NATALIE HANOVER
"I can't believe you talked me into this," Natalie Hanover muttered as her way-too-calm best friend pinned the tiny black mike onto the collar of Natalie's peach blouse.
"Just relax, okay? It's only television."
"Susan." Natalie grabbed her friend's jacket sleeve. "I've changed my mind."
"That's nice." Susan McMillan gave her a brilliant 3,000 watt smile, which Natalie knew was the result of braces endured in the tenth grade.
The tall brunette then extracted her sleeve from Natalie's death grip and sat in the poufy mauve chair next to Natalie's.
A makeup girl with a bouncing ponytail rushed onto the set and powdered Susan's nose.
Natalie sighed. A thousand bucks for televised humiliation. Did her children really need new shoes for school? And that left tire with the slow leak could go another few months with the fix-a-flat gunk. She'd already put in three cans—what was one more?
Natalie turned to Susan. "I've been your friend since Cindy McGarthy's slumber party in the seventh grade. And even though you put toothpaste in my hair, I still—"
"Don't be silly. Melinda Ridgefield did that. Now straighten up and fluff out your bangs a bit. Do you want some water?"
"Not unless there's a shot of vodka in it."
People were on fast-forward around here, carrying clipboards and cameras and ... was that a snake? Natalie stared at a tattooed woman with a pink Mohawk who had a python wrapped around her waist.
"Hello, Dr. Hart."
Susan's voice jolted Natalie.
Susan stood and turned her back to greet the other guest.
All Natalie could see above Susan's perfectly groomed head was a shock of dark hair against a tan forehead.
She peered around her friend and saw legs encased in gray slacks. Then Susan shifted positions and Natalie's only view was her friend's fuchsia behind.
Great. She would be discussing her views on child discipline with a doctor. He'd probably written some best-selling book on kids and had twelve angelic children. She thought of her own brood at home with Rosa.
No doubt they were piled around the television, getting ready to watch her make a fool out of herself. Just an hour ago, they had been begging to go with her. Andrea and Mike had been disappointed when she'd said no, but Sylvie had merely asked for her not to do anything embarrassing
"Okay. I'll pick my nose when we're off the air," Natalie had said. Remembering the look of horror on Sylvie's face made her smile, and lessened the anxiety now roiling through her.
"Let's go, people," said a disembodied voice as bright lights flashed onto the area where she, Susan, and the mystery doctor sat. Natalie went blind for a moment, and then tiny yellow dots danced before her eyes.
As the dots disappeared, she turned toward Dr. Hart. Two blue eyes pierced her with cool arrogance.
She grinned and waved.
He raised his left eyebrow in obvious disdain. The gesture reminded her so much of Sylvie's I've-been-cursed-with-an-alien-mother expression that Natalie did what she always did when Sylvie raised her pencil-thin eyebrow—she crossed her eyes and stuck out the tip of her tongue. The look of astonishment on his face almost made her laugh.
"And three, two..."
"Hello there, Oklahoma. Welcome to Ordinary People: Extraordinary Views. I'm your host Susan McMillan." Susan leaned forward and stared intently into a camera. "Our show is interested in the views of ordinary, everyday people. Our topics are chosen from those that interest you—our viewers.
"Today, we're discussing child discipline. Please welcome Mrs. Natalie Hanover, a mother of three. Our other guest is Dr. Garrett Hart. Dr. Hart is a veterinarian and although he has no children of his own, he does have very strong views on child rearing based on his work with animals."
Natalie blinked. Wait. What?
"Let's begin with Mrs. Hanover. What are the ages of your children?"
"Andrea's five, Mike's nine, and Sylvie is fourteen."
"And you've been raising them by yourself since your husband died four years ago?"
Natalie nodded. Michael had been a wonderful husband and father. The ache in her heart had lessened as time passed, but she still missed him.
Susan's brown eyes reflected sympathy and a tinge of regret. Natalie was thankful when her friend turned to the doctor.
"Dr. Hart, I know you recently moved to Mirror Falls from California. I understand that you have some big plans for an animal shelter?"
"I inherited a parcel of land. I've decided to open a vet clinic and shelter for abused and abandoned animals."
"That's wonderful," Susan cooed. "Now, would you like to share your views on child discipline?"
"I've worked with animals for many years. I've trained hundreds of dogs. I think children will respond to the same stimuli."
"Fascinating," Susan turned to Natalie. "And what do you think of that, Mrs. Hanover?"
Natalie counted to ten before opening her mouth. She wanted to respond to Mr. Hart's comment in a reasonable, adult-like manner. "I think it's a crock."
Natalie bit her lower lip. That wasn't quite the adult response she'd hoped for. Susan's delighted grin sent warning tingles down Natalie's spine. The woman was up to something.
"And why is that?"
The question came from the big galoot without kids. He assessed her with his ice blue eyes. She noticed the broadness of his shoulders and the fact that not an inch of stomach sagged over his thin black belt. He radiated masculinity, even while trying to sit straight in the puffy mauve chair. She returned his gaze and said, "A child is not a puppy."
"Naturally there would be adjustments between what you would do for an animal and what you would do for a child. The technique, however, would be the same."
He sounded so sure … so arrogant. Natalie opened her mouth to tell Dr. Hart what she thought of his technique but Susan jumped into the conversation. "Would you give us an example?"
"When I train a dog, I use a reward system. When the animal exhibits appropriate behavior, I'll give him a treat and praise him."
Natalie stared at him in disbelief. "You're kidding."
"Rewarding positive behavior ensures the appropriate behavior will reoccur."
"Oh, honey. I'm sure you're a fine vet. But you don't know diddly-squat about kids."
He pressed his lips together and crossed his arms. "Just because you have children doesn't mean you know how to be a parent."
Oh, no, he did not! "At least my experiences are based on the fact that I have children. " She shook her head. "I bet you wouldn't last one day with my kids."
"I could train your children in a week."