A Very Merry Christmas: WITH "Do You Hear What I Hear" AND "Bah Humbug, Ba by Lori Foster, Janice Maynard, Gemma Bruce Page B
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idiot, but we don’t want him to be a mangled idiot. Now, please calm down. Osbourne will take care of him. You don’t have to do a thing.”
Neither dog appeared to be listening to her.
Ozzie shouted, “Just what the hell is going on here?”
Silence dropped like a lead weight.
Everyone turned to look at him—Vaughn and Grimshaw with relief, Lakeisha with uncertainty, and Marci with wide-eyed shock.
“Osbourne!” Her face went red-hot. “You’re naked.”
He slashed a hand in the air over that. “How long has he been there?”
“Not long,” she choked, then she ran to get a dishcloth to try to cover him. He took it from her and tossed it aside. The dogs sat back to watch.
“Vaughn, you’ve got some explaining to do.”
The idiot started whimpering again. He had his head, right shoulder, and arm through the opening. But the rest of him remained in the mudroom.
Ozzie took two steps to stand over him.
Marci covered her eyes, but Vaughn stared up at him in fear.
Crossing his arms over his chest, Ozzie said, “You know I’m going to have your sorry ass arrested, don’t you?”
In a pathetic whine, Vaughn cried, “I just needed an interview, that’s all.”
“There’ll be an interview, all right. With the authorities. You can explain to them why you broke into my house.”
Vaughn turned pleading eyes on Marci. “Just a few confirmations, that’s all I need.”
She joined Ozzie’s side. “You’re lucky I didn’t turn the dogs loose on you. Lakeisha really doesn’t like you at all, and that makes Grimshaw, who’s usually such a friendly fellow, despise you as well.”
Vaughn’s head dropped and nearly hit the floor. “I’ll do the article anyway.”
Shaking her head, Marci said, “Go ahead. It won’t be the first time. But people will call you a fool. Trust me, Mr. Wayland, no one will believe you.”
His head lifted again. “But it’s true, isn’t it?”
Marci sniffed. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She turned on her heel and strode away.
“Where are you going?” Ozzie asked.
Over her shoulder, she called back, “To get you some pants. If you’re going to call your police friends, I don’t want them to see you like this.”
He grinned—until he looked back at Vaughn Wayland. The bastard looked utterly defeated. How must Marci feel? She’d said it wasn’t the first time someone had done an article on her. She also said no one ever believed in her ability.
Yet that didn’t stop her from helping animals. Her heart was too big for her to stop.
Damn it, he was falling in love with her.
To the dogs, he said, “Watch him while I go make a call.”
Grimshaw perked up his ears and plopped down right in front of Vaughn. His lips rolled back to show sharp teeth and a growl poured out of his throat.
Looking love struck, Lakeisha sat behind Grimshaw.
As Ozzie strode over to the phone, he thought, What a way to start the day.
Then a pair of jeans hit him in the stomach and he looked up to see Marci eyeing him. Or, more precisely, she eyed a certain part of his anatomy.
“Does my nakedness bother you, Marci?” he teased.
She muttered, “You’re shameless,” but her gaze remained below his navel.
He couldn’t help it—he smiled. Marci Churchill was in his house. She eyed him with lust.
It really was a hell of a way to start any day.
He was beginning to think it’d be a good way to start most of his days, from now until the end of eternity.
Now that he didn’t have to worry about the reporter bothering them, Ozzie looked forward to Christmas morning with a lot of anticipation.
Since Marci had come to stay with him, everything had changed. For the better. In too many ways to count, she enhanced his life. The dogs loved her, and he loved the dogs.
Dining with her was always a unique experience, because Marci never indulged in ordinary conversation. She could still make him nuts on occasion, but now he was starting to like it.
She
Neither dog appeared to be listening to her.
Ozzie shouted, “Just what the hell is going on here?”
Silence dropped like a lead weight.
Everyone turned to look at him—Vaughn and Grimshaw with relief, Lakeisha with uncertainty, and Marci with wide-eyed shock.
“Osbourne!” Her face went red-hot. “You’re naked.”
He slashed a hand in the air over that. “How long has he been there?”
“Not long,” she choked, then she ran to get a dishcloth to try to cover him. He took it from her and tossed it aside. The dogs sat back to watch.
“Vaughn, you’ve got some explaining to do.”
The idiot started whimpering again. He had his head, right shoulder, and arm through the opening. But the rest of him remained in the mudroom.
Ozzie took two steps to stand over him.
Marci covered her eyes, but Vaughn stared up at him in fear.
Crossing his arms over his chest, Ozzie said, “You know I’m going to have your sorry ass arrested, don’t you?”
In a pathetic whine, Vaughn cried, “I just needed an interview, that’s all.”
“There’ll be an interview, all right. With the authorities. You can explain to them why you broke into my house.”
Vaughn turned pleading eyes on Marci. “Just a few confirmations, that’s all I need.”
She joined Ozzie’s side. “You’re lucky I didn’t turn the dogs loose on you. Lakeisha really doesn’t like you at all, and that makes Grimshaw, who’s usually such a friendly fellow, despise you as well.”
Vaughn’s head dropped and nearly hit the floor. “I’ll do the article anyway.”
Shaking her head, Marci said, “Go ahead. It won’t be the first time. But people will call you a fool. Trust me, Mr. Wayland, no one will believe you.”
His head lifted again. “But it’s true, isn’t it?”
Marci sniffed. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She turned on her heel and strode away.
“Where are you going?” Ozzie asked.
Over her shoulder, she called back, “To get you some pants. If you’re going to call your police friends, I don’t want them to see you like this.”
He grinned—until he looked back at Vaughn Wayland. The bastard looked utterly defeated. How must Marci feel? She’d said it wasn’t the first time someone had done an article on her. She also said no one ever believed in her ability.
Yet that didn’t stop her from helping animals. Her heart was too big for her to stop.
Damn it, he was falling in love with her.
To the dogs, he said, “Watch him while I go make a call.”
Grimshaw perked up his ears and plopped down right in front of Vaughn. His lips rolled back to show sharp teeth and a growl poured out of his throat.
Looking love struck, Lakeisha sat behind Grimshaw.
As Ozzie strode over to the phone, he thought, What a way to start the day.
Then a pair of jeans hit him in the stomach and he looked up to see Marci eyeing him. Or, more precisely, she eyed a certain part of his anatomy.
“Does my nakedness bother you, Marci?” he teased.
She muttered, “You’re shameless,” but her gaze remained below his navel.
He couldn’t help it—he smiled. Marci Churchill was in his house. She eyed him with lust.
It really was a hell of a way to start any day.
He was beginning to think it’d be a good way to start most of his days, from now until the end of eternity.
Now that he didn’t have to worry about the reporter bothering them, Ozzie looked forward to Christmas morning with a lot of anticipation.
Since Marci had come to stay with him, everything had changed. For the better. In too many ways to count, she enhanced his life. The dogs loved her, and he loved the dogs.
Dining with her was always a unique experience, because Marci never indulged in ordinary conversation. She could still make him nuts on occasion, but now he was starting to like it.
She
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