looked down at my cup abruptly, not wanting him to witness my growing enchantment. Richard wouldn’t be able to answer how I took my coffee if he was covered in honey and tortured with fire ants.
“How long did you say you’d be staying here in our lovely Bell Harbor, Des?” Dody asked, sensing I was mute with adoration.
“A few more months, maybe longer. It depends.”
“Depends on what?”
He smiled. “On a variety of things.”
His answer made me itchy. It was too vague. What was he hiding?
“And what do you do when you’re not working?” Dody obviously realized she’d hit a dead end with the last question, but it wasn’t about to dissuade her. I sensed her annoyance at my complete inability to market myself.
I sipped my perfectly black coffee, trying to ignore the heat of Des’s leg near mine. That was tough to do in a booth so small. It was also hard to not notice the tiny spot near his sideburn that he missed while shaving, or the faintest little scar at the corner of his eyebrow, which I suddenly had an urge to press my lips against.
“I run, bike, travel, I play basketball. I read and watch movies. The typical stuff, I guess.”
“What type of movies?”
“All kinds. I’m pretty easy to entertain.”
“Do you like romantic movies?” she pressed on, batting her lashes at him. Her boa fluttered from her breath.
I sighed. Subtlety was nowhere on Dody’s radar.
Des chuckled. “I do, actually. I grew up with three sisters, remember? So I’ve seen quite a few.”
“Ah, that’s delightful. So what was New York like?”
Des leaned back and his arm brushed along mine. I accidently squeezed my Styrofoam cup, nearly spilling what was left of the coffee.
“New York? I’ve never been there.”
“Really? I thought all illegal aliens came through Elvis Island?”
Des laughed out loud, shaking the seat we shared.
“Dody,” I sighed, “there is so much wrong with what you said I don’t even know where to start.”
“Why, what did I say?”
“Never mind.”
Des’s phone chimed and he pulled it from his pocket, still laughing. “Dr. McKnight.”
He cleared his throat and listened, then occasionally responded. “Yes. No. Ten minutes. Tell her she can wait.” He paused again. “No, I waited for her all morning and she never showed up. I’ll be there in a minute.”
He hung up, setting the phone on the table, and took a sip of coffee.
“Was that your girlfriend?” Dody asked.
He coughed as he tried to swallow. Of all her bizarre questions, this seemed to be the first one to trip him up. His face flushed as he tipped the cup back one last time and drank the last of it. Then he crunched the Styrofoam and gave my aunt an enigmatic smile. “Dody, I don’t have a girlfriend.”
“You don’t?” she exclaimed, beaming at us. “Well, that’s just a shame! Isn’t it, Sadie?”
CHAPTER 9
I STRUGGLED TO GET THE brush through Paige’s hair. It was knotted and crusty and smelled suspiciously like raspberries. The kids and I were in the kitchen with Dody while she made her morning cauldron of gloppy oatmeal.
“Ouch,” Paige complained.
When the phone rang she jumped away. “My turn! I’ll get it.” She picked up the receiver. “Hello? Aunt Dody’s house.” After a minute, she giggled. “No, silly. Princesses don’t answer the phone. I’m Paige.” She paused again, one hand on her hip, the other holding the phone to her ear. I was struck with a vision of my future teenage daughter.
Paige nodded. “Yes, she’s brushing my hair, but she’s not being nice about it at all. Just because I dipped it in yogurt.”
“Is that what that is?” I said. No wonder it was such a mess.
Paige giggled again. “No, it tasted the same. OK, I will.” Then she handed the phone to me. “Des wants to talk to you.”
There went that annoying and persistent buzz of anticipation again. That must be what the Highlander feels whenever another immortal shows up.
“Hello?” I
“How long did you say you’d be staying here in our lovely Bell Harbor, Des?” Dody asked, sensing I was mute with adoration.
“A few more months, maybe longer. It depends.”
“Depends on what?”
He smiled. “On a variety of things.”
His answer made me itchy. It was too vague. What was he hiding?
“And what do you do when you’re not working?” Dody obviously realized she’d hit a dead end with the last question, but it wasn’t about to dissuade her. I sensed her annoyance at my complete inability to market myself.
I sipped my perfectly black coffee, trying to ignore the heat of Des’s leg near mine. That was tough to do in a booth so small. It was also hard to not notice the tiny spot near his sideburn that he missed while shaving, or the faintest little scar at the corner of his eyebrow, which I suddenly had an urge to press my lips against.
“I run, bike, travel, I play basketball. I read and watch movies. The typical stuff, I guess.”
“What type of movies?”
“All kinds. I’m pretty easy to entertain.”
“Do you like romantic movies?” she pressed on, batting her lashes at him. Her boa fluttered from her breath.
I sighed. Subtlety was nowhere on Dody’s radar.
Des chuckled. “I do, actually. I grew up with three sisters, remember? So I’ve seen quite a few.”
“Ah, that’s delightful. So what was New York like?”
Des leaned back and his arm brushed along mine. I accidently squeezed my Styrofoam cup, nearly spilling what was left of the coffee.
“New York? I’ve never been there.”
“Really? I thought all illegal aliens came through Elvis Island?”
Des laughed out loud, shaking the seat we shared.
“Dody,” I sighed, “there is so much wrong with what you said I don’t even know where to start.”
“Why, what did I say?”
“Never mind.”
Des’s phone chimed and he pulled it from his pocket, still laughing. “Dr. McKnight.”
He cleared his throat and listened, then occasionally responded. “Yes. No. Ten minutes. Tell her she can wait.” He paused again. “No, I waited for her all morning and she never showed up. I’ll be there in a minute.”
He hung up, setting the phone on the table, and took a sip of coffee.
“Was that your girlfriend?” Dody asked.
He coughed as he tried to swallow. Of all her bizarre questions, this seemed to be the first one to trip him up. His face flushed as he tipped the cup back one last time and drank the last of it. Then he crunched the Styrofoam and gave my aunt an enigmatic smile. “Dody, I don’t have a girlfriend.”
“You don’t?” she exclaimed, beaming at us. “Well, that’s just a shame! Isn’t it, Sadie?”
CHAPTER 9
I STRUGGLED TO GET THE brush through Paige’s hair. It was knotted and crusty and smelled suspiciously like raspberries. The kids and I were in the kitchen with Dody while she made her morning cauldron of gloppy oatmeal.
“Ouch,” Paige complained.
When the phone rang she jumped away. “My turn! I’ll get it.” She picked up the receiver. “Hello? Aunt Dody’s house.” After a minute, she giggled. “No, silly. Princesses don’t answer the phone. I’m Paige.” She paused again, one hand on her hip, the other holding the phone to her ear. I was struck with a vision of my future teenage daughter.
Paige nodded. “Yes, she’s brushing my hair, but she’s not being nice about it at all. Just because I dipped it in yogurt.”
“Is that what that is?” I said. No wonder it was such a mess.
Paige giggled again. “No, it tasted the same. OK, I will.” Then she handed the phone to me. “Des wants to talk to you.”
There went that annoying and persistent buzz of anticipation again. That must be what the Highlander feels whenever another immortal shows up.
“Hello?” I
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