But love was a lot more terrifying. The truth was, she wasn’t very good at it. She never had been. She was good at CK Industries—although Dugan had shown her she could be better. Well, Dugan and Bear and Maggie and Elliot.
“I’m scared,” she admitted.
“I know. Me, too. You can still break my heart.”
“I don’t want to.”
He didn’t say anything. She supposed he’d already said it all.
She swallowed. “I love you.” She cleared her throat and said it again. “I love you. A lot. More than I’ve loved anyone, which I really don’t like. It scares me.”
“I’m scared, too.”
“Okay, so we’re both in love and we’re both scared. Now what?”
He moved close and lightly touched her face. “We establish ground rules. No kids, no wedding, but we’re in a committed monogamous relationship.”
She pressed her hands to his chest. He felt warm and strong and safe and she needed a little safe in her life.
“I can do that.”
“Good.” He smiled. “I’d like you to move in, but if you’d rather buy a house of your own, I can move there.”
“Why would I want to do that? You’re building me an outdoor cat room.”
“Um, Sophie? The cat room’s not for you.”
She laughed, then flung her arms around him and hung on. “I love you, Dugan. Thank you for being patient with me.”
“Always.” He took her hand in his and started for the bedroom. “What time’s the grand opening?”
“Eleven.”
“Excellent. That gives us just enough time.”
As they walked into the master, she smiled. “You’re really not going to propose?”
“I’m not.”
“You’re the best boyfriend ever.”
“That’s what I hear.”
When he reached for her, she stepped into his embrace. Because being with Dugan was right where she belonged.
* * *
#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery delivers the witty and heartfelt story of two best friends who are determined to shake up their lives. And when they do, they find possibilities—and even love—where they least expect it.
Enjoy this preview of The Friendship List.
SISTERS
BY
CHOICE
SUSAN MALLERY
Reader’s Guide
Sisters by Choice Reader Discussion Guide
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Please note: These questions contain spoilers, so it’s recommended that you wait to read them until after you’ve finished the book.
Questions for Discussion
Sophie felt that she was the only person she could truly rely on, especially when it came to her business. What happened in her past to make her feel that way? How did that hold her back, prevent her from taking Clandestine Kitty to the next level? What lesson did she need to learn? What happened in the story to teach her that lesson?
Mallery has said that because she didn’t ever write from Amber’s point of view, she never truly knew whether Amber believed everything she was saying, or whether she was putting on an act in order to manipulate her family. What do you think, and why?
When women are young, many have a tendency to overaccommodate. A woman sometimes sublimates her needs to others’—husband, kids, friends. Then when she gets older and wiser and realizes that she has as much right to a fulfilling life as they do, she has to renegotiate her relationships, which can be stressful to all parties. How did Mallery capture that in this story? In the disagreement between Kristine and Jaxsen, whose side were you on and why?
How did you feel when Ruth, Kristine’s mother-in-law, gave Kristine some start-up money? Why do you think she did that? What message did that scene convey about Ruth’s relationship with her own husband?
At the beginning of the book, Heather was working her tail off, but not making progress. It’s like she was trying to ride a bicycle uphill without the chain engaged. How were Heather’s actions and decisions leading her toward living the same sort of life as her mother—without success and filled with regret? What happened to make her change direction? Do you think there’s any hope that Amber can still change her life? Why or why not? Do you think she wants to?
Both Sophie’s relationship with Dugan and Kristine’s relationship with Jaxsen had a lot to say about equality—not gender equality, necessarily, but a relationship of equals regardless of gender. Discuss. How important is balance in romance?
When Mallery first got the idea for this book, it centered around the theme of ambition. In American popular culture, ambition, especially in women, is sometimes conflated with greed, giving it a negative connotation. Mallery wanted to explore the positive side of ambition. How did she do that in each of the three story lines? Is a woman wrong to be ambitious? Is there any such thing as “too ambitious,” and if so, where is that line? Can a woman have it all? Can a man? If Jaxsen hadn’t come around, do you think that Kristine would have sacrificed her marriage in order to fulfill her professional ambitions? Why or why not? Would she have been right to do so? Why or why not? How did Amber reinforce the theme of ambition? How did Dugan?
There are two pivotal scenes in this book when the only thing that really changed was a character’s perception—and yet, that change of perception changed everything. Discuss perception as it relates to these two scenes, and how things changed as a result:a. Sophie finds out about Dugan’s past.
b. Kristine discovers that Jaxsen wasn’t just cooling off at his parents’ house; in his heart, he had left her.
Were you surprised by the ending? How so, and what did you think was going to happen?
The Friendship List
by Susan Mallery
Chapter One
“I should have married money,” Ellen Fox said glumly. “That would have solved all my problems.”
Unity Leandre, her best friend, practically since birth, raised her eyebrows. “Because that was an option so many times and you kept saying no?”
“It could have been. Maybe. If I’d ever, you know, met a rich guy I liked and wanted to marry.”
“Wouldn’t having him want to marry you be an equally important part of the equation?”
Ellen groaned. “This is not a good time for logic. This is a good time for sympathy. Or giving me a winning lottery ticket. We’ve been friends for years and you’ve never once given me a winning lottery ticket.”
Unity picked up her coffee and smiled. “True, but I did give you all my pony rides when we celebrated our eighth birthdays together.”
A point she would have to concede, Ellen thought to herself. With their birthdays so close together, they’d often had shared parties. The summer they’d turned eight, Unity’s mom had arranged for pony rides at a nearby farm. Unity had enjoyed herself, but Ellen had fallen in love with scruffy Mr. Peepers, the crabby old pony who carried them around the paddock. At Ellen’s declaration of affection for the pony, Unity had handed over the rest of her ride tickets, content to watch Ellen on Mr. Peepers’s wide back.
“You were wonderful about the pony rides,” Ellen said earnestly. “And I love that you were so generous. But right now I really need a small fortune. Nothing overwhelming. Just a tasteful million or so. In return, I’ll give back the rides on Mr. Peepers.”
Unity reached across the kitchen table and touched Ellen’s arm. “He really wants to go to UCLA?”
Ellen nodded, afraid if she spoke, she would whimper. After sucking in a breath, she managed to say, “He does. Even with a partial scholarship, the price is going to kill me. I went online just to check i
t out.” She braced herself for the ugly reality. “Out-of-state costs, including room and board, are about sixty-four thousand dollars.” Ellen felt her heart skip a beat, and not out of excitement. “A year. A year! I don’t even bring home that much after taxes. Who has that kind of money? If he was a California resident, it would be about half that, but still. It might as well be a million dollars.”
Unity nodded. “Okay, now marrying money makes sense.”
“I don’t have a lot of options.” Ellen pressed her hand to her chest and told herself she wasn’t having a heart attack. “You know I’d do anything for Coop and I’ll figure this out, but those numbers are terrifying. I have to start buying lottery scratchers and get a second job.” She looked at Unity. “How much do you think they make at Starbucks? I could work nights.”
Unity, five inches taller, with long straight blond hair, grabbed her hands. “Last month it was the University of Oklahoma, and the month before that, he wanted to go to Notre Dame. Cooper has changed his mind a dozen times and he’s going to keep changing his mind. Wait until you go look at colleges this summer and he figures out what he really wants, then see who offers the best financial aid before you panic.” Her mouth curved up in a smile. “No offense, Ellen, but I’ve tasted your coffee. You shouldn’t be working anywhere near a Starbucks.”
“Very funny.” Ellen squeezed her hands. “You’re right. He’s barely seventeen. He won’t technically be a senior until September. I have time. And I’m saving money every month, just like I have been.”
It was how she’d been raised, she thought. To be practical, to take responsibility. If only her parents had thought to mention marrying for money.
“After our road trip, he may decide he wants to go to the University of Washington after all, and that would solve all my problems.”
Not just the money ones, but the loneliness ones, she thought wistfully. Because after eighteen years of them being a team, her nearly grown-up baby boy was going to leave her.
“Stop,” Unity said. “You’re getting sad. I can see it.”
“I hate that you know me so well.”
“No, you don’t.”
Ellen sighed. “No, I don’t, but you’re annoying.”
“You’re more annoying.”
They smiled at each other.
Unity stood, all five foot ten of her, and stretched. “I have to get going. You have young minds to mold and I have a backed-up kitchen sink to deal with, followed by a gate repair and something with a vacuum. The message wasn’t clear.” She looked at Ellen. “You going to be okay?”
Ellen nodded. “I’m fine. You’re right. Coop will change his mind fifteen more times. I’ll wait until it’s a sure thing, then have my breakdown.”
“See. You always have a plan.”
They walked to the front door. Ellen’s mind slid back to the ridiculous cost of college.
“Any of those old people you help have money?” she asked. “For the right price, I could be a trophy wife.”
Unity shook her head. “You’re thirty-four. The average resident of Silver Pines is in their seventies.”
“Marrying money would still solve all my problems.”
Unity hugged her, hanging on tight for an extra second. “You’re a freak.”
“I’m a momma bear with a cub.”
“Your cub is six foot three. It’s time to stop worrying.”
“That will never happen.”
“Which is why I love you. Talk later.”
Ellen smiled. “Have a good one. Avoid spiders.”
“Always.”
When Unity had driven away, Ellen returned to the kitchen, where she quickly loaded the dishwasher, then packed her lunch. Cooper had left before six that morning. He was doing some end-of-the-school-year fitness challenge. Something about running and Ellen wasn’t sure what. To be honest, when he went on about his workouts, it was really hard not to tune him out. Especially when she had things like tuition to worry about.
“Not anymore today,” she said out loud. She would worry again in the morning. Unity was right—Cooper was going to keep changing his mind. Their road trip to look at colleges was only a few weeks away. After that they would narrow the list and he would start to apply. Only then would she know the final number and have to figure out how to pay for it.
Until then she had plenty to keep her busy. She was giving pop quizzes in both fourth and sixth periods, and she wanted to update her year-end tests for her two algebra classes. She needed to buy groceries and put gas in the car and go by the library to get all her summer reading on the reserve list.
As she finished her morning routine and drove to the high school where she taught, Ellen thought about Cooper and the college issue. While she was afraid she couldn’t afford the tuition, she had to admit it was a great problem to have. Seventeen years ago, she’d been a terrified teenager about to be a single mom, with nothing between her and living on the streets except incredibly disappointed and angry parents who had been determined to make her see the error of her ways.
Through hard work and determination, she’d managed to pull herself together—raise Cooper, go to college, get a good job, buy a duplex and save money for her kid’s education. Yay her.
But it sure would have been a lot easier if she’d simply married someone with money.
* * *
“How is it possible to get a C minus in Spanish?” Coach Keith Kinne asked, not bothering to keep his voice down. “Half the population in town speaks Spanish. Hell, your sister’s husband is Hispanic.” He glared at the strapping football player standing in front of him. “Luka, you’re an idiot.”
Luka hung his head. “Yes, Coach.”
“Don’t yes, Coach me. How does that help? You knew this was happening—you’ve known for weeks. And did you do anything? Did you ask for help? Did you tell me?”
“No, Coach.”
Keith thought about strangling the kid, but he wasn’t sure he could physically wrap his hands around the teen’s thick neck. He swore silently, knowing they were where they were and now he had to fix things—like he always did with his students.
“You know the rules,” he pointed out. “To play on any varsity team, you have to get a C plus or better in every class. Did you think the rules didn’t apply to you?”
Luka, nearly six-five and two hundred and fifty pounds, slumped even more. “I thought I was doing okay.”
“Really? So you’d been getting better grades on your tests?”
“Not exactly.” He raised his head, his expression miserable. “I thought I could pull up my grade at the last minute.”
“How did that plan work out?”
“No bueno.”
Keith glared at him. “You think this is funny?”
“No, Coach.”
Keith shook his head. “You know there isn’t a Spanish summer school class. That means we’re going to have to find an alternative.”
Despite his dark skin, Luka went pale. “Coach, don’t send me away.”
“No one gets sent away.” Sometimes athletes went to other districts that had a different summer curriculum. They stayed with other families and focused on their studies.
“I need to stay with my family. My mom understands me.”
“It would be better for all of us if she understood Spanish.” Keith glared at the kid. “I’ll arrange for an online class. You’ll get a tutor to make sure you stay on track. You will report to me twice a week, bringing me updates until you pass the class.” He sharpened his gaze. “With an A.”
Luka took a step back. “Coach, no! An A? I can’t.”
“Not with that attitude.”
“But, Coach—”
“You knew the rules and you broke them. You could have come to me for help early on, when you figured out your grades were slipping. You know I’m alwa
ys here for any of my students, but did you think about that or did you decide you were fine on your own?”
“I decided I was fine on my own,” Luka mumbled.
“Exactly. And deciding on your own is not how teams work. You go it alone and you fail.”
Tears filled Luka’s eyes. “Yes, Coach.”
Keith pointed to the door. Luka shuffled out. Keith sank into his chair. He’d been hard on the kid, but he needed to get the message across. Grades mattered. He was willing to help whenever he could, but he had to be told what was going on. He had a feeling Luka thought because he was a star athlete, he was going to get special treatment. Maybe somewhere else, but not here. Forcing Luka to get an A sent a message to everyone who wanted to play varsity sports.
He’d barely turned to his computer when one of the freshman boys stuck his head in the office. “Coach Kinne! Coach Kinne! There’s a girl crying in the weight room.”
Keith silently groaned as he got up and jogged to the weight room, hoping he was about to deal with something simple, like a broken arm or a concussion. He knew what to do for those kinds of things. Anything that was more emotional, honest to God, terrified him.
He walked into the weight room and found a group of guys huddled together. A petite, dark-haired girl he didn’t know sat on a bench at the far end, her hands covering her face, her sobs audible in the uneasy silence.
He looked at the guys. “She hurt?”
They shifted their weight and shook their heads. Damn. So it wasn’t physical. Why didn’t things ever go his way?
“Any of you responsible for whatever it is?” he asked.
More shaken heads with a couple of guys ducking out.
Keith pointed to the door so the rest of them left, then returned his attention to the crying girl. She was small and looked young. Maybe fifteen. Not one of his daughter’s friends—he knew all of them. No one in sports—he knew them, too.
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