words, not words that hurt. It doesn't cost anything to do so. But mean what you say, and say what you mean. If you cannot be generous financially, at least be generous with your words."
- yan ang sabi ni Inday nung di sya pinautang at pinagmumura pa ng amo nya
"Listening to the nonsense talk about someone's life is a pathetic way of entertainment. It doesn't contribute to the good of the society. I hate character assassinators!"
-reklamo ni Inday ng natsismis sya ng kapitbahay! (di ko kinaya si Inday!)
stop your raucous behavior. it is bound to result in property damages and if that happens, there will be corresponding punishment to be inflicted upon you- si Inday, habang pinagsasabihan ang mga bata na wag malikot
hairypotter7.blogspot.com
This poem was nominated poem of 2005 for the best poem, written by an
African kid!!! GOOD ONE!!!
When I born, I Black,
When I grow up, I Black,
When I go in Sun, I Black,
When I scared, I Black,
When I sick, I Black,
And when I die, I still black..
And you White fella,
When you born, you Pink,
When you grow up, you White,
When you go in Sun, you Red,
When you cold, you Blue,
When you scared, you Yellow,
When you sick, you Green,
And when you die, you Gray..
And you calling me Colored ??
dfnypc@gmail.com - dj - djulkifli
dyan_05@yahoo.com -
new number ni mich 09212493171
abad_er@yahoo.com - clay-send pics
shaiche@yahoo.com - r0bz
i wanna fuck you- akon
check on it-beyonce
no matter - akon
www.flickr.com/photos/babygirlvans - vans - ask gracie - when it will be downloaded - from bedroom -
5/15/2007-Ask for QA Worksheet -
hi to all!
http://kristel23.multiply.com/photos/photo/2/24
http://kristel23.multiply.com/photos/photo/2/23
hope we are all doing great!!!
I'd like to thank you guys for all the fun memories that we've shared in the program.
THANK YOU!!!
I am so lucky to have met beautiful people like you.
Leaving the company doesn't mean that i'll also forget all my friends here.
I will really miss you and also my Intuit customers!!!nyahahaha!!!
I wish you continuing happiness in your careers here at eTelecare...
GO FOR PROMOTION GUYS!!!
signing off,
Maria Victoria "vic" Gazmin
godsmack_zero21@hotmail.com - reggie
I believe that my trained skills and expertise in management with the use of standard tools, and my discipline and experience will contribute significantly to the value of the work that you want, my creativity, productivity and work-efficiency and the high quality of outcomes I can offer will boost the work progress.
- sagot ni Inday sa interview ng bago niyang amo!
***************************************************
"physical stress and excessive work may result to serious damage to ones body. It is therefore essential that once in a while, we take a break from our usual routine to replenish the lost energy we once had."
- sabi ni inday sa amo nya nung humingi sya ng day off..
***************************************************
Compromising safety with useless aesthetics, the not-so-well engineered architectural design of our kitchen lavatory affected the boy’s cranium with a slight boil at the left temple near the auditory organ.
- sagot ni Inday nang tanungin ng amo kung bakit may bukol si Junior.
***************************************************
"drunken shrimp and blue lobster meat with caviar served with milagrosa rice (red variety) and apricot sauce. vegetables in balsamic vinegar splashed with extra virgin olive oil. lychee and peach salad with sour cream and cream chees topped with lemon zests."
- baon ni junjun sa daycare na hinanda ni inday. sosyal!
***************************************************
Stop your raucous behavior. It is bound to result in property damages and if that happens there will be corresponding punishment to be inflicted upon you!
- si Inday, pinagbabawalan ang mga bata na maglikot.
***************************************************
"To forrestall further hopes of acquaintance, my unfathomable statement to the denial of your request. Petition denied."
- reply ni Inday nang i-text ni dodong kung pwede sya maging txtmate.
***************************************************
"I stay awake in the coldness of the darkened sky contemplating why, for some reasons, has my emptiness made itself manifests, extending to that niche where I was given life and growth, that because of austerity I was made separated from…"
- Inday… hindi makatulog dahil nahohomesick
***************************************************
"I am solitary. I find it hard to succumb into slumber, though the downpour of rain should’ve made it easy. This exuberant emotional glue I have for you, cannot be simply washed away. The multiplicity of what I feel for you is inevitable. This isn’t platonic. It’s real, true romance."
- Inday, nageemote sa may bintana, habang iniisip si Dodong, ang boyfriend niya
***************************************************
Amo: Inday bumili ka nga ng mga isda.. o nga pla inglesira ka… would you please purchase many fishes for our this week’s meals?
Inday: Judging from your statement I believe you meant a variety of fish. The term "fishes", although rarely and even erroneously used, connotes a plethora or an array of different kinds of the aforementioned gilled creatures. But the more pressing questions before I traveresed the road to the wet market would be: What certain type of fish? Fillet or not? Frozen or just right smack the day’s catch? (Pauses) Aaah… by manner of careful extrapolation, given the meager budget in this houshold’s quasi-peasant middle class taste, I assume then I will source the staple "galewng-gowng". Am I correct?
Amo: grrrrr! (edited)
Inday: You meant the freshwater milkfish? Then the "ba-ngooz" is it!
***************************************************
"Ipomea aquatica has become the constant ingredient to this Filipino delicacy which is very helpful in the digestion during the peristaltic process of the food we intake. Due to the continuous rains and floods, the harvest of the said vegetable has lessen the production in the market."
- banat ni Inday kung bakit walang "kangkong" sa nilutong sinigang
***************************************************
"Heavy fire that exerted by the stimulus affect the best conductor of heat which is the steel, causing the "oriza sativa" which is the scientific name of rice to change its state of color, smell as well as the taste."
- sagot ni Inday nang tanungin siya ng amo kung bakit nasunog ang sinaing
***************************************************
"Off you go! Under no circumstance this house would relent to such unabashed display of vagrant destitution!"
- si Inday, pinapaalis ang makulit na pulubi sa gate… (Taray talaga ni Inday!)
***************************************************
How do i stop fallin 4 some1?
How do i defy d pull of gravity?
cn i just flee?flee before i hit d ground and suffer d pain?
and tell myself: y do i chus to fall in d first place, wen i know from the start,dat some1s nvr gonna be der to catch me anyway?...
-tanong ni inday s sarili nya ng mainluv xa sa amo nya....
***************************************************
Why don't you appreciate me?! I'm also much burdened and scourged of the hardships of my professional work. I can speak english too, mind you filthy people!!!
- Dudong, bitter at nagseselos dahil lagi na lang daw si inday and bida…
***************************************************
Dont limit my capacity in the 4 corners of this luxurious abode. Expose me to the real challenges of the outside world. I want to grow as an individual with dynamic experiences.
-inday, nagrereklamo dahil ayaw isama sa enchanted kingdom.
***************************************************
Success is often the result of taking a misstep in the right direction. Show me a person who has never made a mistake and i'll show you somebody who has never achieved much.
-sagot ni inday nung sumabog ang microwave naginagamit nya.
***************************************************
the 21st century device having a physical quantity that contains information is undetectable and has a numerical value equivalent to zero...nd i believe that its not bin carried by variations in frequency, amplitude nd phase.
-nagrereklamo si inday sa SUN CEL dahil wala dw cgnal ang fone nya.
***************************************************
I pity u for u have degraded ur very own pride & dignity by resorting to this despicable behavior just for wealth. And I hope that one day u'l realize that u should not use humans as means of ur ends. As wat the great philosopher Kant uttered, "treat a man as an end in himself." !
-sagot ni inday sa holdaper na naghoholdap sa kanya.
Shut up, coz if u don’t, the bullet in this gun will rest upon your empty head!
-sagot ng holdaper. Ang sosyal na talaga nila!
***************************************************
"The oil normalizing series specifically designed for my oily skin not only works physically on the skin surface, bt penetrates deep into the skin layers to normalize oil secretion for a healthy and long-lasting oil free skin."
-paliwanag ni inday habang nagpapahid ng chin-chan-su
***************************************************
Sa resto:
Waiter: Ano po order nila, maam?
Amo: Ung fried chicken meal na lang. Ikaw inday, ano sayo?
Inday: I would like to partake of a dish of sauteed pork and chicken, boiled in thick essence of soy and cane extracts, with copious amounts of garlic, onion and laurel, sprinkled generously with fine spices and served with a generous helping of rice.
Amo: Iho, pa-order daw ng adobo w/rice.
***************************************************
Mister: Bakit tuwing pag-uwi ko, nadadatnan kitang nanunuod ng TV??!!!
Inday: Because I don’t want you to see me doing absolutely nothing!
***************************************************
"It’s absurd! It was never a fact that he will inflict a fight. I can only imagine how you handle schizophrenic kids on this educational institution. Revise your policies because they suck!"
- Inday, kasama si Junior sa principal’s office.
***************************************************
Dear mother,
Had it not been for the smelling salt, I must have collapsed a moment ago. Junior has become a little monster to me. Remember the head accident he had? As if it wasn't enough, he was summoned by the principal of his shabbily run academe. Oh, such an erudite bunch of baboons! I never thought being a governess can be such strenuous employ!
Inday
Dear Inday,
Walanghiya ka! Magpadala ka ng pera! Nasa ospital nanay mo, dumugo ang ilong kababasa ng pesteng sulat mo!
Tatay
***************************************************
Amo: Inday, bakit nagkalat ang basura sa likod ng bahay?!
Inday: A change in the weather patterns might have occurred wrecking havoc to the surroundings. The way the debris are scattered indicates that the gust of wind was going northeast causing damage to the path it was heading for.
***************************************************
Dear Ma’am/Sir:
I hereby tender my irrevocable resignation as your employee effective today. It has been a pleasant stay in your company, but owing to personal reasons I am compelled to move on. I would like to thank you and your good management for the wonderful experience accorded to me during my stay in your company…
-resignation letter ni Inday

huh?

Hope it will help you ease your stress ... happy reading.
> sa luncheon meeting ba luncheon meat ang inihahanda?
>> > bakit ang taba ng barbeque palaging nasa hulihan?
>> > ang lason ba pag na expire nakakalason pa din?
>> > bakit sa pineapple wala akong makitang pine, wala ring apple?
>> > One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese?
>> > kung yung plural ng tooth ay teeth bakit yung plural ng booth ay hindi beeth?
>> > bakit eggplant ang tawag e wala namang egg?
kung itanim natin yung egg magiging "eggplant"?
>> > bakit kapag CLOSE kayo ng isang tao, OPEN kayo sa isa't isa?
>> > ang lamok ba kapag natutulog linalamok din?
>> > pwede bang maglagay ng baon mo pang dinner or breakfast sa lunchbox?
>> > bakit hindi na lang gumawa ng maraming pera para lahat tayo mabigyan?
>> > bakit ang mga bading, hindi naman nanganganak pero dumadami?
>> > bakit may lock sa pinto ng 7/11 convenience store eh 24 hours naman sila open?!
>> > Bakit buo ang Sky Flakes? di ba dapat pag flakes, durog siya?
>> > bakit walang bulaklak na kulay GREEN?
>> > If pro is the opposite of con, is congress the opposite of progress?
>> > Do infants enjoy infancy as much as adults enjoy adultery?
>> > Why doesn't glue stick to the bottle?
>> > Why do they use sterilized needles for death by lethal injection?
>> > why do they call freegifts FREE GIFTS? arent all gifts free?
>> > If you see an endangered animal eating an endangered plant...what will you do?
>> > After you take a bath you're clean but wet, so u dry yourself with a towel.
Why do you have to wash the towel? Isn't it clean?
>> > Why is the boxing ring "square"?
>> > If you expect the unexpected, wouldn't the unexpected be expected?
>> > what happens when you get scared half to death twice?
>> > Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars,
but check when you say the paint is wet?
>> > How can you not like the past but like the future and present when they both will eventually become the past?
>> > o tingnan mo na napaisip ka tuloy...
dagdagan ko pa nga ng isa pa..
>> > pare-pareho nga ba ang napangasawa nina sleeping beauty, rapunzel, at snow white?
-- si Prince Charming?

cellphones could save you

THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW YOUR CELLPHONE COULD DOThere are a few things that can be done in times ofgrave emergencies. Your mobile phone can actually be alife saver or an emergency tool for survival. Checkout the thingsthat you can do with it: 1) Subject: Emergency numberThe Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112. Ifyou findyourself out of coverage area of your mobile networkand there isan emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search anyexisting network to establish the emergency number foryou, andinterestingly this number 112 can be dialed even ifthe keypad islocked. *Try it out.*2) Subject: Have you locked your keys in the car?Does you car have remote keys?This may come in handy someday. Good reason to own acell phone:If you lock your keys in the car and the spare keysare at home, call someone at home on their cell phonefrom your cell phone. Hold your cellphone about a footfrom your car door and have the person at your homepress the unlock button, holding it near the mobilephone on their end. Your car will unlock. Savessomeone from having to drive your keys to you.Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of milesaway, and if you can reach someone who has the other"remote" for your car, you can unlock the doors (orthe trunk).Editor'sNote: *It works fine! We tried it out and itunlocked our carover a cell phone!"3) Subject: Hidden Battery powerImagine your cell battery is very low, you areexpectingan important call and u don't have a charger. Nokiainstrumentcomes with a reserve battery. To activate, press thekeys *3370#Your cell will restart with this reserve and theinstrument willshow a 50% increase in battery. This reserve will getchargedwhen u charge your cell next time.

exercise for the eyes

Dear All,
During a recent visit to an optician, he told of an exercise for the eyes. It is must for all of us, who spend long hours at our desks, looking at the computer screen.
I Thought I'd share it with you.
Step I:-After every 26 minutes of looking into the computer screen, turn your head and try to look at any object placed at least 20 feet away. This changes the focal length of your eyes, a must-do for the tired eyes. Step II: - Try and blink your eyes for 23 times in succession, to moisten them. Step III: - Time permitting of course, one should walk 36 paces after every 36 minutes of sitting in one particular posture. Helps blood circulation for the entire body. Circulate among your friends if you care for them and their eyes. They say that your eyes r mirror of your soul, so do take care of them, they are priceless......

A Season for Miracles

Shannon O'Connor has never met a man as perfect as Jake Kinkaid. He's handsome, intelligent, and considerate. There's only one problem: He's dating her twin sister, Erin. But when Erin makes plans to go out of town with another man, Shannon reluctantly agrees to pose as her sister and spend the weekend with Jake so he won't find out.
It's Christmastime, and in this season for miracles, Shannon will discover that God works in my
sterious ways. And that sometimes, when you least expect it, dreams really do come true.
"I won't do it." Shannon O'Connor painted the last toenail and lifted her head to gaze at her twin. "I'm surprised you'd even ask."
Erin took a sip of her diet soda and met her sister's gaze. Her green eyes narrowed.
"Well, that makes us even. I'm surprised you're saying no."
"I'm not going to go away with your boyfriend for the weekend and pretend to be you. You're the one who promised to go to that wedding with him, not me." Shannon twisted the cap on the pale pink polish with unnecessary force. "We're 26, not 16. Impersonating each other is kids' stuff. Besides, Jake doesn't deserve that kind of treatment."
"You like the guy." Erin's lips curved up in a satisfied smile.
"Of course I do," Shannon said, the image of the tall, broad-shouldered man with an easy smile flashing before her. "Who wouldn't?"
Her sister had started dating Jake Kinkaid three months ago. Though Shannon hadn't seen a lot of Erin's new boyfriend, she knew he was intelligent, considerate, and treated Erin like a princess. The handsome architect had been a refreshing change from the superficial men Erin usually favored. Which made it hard to understand why her sister was willing to take a chance on throwing it all away. Especially for the likes of Dillon Clark.
"If Jake finds out I'm going to Aspen with Dillon, it'll be over."
"So don't go." Shannon couldn't keep the exasperation from her voice. "You and Dillon haven't been together since last summer and now, all of a sudden, you have to go away with him? I don't understand."
"He says he's missed me." Erin lowered her gaze and picked a piece of lint from the sleeve of her cashmere sweater. "And I've missed him."
"Last I heard he was an overbearing jerk who you never wanted to see again."
"You know me. Sometimes I exaggerate a little," Erin said with a wry grin.
"A little?" Shannon couldn't help but laugh. Though she loved her sister dearly, she wasn't blind to her sister's faults. Erin could be difficult. If growing up in the same household hadn't instilled that in her, the four years they'd shared an apartment since college had more than made that clear.
"And I'm not stupid," Erin said. "I know that getting back together with Dillon is a long shot. But Jake's a great guy. I'd like to still have him around in case things don't work out with Dillon."
"But that's not fair to Jake."
"Oh Shannon, can't you see?" Erin leaned forward, her voice pleading. "What isn't fair is for me to date Jake, not knowing how I feel about Dillon. Can't you help me out? Just this once?"
Shannon pushed the thin wire-rimmed glasses up on her nose and shook her head.
"You promised Jake over a month ago you'd go with him to this wedding. You're just going to have to reschedule with Dillon. Tell him something came up and you're not free this weekend, after all."
"I can't," Erin said.
"Can't?" Shannon raised an eyebrow.
"All right, I could but I don't want to." Erin flopped back in the overstuffed leather chair. "I'm just going to tell Jake the truth. If he wants to break it off, that's his choice."
Shannon thought quickly. She hated to see her sister throw away a great guy for one she'd probably hate before the weekend was over. Shannon abhorred deceit. On the other hand, she couldn't bear the thought of her sister losing Jake over a foolish whim.
"I don't like it. But if it's just for the weekend, I guess —"
Erin squealed, jumped up, and crossed the room to give Shannon a quick hug. "I knew I could count on you."
The doorbell rang and Erin headed toward the door. "That'll be Jake now. You won't regret saying yes."
Shannon smiled weakly. She already regretted it.
In only moments, Erin was back, her arm wrapped around the sleeve of the man at her side.
"Hello, Shannon." With his wavy dark hair cut conservatively short and his brilliant blue eyes, Jake Kinkaid could have been a GQ model instead of a successful St. Louis architect.
An easy smile played at the corners of his mouth.
Shannon's heart picked up speed.
Dear God, what had she gotten herself into?
****************************************************************
Shannon desperately wished she'd had time to change out of her sweatpants and do something with her hair before Jake had shown up. After all, she hated to look like a frump in front of such a good-looking guy.
About six feet tall with broad shoulders and a lean muscular build, Jake was the perfect size. The first time Erin had brought him home, Shannon had told her sister that he had to be one of the handsomest men she'd ever seen.
Erin had only laughed and said he wasn't really her type, but she guessed he'd do. Erin usually preferred big guys with thick necks and broad chests. Guys like Dillon Clark who'd played football in college and who still bragged about how much they could bench-press.
"It's been a while." Jake's gaze shifted from Shannon back to Erin. "I swear you two look less alike every time I see you together."
Shannon felt the heat rise up her neck. Though she could tell by his expression he didn't mean anything derogatory, the words still stung.
Erin laughed. "It's just those silly glasses Shannon insists on wearing that make us look different."
But Shannon knew it was more than the glasses. She'd let her hair grow long while Erin's short bob barely made it past her ears. And the honey-colored highlights her sister had added had changed her back to the blond of their youth, while Shannon's color hovered somewhere between a light to medium brown.
Shannon's gaze shifted to her sister. The physical differences were manageable. But what had ever made her think she could pretend to be her sister for a whole weekend? Erin could wrap a man around her finger without even trying. She was confident, witty and fun.
The more Shannon thought about it, the more she realized that for this masquerade to succeed, they were going to need a miracle.
* * *
Twenty-four hours later, Shannon stared in the mirror and the image of her sister stared back. Except Erin wasn't here. She was hundreds of miles away in Aspen, partying with Dillon and his friends.
Her fingers reached up and touched the wisps of blond hair. Though it had taken her a long time to grow her hair out, she didn't really miss it now that it was gone. She smiled at her reflection. Erin had been right: A haircut, some highlights, and contacts were all it took to make them identical again.
A car door slammed outside and Shannon's heart clenched. This would be the real test. She crossed the room, reaching the door just as the bell rang. Counting to 20, she took a deep breath and pulled it open.
"Jake, hello."
"You look fabulous." His gaze slid to her rust-colored leather miniskirt. "Have I seen that before?"
Shannon shook her head. The skirt was from her sister. Erin had called it a gift. Shannon had called it a bribe. "It's new."
"I like it." His admiring gaze lingered on her legs.
"Thank you."
"These are for you." He thrust a bouquet of roses into Shannon's hands. "I realize it doesn't make sense to bring flowers when we'll be out of town all weekend, but I wanted you to know how much I appreciated you coming with me."
Shannon smiled and lowered her face to the roses, inhaling their sweet fragrance. It had been eons since she'd been on a date. Eons since she'd received flowers from a man. But she reminded herself she hadn't received these, Erin had. "They're lovely."
He smiled and waited expectantly. It only took Shannon an instant to realize what he was waiting for. Erin had always been effusive in her affections and at the very least would have rewarded such thoughtfulness with a kiss.
But he was her sister's boyfriend and therefore strictly off-limits.
But she was supposed to be her sister.
How was she ever supposed to pull this off?

************************************************************************************
Shannon laid the bouquet on the side table and took a step closer to Jake, her hand rising to rest on his shoulder. She leaned forward and lightly brushed his cheek with her lips. "Thank you so much."
She started to step back when his arms tightened around her. He pulled her close and he molded her tightly against his lean muscular body.
Her heart picked up speed. The delicious fragrance of his cologne enveloped her and Shannon drank it in, drowning in unfamiliar sensations.
But when his lips lowered, Shannon slipped from his arms and forced a bright smile. She headed toward the stairs, her heart racing, her brain pure mush.
"Hey, where are you going?" Jake called out.
"Upstairs," Shannon said. "Come with me."
Jake stared. Was she asking what he thought she was?
He hoped not. It wasn't that he didn't like Erin. He wouldn't have asked her to his cousin's wedding in Kansas City if he didn't. But they'd only been dating casually for a few months and he wasn't sure if he was ready to take her up on this invitation. Not yet anyway.
"Jake?"
His gaze shifted to the stairs. Still, she was so beautiful.…
"Aren't you going to help me with my bag?"
"Your bag?"
"My overnight bag. In my bedroom." She shifted from one foot to the other. "I know we're only going for the weekend, but it's kind of heavy."
"That's why you wanted me to come to your bedroom?" he asked. "To carry your bag?"
"Why else?" Her green eyes widened.
He didn't know whether to feel insulted or relieved. But her innocent expression didn't fool him. She was playing with him. Though he didn't know what she was up to, Jake decided to play, too.
He chuckled. "I thought maybe you wanted to get an early start. You know this will be our first weekend trip together."
Shannon's breath caught in her throat. She'd never once considered what expectations Jake might have for the next two days. Could he have really thought by agreeing to come, she'd agreed to sleep with him?
Erin had never gone into detail about her physical relationship with Jake, other than to say he was a pretty good kisser. Surely her sister would have told her if they had been more intimate.
But it didn't matter what Erin had agreed to or what she had done in the past; Shannon wasn't taking one step out the door until the misunderstanding was cleared up. "I agreed to go to a wedding with you, nothing more."
"You invited me upstairs."
"To-get-my-bag." Shannon spoke clearly and emphasized every word. "Nothing more."
"So, you don't want to sleep with me?"
"No, I don't."
"Not even a little bit?" His boyish smile caught her off guard and she had to smile.
He reached over and took her hand, planting a kiss in her palm. "Okay, we'll play it your way this weekend. No sex. Just lots of kissing."
***********************************************************************
The drive to Kansas City was a long one. But Shannon didn't mind. She and Jake talked the entire way and by the time they reached KC, she felt as if she'd known him forever. He had a sense of humor in sync with her own and, as they talked, she realized they shared common attitudes on everything from religion to politics.
The prenuptial dinner and wedding were a blur. The perfect host, Jake stayed close to her side the entire time. Shannon only wished her sister had warned her that Jake was an affectionate guy. If he wasn't taking her hand to pull her over to meet someone, he was leaning over to whisper something in her ear.
By the wedding reception, she'd grown comfortable with his attentiveness. She liked having him take her arm or put his hand against the small of her back when they made their way through the crowded hall.
And it seemed so natural to reciprocate; to lean into him when they stood talking to his cousins or to grab his hand and pull him onto the dance floor.
They danced until Shannon's head spun. She wasn't sure if it was from the champagne or Jake's closeness.
"Are you ready to take a break?" Jake had removed his suit jacket and loosened his tie earlier, but the room was hot and little beads of sweat still dotted his brow. Though he'd shaved that morning his cheeks wore a faint shadow.
He looked, Shannon thought, simply magnificent.
"Sounds good to me." She smiled and pushed back a strand of hair that fell across her forehead.
"Since we'll be sitting anyway, how about we go talk to my grandfather for a few minutes? He had hip surgery last month, and he's still not very steady on his feet."
"Have I met him?" Shannon had met so many people, it was hard to keep them all straight.
"I don't think so," Jake said. "He wasn't at the dinner last night."
"I've really enjoyed meeting your relatives."
"I wasn't sure you would. I know you don't normally like these kinds of things." Jake squeezed her shoulder. "But you've been such a good sport about all this and I really appreciate it. I promise, when we get back to St. Louis I'll make it up to you."
"Don't worry about it," Shannon waved a hand. "I'm having fun just being with you."
It was the polite thing to say, but Shannon really meant it. The wedding had been beautiful and even though he'd talked about "lots of kissing" when they'd left St. Louis, he'd been a perfect gentleman. This weekend just confirmed her belief that he was a great guy and her sister was lucky to have him.
They strolled across the hall hand in hand, stopping finally in front of an older gentleman sitting in a wheelchair. The white-haired man had a glass of champagne in one hand, an unlit cigar in the other.
"Grandpa Al, I'd like you to meet a friend of mine. This is —"
"Introductions can wait." The old man waved a dismissive hand.
Shannon slanted a look at Jake.
"Grandpa —"
"The mistletoe, boy." Grandpa Al pointed with the hand holding the cigar to a sprig hanging above Shannon. "Don't tell me young people nowadays don't know what that means."
Jake shifted his gaze to Shannon and she could see in his eyes that he planned on kissing her.
Her insides twisted into knots. How could she refuse? In the eyes of his grandfather she was Erin, Jake's girlfriend. And in Jake's eyes, too.
Did a mistletoe kiss really count anyway? Wouldn't it be like a kiss between friends on New Year's Eve? It didn't mean you liked the guy, or wanted him for your own.
Did it?
******************************************************************
Shannon smiled and Jake took a step forward. Using his left hand, he pushed Shannon's hair gently back from her face and lowered his lips to hers.
With one soft touch all the feelings Shannon had held inside surged to the surface. She closed her eyes and kissed him back, losing herself in the lightning bolt of emotion that ripped through her.
Jake wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, molding his body to hers. He kissed her hard, crushing his mouth to hers, catching her by surprise.
For a moment in his arms, Shannon forgot he belonged to her sister.
It was Jake that finally pulled back. He studied her with a puzzled expression. For a moment Shannon just stood there, trying to get her bearings, her chest heaving.
"Now that's what I call a kiss." His grandfather cackled. "Come on over here and let me meet this friend of yours."
Jake took a deep breath and Shannon realized that though he might outwardly appear composed, he was as shaken as she was by the electricity between them.
But he took her hand and smiled confidently at his grandfather. "Grandfather, this is Erin O'Connor. Erin, this is my grandfather, Alfred Kinkaid."
"Pleased to meet you, Miss.
"It's nice to meet you too, Mr. Kinkaid." The polite words flowed from Shannon's mouth automatically even as her mind whirled and skidded. What had gotten into her, kissing Jake like that?
"Have you enjoyed your weekend with my grandson?" Though he had to be close to 80, Alfred Kinkaid's eyes were bright and Shannon had the feeling he missed very little.
"Very much," Shannon said, glad she could answer honestly. "Everyone has been so nice."
"From what I've heard, you've made quite a hit with the Kinkaid clan. And we're a difficult bunch to please." Grandpa Al shifted his gaze to Jake. "I hope you're planning to come to our big Christmas get-together. It'll be in St. Louis. I live there, you know."
Shannon nodded. Jake had already explained that his family was pretty evenly split between St. Louis and Kansas City, so the fact that his grandfather lived in St. Louis wasn't a surprise. And she'd already heard all about the plans for Christmas Day from one of Jake's aunts. Apparently everyone would attend church in the morning together, then head over to Grandpa Al's for his famous Christmas brunch. In the evening it would be eggnog and spice cake in front of the fireplace. Though Shannon thought it sounded lovely, she knew her sister would probably turn up her nose at the invitation.
"So will you come?" Grandpa Al met her gaze.
"I don't know…."
"We'll have lots of mistletoe. I promise." The old man wiggled one eyebrow.
Shannon smiled even as her face warmed.
"It's very kind of you to invite me," she said. "But that sounds like a family celebration and I wouldn't want to intrude."
"I'd love to have you come with me," Jake said.
"We'll see." Shannon gave a noncommittal smile. Of course, if it were up to her she'd say yes in a heartbeat.
But it wasn't up to her.
It was up to Erin.
************************************************************************
Shannon glanced out the parlor window of the Parkside Bed-and-Breakfast Sunday morning. The snow that had started out as flurries the night before now blanketed the ground. The latest weather reports warned areas west of Kansas City to expect heavy snow, up to a foot or more in some places. The storm was then supposed to veer north, leaving areas east of KC with only minimal precipitation.
She sighed. That meant that she and Jake should be able to make the drive home to St. Louis with only a light dusting of snow on the road. She should be happy. Her weekend masquerade was almost over. Tonight her life would return to normal. Erin would have Jake and she would have her memories.
"I wondered where you were."
Shannon hurriedly brushed a tear from her eye and pasted on a smile. "I was so tired last night, I thought I'd sleep forever. Unfortunately my internal alarm didn't get the message. It went off right on time."
"You should have knocked on my door."
"Why would I do that?" Shannon said lightly. "You were sleeping."
She shifted her gaze back to the window. "It's snowing outside."
"I see that."
He came up behind her and his arms slid around her waist. How had the smell of his cologne and the feel of his arms become so familiar? Shannon leaned back against him, wishing this moment could last forever.
Jake's arms tightened around her. "Penny for your thoughts."
"I can't believe this weekend is almost over." She stared at the bleak landscape and her heart filled with despair.
"I know." He sighed. "It's gone so fast."
"Too fast."
Something in her tone must have alerted him because he turned her in his arms and tipped her face up with his hand. Concern filled his gaze. "You've been crying. Tell me what's wrong."
"Nothing." Shannon blinked back her tears.
"Something has to be wrong. You never cry. Is it something I said?" His brow furrowed. "Or something I did? Tell me —"
"It's not you." She shook her head. "It's me. I don't want to go back to the real world."
I don't want to go back to a life without you.
"But the real world isn't all that bad." His arms closed around her in a comforting embrace and he laid his head against hers. "We live in the same town. I know we haven't seen each other much lately, but that's going to change. I wasn't being polite last night. I really want you to spend Christmas with my family. If your sister doesn't have plans, maybe she can join us. I'd like to get to know her better.…"
"Jake —" She pulled away but he pressed her head back against his chest.
"Shh, just hear me out. There's no reason to be sad. Don't you see? This weekend isn't the end, it's just the beginning."
Shannon swallowed a sob. She'd always believed things happened for a reason. And usually she could see why something happened the way it did. But not this time.
After all, falling in love with your sister's boyfriend made no sense.
No sense at all.

****************************************************************************************************
"Miss O'Connor?"
Shannon raised her head from the comforting warmth of Jake's shoulder.
"Yes?"
Mrs. Graham, Parkside's proprietor, held out a cordless telephone. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but you have a call."
Shannon took the phone, her palms suddenly clammy. Only Erin knew where she was staying. But why would she be calling?
Unless something was wrong?
Shannon offered Mrs. Graham a tiny smile and pressed the receiver to her ear.
"This is…Erin."
Though she tried to act calm and nonchalant, Jake must have sensed her trepidation because he moved to her side, his eyes filled with concern.
"Hey Shanny, how's KC?"
Shannon could tell by her sister's tone that everything was okay. Releasing the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding, Shannon covered the receiver with her hand and turned to Jake. "It's just my sister checking up on us."
To her horror, Jake reached for the phone. "Let me talk to her."
She fought an instinctive urge to step back and hug the receiver tightly to her chest. Instead, she lifted it to her lips. "Shannon, Jake wants to say hello."
She handed him the phone.
"Hello, Shannon…."
Shannon heard him ask her sister about her weekend. He laughed and they talked for a few moments longer. Between the roaring in her ears and the pounding of her heart, Shannon heard little of the conversation.
"Here, she wants to talk to you." Jake shoved the phone into her hand. His lips brushed Shannon's cheek. "I'm going to check the weather."
She waited until he'd left the room before lifting the receiver to her ear. "It's me."
"He certainly seems in a good mood." Erin's voice was light and teasing. "You must be doing a good job impersonating me."
Shannon wanted to tell her sister that she'd done nothing more than be herself this weekend, but instead she gave a weak laugh. "Just doing what you asked, dear sister."
"And I appreciate it. I know you didn't want to do this." Erin's voice turned serious. "And I feel terrible about wasting your time."
"Wasting my time?" Shannon said slowly. "I don't understand."
"I mean it may have all been for nothing." Erin's voice lowered. "Oh, Shannon. I'm having the most fabulous time. Dillon is so wonderful. I like him so much, I can't imagine dating anyone else."
"What are you saying? You don't want Jake, after all?" Shannon couldn't stop a surge of excitement from racing through her body. Last night she'd been so sure he could never be hers. Could she have been wrong?
"Dillon loves me," Erin said. "He told me so last night."
"The question is, do you love him?" Though Shannon wanted Jake, she couldn't, in good conscience, push Erin toward a man that in the past had only caused her sister heartache.
"Yes." Erin spoke so softly that even with the receiver pressed tight against her ear, Shannon could barely hear. "I think I do."
"So, where does that leave Jake?"
"Available," Erin said with a laugh. "He'll find someone else. Even though he and I never clicked, he's a great guy."
"I agree," Shannon said. "I think there are any number of women who would love to have a guy like Jake."
"Well, as far as I'm concerned, they're welcome to him."
"You really mean that?" Shannon's heart picked up speed.
"Absolutely."
But did she really mean anyone?
*************************************************************
Shannon clicked off the phone, her thoughts whirling. As the weekend had progressed Shannon had found herself wishing Jake were free, though she'd never thought it would really happen.
But then again she'd never believed her sister would fall in love with Dillon Clark. But Erin was in love. Shannon could hear it in her voice. She could only hope and pray that this time around, her sister and Dillon were mature enough to make the relationship work.
Now, all that was left was for Shannon to square things with Jake. But how? And what was he going to say when she told him the truth? Would he tell her he couldn't abide liars and that he never wanted to see her again?
Shannon's gaze drifted out the window. Two or three inches of snow now covered Jake's Jeep and the snow continued to fall. Shannon wrapped her arms around herself and shivered.
"Is everything okay with your sister?"
Shannon jumped. She'd been so focused on imagining the worst she hadn't heard Jake return.
"Of course." Shannon pasted a smile on her face. "Why do you ask?"
"You looked so solemn. Not like your usual perky self." His hand lightly touched her arm. "Come here. Let me give you a hug."
He opened his arms and she stepped forward, burying her head against his chest, slipping her hands around his waist. The scent of soap mixed with the tantalizing fragrance of his cologne.
His hand reached up and stroked her hair. He could have said a thousand words but none would have been as comforting as his touch.
Shannon didn't know how long they stood there. All she knew was that the icy coldness that filled her after the troubling phone call was replaced by growing warmth.
Sometime, she wasn't quite sure when, she became conscious of his breath against her neck, of the beating of his heart against her breast, of the hardness of his body pressed against hers.
A strange aching started deep inside and she couldn't help but remember the feel of his lips against hers and wish that there were mistletoe hanging above them so she would have an excuse to kiss him.
As if Jake could read her thoughts, he took a step back and his hand moved upward to cup her face. His eyes searched hers. Though she knew she should look away and not let him see her naked longing, she met his gaze.
"You are so beautiful." His gaze slid over her, lingering at the hollow of her neck, her breasts, passing down to her hips, then returning to her eyes.
Her palms grew damp and she moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue. It was all the invitation he needed.
His head dipped and his lips brushed hers. They were soft and warm, slightly parted, barely touching. He continued to tease her with his mouth, planting little kisses along her jaw line and down her neck.
It was torture, sweet delicious torture.
Her senses swirled. She wanted more and she went up on tiptoe, slanting her mouth across his and deepening the kiss.
She caught a flash of surprise in his eyes before his tongue met hers, and the world exploded in a wave of heat and passion.
Footsteps sounded in the distance, but Shannon paid no attention. She reached up, raking her fingers through his thick dark hair, pulling him closer still. Now that she had him, she wasn't ever going to let him go.
*****************************************************************
"I'm sorry to interrupt."
Like two guilty teenagers, Jake and Shannon jerked apart.
Running her fingers through her disheveled curls, Shannon turned and lifted her chin.
Mrs. Graham stood in the doorway to the parlor. Though the proprietor's smile was apologetic, amusement filled her gaze. "They've revised the weather forecast and I thought you'd be interested to know we're now in a winter storm warning. The police are saying the roads both in the metro area and outside the city are extremely hazardous and are urging everyone to stay put. The report also said I-70 west just closed."
Shannon widened her gaze. "But the radio said there was only going to be a dusting west of here."
Mrs. Graham laughed. "You know what they say about weather forecasters. They're only right about 50 percent of the time."
Jake chuckled.
"But what are we going to do?" Shannon's voice rose and her gaze shifted to Jake.
"I know we were supposed to check out today," Jake said, flashing the innkeeper that devastating smile that always made Shannon go weak in the knees. "But would it be possible to extend our stay a day or two?"
Mrs. Graham paused. "Normally in bad weather we have some cancellations and letting you keep your rooms wouldn't be a problem. But several of the guests who had reservations for tonight have already arrived."
"Are you saying there are no rooms available?" Shannon asked.
"Not at all," Mrs. Graham said. "But I can only give you one room. So, if you're willing to share, you're in luck.
Shannon cast a sideways glance at Jake.
Jake met her gaze. "It's up to you."
Shannon didn't have to think long. The curious excitement that surged at the thought of spending the night with him was enough to send up a warning flag. Shannon had long ago resolved that the only man she would make love with would be her husband. So she'd made it a practice to steer clear of situations that could get her into trouble. Spending the night in the same room with Jake would be the height of foolishness.
"This can't be our only option." Shannon said. "There have to be some motels nearby that would have two rooms available."
"I can give you a list and some numbers." Mrs. Graham's gaze shifted from Jake to Shannon. "But I think you'll find they're in the same boat we are."
"We'd still like to check," Shannon said.
"I can hold the room for a half hour. But I'll have to know by then if you want it or not," Mrs. Graham said apologetically. "I have others calling."
"I understand," Shannon said. She knew the room situation would be tight, but she couldn't believe there weren't two rooms available in the whole area.
Twenty-five minutes and a dozen phone calls later, Shannon conceded defeat.
Lead me not into temptation….
Shoving the thought aside, Shannon clicked off the phone and turned to Jake. "I guess you and I are going to have to be roomies, after all."
************************************************************************************************
"Do you want to share a room?" Jake's gaze searched hers. "I mean, is that okay with you?"
Shannon looked into his handsome face and her heart fluttered. No, it wasn't okay with her. The thought of spending the night in the same room with Jake was way too appealing to be okay.
"I don't think we have a choice." Shannon sighed. "Between the two of us, we've called every place in a 20 mile radius and they're all full."
"There is one other option," Jake said quietly. "You could take the room and I could see if Mrs. Graham would let me sleep in the parlor."
Some guys might have made the offer just for the show, but the look in Jake's eyes told her he was dead serious.
"No way." Shannon shook her head. If the parlor had a foldout couch it would have been one thing, but the delicate antique Victorian furniture made crashing on the sofa impossible. "We're two responsible adults. Just because we sleep in the same room together doesn't mean we have to let things get out of control."
"You're right. That's a choice, not a given." Jake's gaze lingered on her face and her heart flip-flopped. "I'll go tell Mrs. Graham we'll take the room."
Shannon's gaze followed him out into the hall. He looked so cute in his jeans and navy sweater. His dark hair glimmered in the light and the color of the sweater made his eyes look even bluer. Several female guests standing in the foyer cast interested glances his way, but he passed by with only a smile.
All weekend he'd scarcely glanced at another woman. She'd had his full attention. It was still hard for her to believe that this handsome, kind, wonderful man was really hers.
Until he found out who she was.
And how she had lied.
* * *
Jake looked up from the black-and-red checkerboard and flashed Erin a triumphant smile. "King me."
She groaned. "This game is rigged."
"You've still got a chance."
"I don't think so. You have five kings and I have none." She pushed back from the table in the parlor and walked to the window. With one hand she slipped open the lace curtains.
With her lean lithe body, Erin made a beautiful silhouette in the firelight. Jake let his gaze linger. He couldn't believe she was his.
Though they'd been dating for almost three months, he hadn't really known her. Oh, they'd had fun, but they'd never really connected. For a time he'd even wondered if there was another guy in the picture. But ever since he'd picked her up on Friday, she'd been different, more open, nicer.
Her blond hair shimmered in the firelight. If someone would have told him, he'd fall in love this weekend, he would have said they were crazy. Now he was the crazy one, crazy in love with Erin.
Jake moved to her side. The blowing snow coupled with the ice on the window made it difficult to see much past the front porch.
"It's still coming down," she said almost to herself. "We may be here awhile."
"I thought you wanted to delay your return to the real world," Jake teased.
"I do," she said. "But this same-room thing still bothers me."
"I don't snore," Jake wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, "or leave the toilet seat up, or scatter my shaving stuff all over the bathroom. So you have absolutely nothing to worry about."
Jake felt himself grow warm at the contact between them. Nothing to worry about? Erin wouldn't, but as for him — he wasn't so sure.
********************************************************************************
"How long has it been since you built a snowman?" Jake asked as if sensing Shannon's reluctance to go upstairs.
"It's dark outside." Shannon took another sip of her cappuccino and shifted her gaze out the window.
"There's a streetlight at the end of the driveway." Jake pushed his chair back and stood, holding out a hand. "More than enough light for what we'll be doing."
The old Victorian home was cozy and warm and Shannon knew that though the wind had quit blowing, it would be cold outside. She knew Erin wouldn't have considered it for a moment. The only time Erin was willing to brave the snow was on a pair of skis. But Erin wasn't here this weekend, Shannon was, and Jake's expression was so hopeful, Shannon didn't have the heart to say no.
"Okay, but I'll have to go upstairs and change first."
He gazed admiringly at her formfitting black pants and sweater. "Need any help?"
Shannon laughed at his silly leer. "I think I can manage just fine."
"Remember your stuff is in my room now."
She paused. The thought of sharing a room with Jake was still unsettling. Putting her lotion next to his razor had been way too intimate.
But they had no choice. At least they had a place to stay. And they were warm and dry, at least for the moment. Shannon glanced longingly at the fire.
"Sure you want to go outside?"
"If you don't want to…" Though his smile never dimmed, the light in his eyes faded. "We can skip it."
Tempted though she was, Shannon thought of all the nice things he'd done for her this weekend.
"No. Let's do it," she said with as much enthusiasm as she could muster. "It'll be fun."
Forty-five minutes later, Shannon plopped back in the snow, chilled to the bone, but determined to not go inside until she'd made her snow angel. She flapped her arms and legs outward, moving the snow aside.
"You look beautiful lying there." Jake gazed down at her, his cheeks red from the cold.
"I'm sure," Shannon scoffed. "My nose is as bright as Rudolph's and if I don't get out of the snow right this minute, I'm going to be as frozen solid as Frosty."
"We can't have that." Jake smiled and reached down, pulling her up and dusting her off. "No more snow."
Shannon glanced down at the angel. "She's beautiful, isn't she?"
His gaze never left Shannon's face. "Yes, she is."
Shannon licked her dry lips, heat spreading throughout her body at the look in his eyes.
"I had a great time tonight." He lowered his head and brushed her lips. "Thank you."
"You're very welcome." Her gloved finger traced a line down his cheek and his eyes darkened. But before he could kiss her again, Shannon stepped back from his arms and headed for the house.
She welcomed the arctic blast of air that hit her face. It had gotten entirely too warm for her outside.
*****************************************
"Honey, I'm home."
Shannon laughed and opened the door. "You look like you've had a hard day at the office."
Jake had hung his coat up downstairs but their time in the snow had taken its toll. His jeans were wet and his hair stuck up in dark tufts. He looked, Shannon thought, magnificent.
"It was rough," he said with a grin. "But now that I'm home I'm sure you can make it all better.
Even when he didn't try he was charming. But when he did…
Shannon steeled her resolve. "Jake, let's sit and talk for a minute."
"Before or after I get undressed?"
Her head jerked up, but when she saw his teasing smile she had to grin. "Before would probably be best. I wouldn't want to be distracted."
His eyes lit up and he rose and crossed the room. "Distractions can be fun."
She placed her hand flat against his chest and pushed him back. "Rule number one. While we're in the bedroom, we keep our hands to ourselves."
"That doesn't sound like much fun."
"You're right. It doesn't." Shannon sat on the edge of the bed and twisted the edge of her sweatshirt. "I mean we've dated for three months…."
"And most people have slept together by then," he added. "But you and I both wanted to wait until we knew each other better."
Shannon exhaled the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. Though she hadn't thought Erin had slept with him, until this moment she hadn't been positive. She smiled in relief. "That's right."
"But I'd say we know each other quite well now." He sat beside her on the bed and his gaze met hers. "And I love you, Erin O'Connor. With all my heart."
Shannon could only stare. Jake loved Erin.
Of course he did. After all, her sister was the one he'd dated for the past three months. Shannon was just the fill-in for the weekend. She'd been foolish to think there had been anything special between her and Jake. The whole time he'd held her, kissed her, teased her, he'd been seeing Erin.
Shame mixed with despair. What should she do now? Tell him who she really was? Or play this out as Erin and no one would ever be the wiser?
"Erin," Jake took her hand. "I just wanted you to know how I felt. If you don't feel the same, I understand."
This was her opportunity to let him down gently and tell him she was getting back with her old boyfriend. If she didn't do it now, then Erin would have to do it when they got back to St. Louis. And Erin might not be as kind.
Still, Shannon couldn't bring herself to say the words. "I'm so confused."
The look of pain in his eyes broke her heart.
"I don't know what I feel —"
"Shh." His fingers closed her lips. "There's no need to talk about that now. We have more important things to decide."
"We do?" she asked. "Such as?"
"Such as —" his lips quirked upward "— do you want the right side of the bed? Or the left?"
Which side of the bed?
Shannon groaned. Her gaze shifted to the floor. She eyed the oval rug in front of the fireplace. Though she knew hardwood floors could be cold, maybe he'd be warm enough if she gave him the comforter off the bed.
A knock sounded at the door. "Could someone open the door, please?"
Recognizing Mrs. Graham's voice, Shannon opened the door.
The woman held out a stack of blankets. "These are for you."
"Thank you." Shannon took the bundle and set them on the bed.
"I thought you could use some extra blankets and I found an old air mattress." The landlady's gaze shifted from Jake to Shannon. "Of course, if you don't want it…"
"Actually —" Jake began.
"Actually we were just about to discuss who would get the floor," Shannon said. "So you couldn't have come at a better time."
"Sleep tight," Mrs. Graham whispered as she shut the door.
"Sleep tight? On the floor?" Jake muttered.
"Not on the floor." Shannon smiled. "On the air mattress
***************************************************************
Shannon jerked upright in bed, her body drenched in sweat, her heart pounding.
Something was wrong. Dreadfully wrong.
Her chest hurt and she could barely catch her breath. She hadn't felt this bad since she'd been 10 and Erin had fallen from the parallel bars and had gotten the air knocked out of her.
Something is wrong with Erin.
Shannon tried to reassure herself that Erin was perfectly safe with Dillon in Colorado. But once the thought hit her, it wouldn't let go. After a half hour of trying to convince herself she was being silly, Shannon eased herself out of the bed and padded silently across the cold hardwood floor in her bare feet.
Her sweatpants and sweatshirt were warm but Shannon found herself shivering as she dialed the number of Dillon's condo in Aspen. On the 10th ring she hung up and dialed her parents.
"Hello." Even though it was three in the morning her mother sounded wide-awake, almost as if she'd been expecting a call.
"Mom, this is Shannon." Shannon spoke in a low tone and cast a quick glance at the floor, reassured that Jake hadn't moved at all. "I didn't mean to wake you. But I have the most awful feeling —"
"I'm so glad you called." Her mother's voice sounded odd, as if she was coming down with a cold. "I knew you were in Kansas City, but I'd lost your number —"
"Mom," Shannon interrupted. "I'm worried about Erin. I just need to know if you've talked to her? I had the most awful feeling and I need to know she's okay."
"The doctors think she'll be fine. Of course, they can't say for sure.…" Her mother's voice broke.
"Think she'll be fine? What's wrong with her?" Though a fire burned in the fireplace and Shannon was dressed warmly in a sweatshirt and sweatpants, she shivered.
"Shannon, this is Dad —"
Shannon forced herself to stay calm. Her mother often overreacted. Her father had always been the calm, logical one. "Dad. Tell me what's going on with Erin. Is she okay?"
"Honey, Erin was in a skiing accident yesterday. She broke a bone in her leg and hit her head pretty hard."
"But she's okay? I mean people break their legs every day."
Her father hesitated. "At first she was doing fine. But then she…she took a turn for the worse. She started having trouble breathing.…"
Shannon's hand dropped to her side, the phone dangling loosely in her grasp. The sweatshirt and sweatpants couldn't assuage the icy chill that raced through her body. For a second Shannon thought she would faint. She sat down, her knees too weak to hold her. Tears spilled from her lids and a sob rose from the depths of her soul.
Suddenly Jake was at her side, taking the phone from her hand. "This is Jake Kinkaid. Who am I speaking with?"
His troubled gaze lingered on Erin. When he'd awakened to find her on the phone, he'd thought he was dreaming. Until he'd heard her cry out.
"This is Mike O'Connor. Is my daughter okay?"
"She's very upset," Jake said. "Can you tell me what's going on?"
"I was just telling her that Erin broke her leg in a skiing accident in Colorado. When Dillon first called with the news, we didn't think much of it. After all, people break their legs all the time. But she had a concussion and they kept her for observation. Then —" the older man paused and took a breath "— she developed trouble breathing. They think a blood clot went to her lung."
"Is she okay?"
"They've got her on blood thinners. The first 24 hours are most critical. Helen and I have a six a.m. flight to Denver."
Jake took down all the pertinent information and hung up the phone. Though Mike O'Connor seemed fairly together, Jake knew he must be more distraught than he seemed. In the course of their brief conversation he'd gotten Erin's and Shannon's names mixed up several times.
"Is my sister dead?"
Jake looked up to find Erin's tear-filled gaze staring at him.
"Oh, honey, no. She's not dead." He sat beside her on the bed and took her in his arms. "She's in the hospital and they're taking good care of her. She'll be just fine."
"She couldn't breathe." Her hand rose to her throat.
"A blood clot went to her lung." Jake tried to keep his voice matter-of-fact, as if a pulmonary embolism were just a minor inconvenience and not a life-threatening event. "But your father said they're treating her with some kind of blood thinners and they expect her to make a full recovery."
"My mother was crying."
"She was upset," he acknowledged. "But your father said he thought she'd be fine once she saw your sister was okay."
"My dad will take good care of her."
"That's right, he will." Jake brushed the hair back from her face with one hand. "And I'll take good care of you. Because that's what you do when you love someone."
****************************************************
Though Shannon wanted nothing more than to remain cosseted in Jake's loving arms, her sister came first. "I can't stay here. I have to go to Erin. She needs me."
"Erin?" Jake's brows drew together.
Shannon stared at him, realizing what she'd just said.
The confusion in his gaze cleared. His jaw tensed. "You're not Erin. You're Shannon."
The hurt and anger in his eyes tore at her heart. Last night she'd had several opportunities to tell the truth, to explain what had happened. Why hadn't she told him when she'd had the chance? She'd never wanted him to find out this way. Shannon swallowed past the sudden lump in her throat. "I never meant to hurt you."
"Don't give me that." He stood abruptly and strode to the window. He leaned forward, his hands on the windowsill for a long moment before shifting his gaze back to Shannon.
"Jake —"
"So, there couldn't have been a conflict. The only reason I can think of is that she got a better offer. Is that it, Shannon? Did Erin get a better offer?"
Shannon lowered her gaze.
"Dillon." Jake snapped his fingers. "Your father said something about Dillon calling with the news. That was Erin's old boyfriend's name, wasn't it?"
Shannon's heart clenched at the pain in his voice.
"I'll take your silence as a yes." Jake raked his fingers through his hair. "I've been such a fool. I even thought I was in love with you. But I don't even know who you are."
He shook his head and turned back to the window.
Shannon knew there was nothing she could say that would ease his pain. She didn't want to leave him like this, but she didn't have a choice. She had to go to Erin. She grabbed her bag and in a matter of minutes she was fully packed.
Jake still stood with his back to her. "It's quit snowing."
"I'm going to the airport." Shannon said.
"I'll take you."
"I can call a cab."
Jake turned. "It'll be faster if I take you."
Shannon hesitated. She knew he was right. Still, she was exhausted and the last thing she wanted was to argue all the way to the airport.
"Don't worry. It'll be fine. We don't need to talk." His voice was matter-of-fact instead of angry and it was almost as if he could read her mind. "After all, there's really nothing more to say."
* * *
They'd barely spoken since they'd left the bed-and-breakfast. Jake preferred it that way. After all, he certainly wasn't in the mood for small talk and as he'd said, what was there left to say?
She'd lied and played him for a fool.
He'd found out.
He didn't want anything more to do with her.
Still, on the way to the airport, his gaze kept drifting sideways.
Her blond hair stuck out in little spikes and her green eyes were rimmed with red, but she still was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. She'd kept her gaze focused straight ahead for most of the drive, but now her hands were folded in her lap and her eyes were closed.
He wondered for a moment if she had fallen asleep, but then he saw her lips move and realized she wasn't sleeping, she was praying.
For a moment his heart softened. Until he reminded himself she had a lot to pray about.
And she'd better hope God would forgive her, because he sure wasn't going to.
***************************************************
A week later, Shannon sat across from her sister in their apartment living room and breathed a prayer of thanks. Erin had recovered quickly from her blood clot and the cast on her leg barely slowed her down at all. From the time she'd left the hospital and returned to St. Louis, Erin and Dillon had been inseparable. Tonight at dinner, they'd made the big announcement.
"I can't believe you're engaged." Shannon stared at the huge diamond on her sister's finger.
"Being with Dillon again made me realize that he was the man for me." A little smile hovered at the corners of Erin's lips. "I'm so glad I went to Aspen."
"I'm happy for you, Erin. I really am."
"So what about you and Jake?" Erin took a sip of iced tea and peered at Shannon over the top of the glass. "You've barely said 10 words about the guy since we got home."
"There's not much to say." Shannon kept her tone light and gave her sister a brief summary of her and Jake's time together, starting with the drive and ending with Jake discovering the truth. "He knows you chose Dillon. And he was okay with that decision."
"That was nice of him to send the flowers to the hospital."
"He's a thoughtful guy," Shannon said past the sudden lump in her throat.
"And the most handsome man you've ever seen." Erin's lips twitched. "I still remember when you told me that. I knew right then that you should have been the one with him, not me."
"But you were the one he chose," Shannon pointed out. "Not me."
"That's because he didn't know any better." Erin laughed. "I mean, he's a great guy but he never was my type. And I'm really not his." Erin's gaze narrowed. "But you, you were just his type. And you liked him. Don't try to tell me you didn't."
"I didn't want to like him," Shannon said. "But I did. And I feel guilty about that. I mean, he was your guy."
"We can't help what we feel," Erin said, her voice uncharacteristically soft and gentle. "We can only help what we do about it. I might want a necklace in Tiffany's window, but there's no crime unless I snatch it out of the case and run out of the store."
"I kissed him, Erin." Shannon's heart twisted. "He was your boyfriend and I kissed him."
"Big deal. You and I both know if I had wanted Jake, regardless of how much you loved him, you would have let me have him. So there's no crime and absolutely nothing to forgive." Erin's tone was so confident Shannon couldn't help but believe her.
"You're sure?"
"Positive." Erin put her ring under the light. "Hey, did I tell you Kellie called today to ask how I was doing and she mentioned that Jake's grandfather was in the hospital?"
"What's the matter with him?"
"I didn't ask." Erin held out her hand, the diamond glittering in the bright light. "Isn't this the most beautiful ring you've ever seen?"
"Did they say what hospital he was in?"
"Who?"
"Jake's grandfather."
"I don't know." Erin set her glass on the table. "I didn't really pay much attention. I've never been much for old people. Plus, I don't even know the guy."
But I do, Shannon thought. Alfred Kinkaid was a sweet old man who'd gone out of his way to make her feel comfortable.
Would it be wrong to stop by and say hello?
"I think I might call around," Shannon said in an offhand tone. "Find out where he's at."
"Why would you want to do that?" Erin couldn't have looked more shocked if Shannon had told her she'd decided to dye her hair green.
"Because I like the guy. Because it's the week before Christmas and he might be lonely," Shannon said. "Because it's the right thing to do."
"Good for you," Erin said, glancing down at her ring again. "Tell Gramps hello for me. And, if you see Jake, give him a kiss from me, will you?"
Shannon paused. She'd forgotten that Jake might be there. She almost reconsidered her decision to go, until she remembered he'd told her that he played handball on Thursday nights. She grabbed her keys and headed out the door.
*************************************************
"Erin, my dear." Alfred Kinkaid stretched out his bony arms in welcome. "How good of you to come by. And on such a snowy night, too."
Despite the IV tubing taped to one arm, Jake's grandfather looked remarkably healthy.
"Hello, Mr. Kinkaid." Shannon crossed the room and gave him a quick hug being careful to avoid the tubing. "And before we go any further, I'm Shannon. Somehow the names got mixed up when we were introduced before. Erin is my twin sister's name."
Shannon didn't want to cause Jake any embarrassment, so she didn't go into detail, but she was through pretending to be anyone but herself.
"Shannon." Jake's grandfather rolled the name around on his tongue. "I like it. Shannon it is. And you can call me Grandpa Al."
The request tore at her heartstrings. If things had turned out differently, he might one day have been her grandfather.
"I'm glad you stopped." His pale blue eyes gleamed. "I've been asking Jake to bring you by."
Shannon kept her expression impassive, but she couldn't help but wonder why the old man had made the request. He had to know the odds of his grandson bringing his ex-girlfriend along weren't good. Unless, Shannon thought, Grandpa Al still thought she and Jake were together.
"It's been a long week." Grandpa Al sighed. "I've been poked and prodded so much I feel like a pincushion."
Suddenly Shannon understood why Jake hadn't told him. The older gentleman had enough on his mind without worrying about his grandson's love life.
"Are you going to have to be here much longer?" Shannon asked.
"Tomorrow is D day," the old man said holding up one hand with his fingers crossed.
"D day?" Shannon widened her eyes. She'd worked in a nursing home in high school and thought she knew most medical acronyms but this was one she hadn't heard before.
"Dismissal Day." A broad smile split Grandpa Al's face, making him look 10 years younger.
Shannon impulsively gave him another hug. "I'm so glad."
"You're a sweet girl, Shannon." Grandpa Al's gaze lingered on her face. "By the way, just so you know, there's been a change in plans. Christmas brunch won't be at my house this year."
"Why not?" Though she wasn't planning on going, had never planned on going, from what Jake had told her, Christmas was always held at his grandfather's home. Concern welled up inside her. She hoped this change in plans didn't mean that Grandpa Al's condition was more tenuous than it appeared.
"Because I'm under strict orders to take it easy. I'll be staying with Jake until I'm back on my feet. The doctors didn't want me going home alone and I certainly wasn't going to any nursing home."
Though the nursing home she'd once worked at had been very nice, Shannon knew many elderly people had fears about such facilities. Unfortunately, most didn't have another option. Not many had family able to step in and help.
Or willing. Shannon's heart clenched. Jake was such a good guy.
"Sounds like it all worked out for you." Shannon smiled. "I'm so glad."
"He's got a nice house, don't you think?" Grandpa Al's gaze lingered speculatively on Shannon.
Shannon took a seat in the turquoise vinyl chair next to the bed and forced a nonchalant air. "Actually, I've never seen it."
"Really?" Grandpa Al raised an eyebrow. "It's nice. Large two story in Wildwood. All the place needs is a woman's touch and a couple of kids."
The older man's penetrating gaze met hers.
"My church is in Wildwood. Over on Clayton." Flustered, Shannon rattled on about the congregation, hoping his grandfather would take the hint and change the subject. But the minute she paused to take a breath, Grandpa Al jumped into the conversation.
"I know you and my grandson had some kind of falling out. But I know he loves you." Alfred smiled. "You just stop by the house, real casual-like. I'll bring the mistletoe. This season is the perfect time for kissing and making up."
As much as Shannon wished it could be that simple, she knew it would never work. And anyway, it would be wrong.
And Shannon was through doing the wrong thing. Even for the right reason.
***************************************************
Jake decided to stop by the hospital on the way home from the gym. Though he'd dropped by for a short time after work, he knew his grandfather got lonely. Jake knew how that felt. He'd had the same feeling since returning from Kansas City.
Jake shoved the maudlin thoughts aside. Shannon was in the past. Out of his life. Thank goodness he didn't have to see or think about her ever again.
Pushing open the hospital door, he forced a cheery smile. "How's it going this evening?"
"You just missed Shannon," Grandpa Al said. "Looking prettier than ever, I might add."
"Really?" Jake smiled and kept his tone nonchalant. "What was she doing here?"
"She came to visit me," Grandpa Al said. "Said she'd heard I was in the hospital and wanted to make sure I was okay. She's a wonderful girl."
Jake ignored the comment. "How's she doing?"
"Why don't you ask her yourself?"
"We don't talk much anymore."
"I gathered as much." His grandfather's eyes narrowed. "You two had a spat, didn't you?"
Jake shifted his gaze out the window.
"Don't tell me this is about the name thing?" Al chuckled. "So she gave you the wrong name. Your grandma told me she was born in '26. I didn't find out until years later, she was born in '24."
"It's not that simple." Jake knew his grandfather wouldn't give up until he knew the whole story. "I'd been dating Erin O'Connor casually for a couple of months. She'd promised to attend the wedding with me but instead, she sent her twin sister, Shannon, in her place."
"And you couldn't tell?" Grandpa Al's tone was clearly disbelieving.
Jake shifted in his chair. He knew it made no sense. How could he have dated a woman for three months and not been able to tell the difference between her and her sister? Though they might be identical on the outside, inside they weren't the same. Not at all.
Their discussion in the car on the way to KC had been his first clue. They'd talked about things that really mattered, instead of what new concerts were coming to the area or what the hottest new vacation spots were. But he'd told himself she must have finally decided to open up, to let him get to know her.
And then there was the reception. He'd expected her to be bored stiff. After all, there had been a lot of elderly relatives present and Erin had told him more than once she wasn't into old people. But instead of begging to cut out early, she'd been charming and gracious and had actually seemed to enjoy his relatives and the evening.
But the biggest clue had been the way she kissed. She kissed him as if she really cared. As if she…loved him. Jake's chest tightened.
"I told her I loved her." Jake shook his head and gave a humorless laugh. "I was going to ask her to marry me."
"Sounds serious."
"But it was all a joke," Jake said. "Don't you understand? She was just filling in for her sister. I didn't mean anything to her."
"Son, I've been on this earth for 80 years and I saw the way she looked at you." Grandpa Al paused. "If you can't see that she loves you, then all I can say is your eyesight must be worse than mine."
Jake stared at his grandfather, the first faint stirrings of hope coursing through his veins. Could the older man be right? Could it be that Shannon really did love him?
As mad as he'd been at first, now he understood. And he'd had a wonderful weekend. If he was in love with her, maybe it was time he did something about it and not let his pride stand in the way.
**********************************************
"C'mon, Shannon. Don't be a poop. Come with us to church." Erin lined her lips with a cinnamon-colored stick before lifting her gaze from the dressing table mirror. "It's Christmas Eve. You don't want to go alone."
Of course she didn't want to go alone. But Shannon didn't want to be a fifth wheel, either. Normally she could have gone with her parents, but her brother's newest baby had arrived earlier than expected and her parents had left for Texas two days ago. So she was on her own this year.
"I don't mind." Shannon forced a casual shrug. "And I like to go to my own church on Christmas Eve."
"Let me talk to Dillon." Erin rose with a fluid grace her sister had always envied. "We can go with his family another time."
Shannon grabbed her arm as she reached for the phone. "Erin, no. Go with Dillon. There will be plenty of people I know at church. Aunt Janice even asked if I'd save her a seat."
Of course, that was before her elderly aunt had come down with a migraine this afternoon.
"Are you sure?" Relief warred with the suspicion in Erin's gaze.
"Positive." Shannon hugged her sister. "I'll be just fine."
* * *
The last thing Jake wanted to do was put up mistletoe.
"A little to the right." Grandpa Al leaned forward in the wheelchair, his gaze narrowing. "It's not centered in the doorway."
Jake bit back a sharp retort. It wasn't his grandfather's fault that the mistletoe made him think of a certain green-eyed blonde. The mere touch of the tiny sprig brought back the memory of that night at the reception hall, the softness of her hair, the sweetness of her kiss. Though it was crazy, after his talk with his grandfather, he'd kept thinking about Shannon, wondering if he should give her a call.
"Are you going to hang it or stand there looking at it all day?"
The abrupt tone jerked Jake back to reality. He moved the mistletoe a half-inch to the right. "How's this?"
"Perfect." Grandpa Al nodded approvingly.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Jake secured the sprig.
"What time will we be leaving for church?"
"I thought we might skip services tonight." With this whole thing about Shannon still up in the air, Jake couldn't muster up much of the Christmas spirit. He knew it was wrong, but he shoved aside his guilt. "You've had a long day. We'll be going with the family tomorrow, anyway."
"But it's Christmas Eve. I haven't missed a Christmas Eve service in 50 years." The older man's jaw jutted out, but it was the distress in his voice that tugged at Jake's heart.
"The roads are icy."
"We don't have to go far. Someone told me about a little church not too far from here. Over on Clayton. We can go there."
An hour later, Jake sat with his grandfather in the back pew of a church he'd only driven past before. The roads had been as icy as he'd feared, but he'd snagged a close parking space and the parking lot had been well salted.
The church was packed. Jack scanned the crowd, his gaze lingering on all the families. The little boys in their shirts and ties, the little girls in their velvet dresses. It was hard to believe that only a few short weeks ago, such a life had seemed within his reach.
"I was such a fool," Jake muttered.
"What did you say?" Grandpa Al's eyes were bright with curiosity.
"Nothing." Jake shifted his gaze to the front of the church. "Look at all those poinsettias."
"So beautiful," his grandfather murmured, but the old man's gaze wasn't on the plants. It was on a blonde who'd just walked through the door.
Jake froze in his seat.
What was she doing here?
*****************************************
"Shannon. Over here."
Shannon turned in the direction of the voice and stopped dead in her tracks. For a moment she was tempted to pretend she hadn't seen Alfred Kinkaid. But she'd been taught to respect her elders and she couldn't ignore him. Or the dark-haired man sitting at his side.
God give me strength.
Shannon made her way through the crowd, and by the time she reached the end of the long pew, her heart had slowed back to a normal rhythm. "Mr. Kinkaid, what a surprise. I never expected to see you this evening."
"God works in mysterious ways." The old man's grin was so infectious Shannon couldn't help but smile. "Jake's church is way across town and with the roads being bad, we decided to go somewhere close."
"I'm glad you did," Shannon said. "I can't imagine not being in church on Christmas Eve."
"That's exactly what I told Jake." Grandpa Al's eyes twinkled. "You remember my grandson, don't you?"
"Of course." Shannon forced a smile. She'd spent the day telling herself that everything worked out for the best. After all, Erin had Dillon and seemed blissfully happy. But it wasn't as easy now, seeing Jake and realizing she'd never have the man she loved. "Merry Christmas, Jake."
"Merry Christmas." Jake's gaze lingered. "Where's your family this evening?"
"My brother just had a new baby and my parents went to Texas to be with him," Shannon said. "My sister and her fiancé are attending services this evening with his family."
Jake looked up at the word "fiancé" and she realized he didn't know Erin was engaged. But, of course, how could he? They hadn't talked since Kansas City.
"So you're alone this evening?" Grandpa Al said in a conversational tone.
"Yes, but —"
"Miss, we're about to start," the usher whispered. "Could you take your seat?"
"We've got a spot for you." Grandpa Al patted the space next to him on the end. "Right here."
Shannon glanced around the church. During the time she'd spent talking, the sanctuary had filled up and she couldn't see one empty seat except for the one in front of her. Shannon gave a resigned sigh. At least Jake was on the other side of his grandfather.
But when Shannon started to sit, the old man slid to the end of the pew, opening a space between him and Jake.
"I like to sit on the outside." Grandpa Al shot her an apologetic smile. "You don't mind sitting in the middle, do you?"
The old man's innocent expression didn't fool Shannon in the least. She sat down and smoothed the skirt of her dress, telling herself that they were all adults and if she just focused on the service she'd be fine.
But with Jake's leg pressed against hers and the familiar scent of his cologne wafting about her, Shannon found it difficult enough just to breathe, much less concentrate.
Halfway through the service she realized she was staring at him and he was staring back. She licked her dry lips.
His own lips parted as if he were about to say something but then forgot what it was.
She reached for the hymnal and his fingers closed around it, brushing hers. She felt the blood surge from her fingertips all the way to her toes.
His gaze slowly swept down her body, studying her, inch by inch.
Though the church was well heated, her skin turned to gooseflesh. It was crazy. She felt languid and tense at the same time.
He held her gaze and his eyes seemed to glitter, suddenly looking more green and brown than blue.
Her heart hammered against her ribs, drowning out the sound of the familiar Christmas hymn.
Her eyes locked with his and their breathing came in unison.
"We need to talk," he said, his lips barely moving.
*******************************************
"Come to my house after church," Jake said softly. "We can talk there."
"But it's Christmas Eve," she said in a low tone.
"We need to talk," he repeated, meeting her gaze. "I don't want to wait any longer, do you?"
Shannon shook her head.
The rest of the service passed in a blur. It seemed only a matter of minutes before Shannon found herself walking through the front door of Jake's home. The minute they got inside, Grandpa Al started complaining about his hip. But when he headed to his room, Shannon noticed he wasn't limping at all and he barely used his four-pronged cane.
"I'm going to go to my room and lie down." Grandpa Al smiled at Shannon and gave his grandson a wink. "You two kids have fun."
"He seems to be walking okay," Shannon said, after she'd heard a door shut down the hall. "Do you think his hip is really bothering him?"
"With him, who really knows," Jake said with a smile. "If I had to bet, I'd say no. I think he wanted to give us some time alone together."
"He's really a sweet man."
"Yes, he is," Jake said. "But we're not here to talk about him. We're here to talk about us."
"Before you say anything, I just want to say again that I'm sorry." Shannon met his gaze. "I never meant to hurt you. I'm not the kind of person that normally lies. Erin wanted to see if there was still something there with Dillon. I didn't want her to lose you. That's why I agreed to do it. But it was wrong."
"You know I believe," he said, taking her hand in his, "that things happen for a reason."
"You do?" Shannon drew a shaky breath.
"I never really knew Erin," he said. "If you wouldn't have come with me that weekend we might never have gotten to know each other."
Hope grew inside her. Could this be what God had planned all along? Erin had gotten the man she loved. Could it happen to her, too?
"You know how in church the minister talked about this being a time of beginnings?"
Shannon pushed a strand of hair back with her hand. "Actually, I was so preoccupied I didn't catch much of the sermon."
Jake smiled. "I didn't get it all, either. But I liked the part about beginnings. I found myself thinking we could start over. Pretend we just met and go from there. What do you think?"
"I think it could work." Shannon's smile widened. "When do you want to start?"
"No time like the present." Jake extended his hand. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Jake Kinkaid."
Shannon took his hand. A shiver traveled up her spine at his touch. "Shannon O'Connor."
"Shannon." He kept hold of her hand and his gaze flickered for a moment, down to her mouth. "Do you believe in kissing on the first date?"
"Not usually." Her gaze shifted pointedly to the mistletoe overhead. "But in this case I might be willing to make an excep —"
Jake tugged her toward him and stopped her words by covering her mouth with his own. She quivered at the sweet tenderness of his kiss.
"Marry me," Jake whispered in her hair.
Shannon's heart fluttered wildly in her breast. "We just met."
Jake stepped back and held her at arm's length.
"I feel like I've known you forever." His gaze traveled over her face and searched her eyes. "I love you, Shannon."
Shannon stared into Jake's eyes for a long second as his words seemed to echo in the room. I love you, Shannon.
He loved her. Jake loved her. Not her sister, but her.
"And I love you." Tears of happiness stung her eyes and as she brushed them aside, her gaze drifted to the mistletoe. Grandpa Al, the matchmaker. Now that he'd succeeded in bringing them together, she knew they'd never hear the end of it. Her lips curved upward. "You know what this means, don't you?"
"I know exactly what it means." Jake's gaze never left her face. "It means I've got the right twin. And I'm never going to let her go."
The End