The Dreadful Lemon Sky (Travis McGee #16)

by John D. MacDonald

She wanted a good life. It is not an unusual hope, but a very unusual attainment.

There are too many of them in the world lately, the hopeful ladies who married grown-up boy children and soon lost all hope. They are the secretaries and nurses and switchboard people, the store clerks, schoolteachers, cab drivers, and Avon ladies. They lead the singles life. Lots of laughs and lots of barren mornings. Skilled sex, mod conversation, and all heartaches carefully concealed. They are not ardent libbers, yet at the same time they are not looking for some man to “take care.” God knows they are expert in taking care of themselves. They just want a grown-up man to share their life with, each of them taking care. But there are one hell of a lot more grown-up ladies than grown-up men.

If they were never aware of your presence, they won’t be overwhelmed by your absence.

Guilt is the most merciless disease of man. It stains all the other areas of living. It darkens all skies.