confirmation and they all stared at her Maltese.
Looking like a white kitchen mop, Fussy was on her belly edging slowly toward Pirate, who sat frozen to the spot, his one wild eye glued on her.
“Oh my God!” Sunny whispered, repeating Roddy’s words. “We should do something.”
She meant Allie should do something, but Allie simply stared, and Mac held up a hand, watching silently.
Fussy inched closer. A quiver ran through Pirate’s body as she drew nearer. There was nowhere for him to run because the tide was already over the rocks.
Everybody held their breath. Fussy was twelve inches away and still Pirate sat transfixed. The Maltese lifted her head, button eyes peering at him through her fringe. A moment passed in silence. Then she rolled over onto her back, paws waving in the air, and peeked flirtatiously up at him.
“Well, the shameless little hussy,” Roddy said, breaking the silence. “Will you just look at her,
flirting
with Pirate.”
“And take a look a Pirate,” Mac added. There was a bewildered look on Pirate’s face as he bent his head and the two dogs sniffed, nose to nose. Then he wagged his tail and flopped down beside her.
“How about that? I believe Pirate’s in love,” Mac said, beaming at Allie.
Sunny’s heart sank. In the two years they had been together Tesoro had never as much as acknowledged Pirate’spresence, except for the occasional snarl and swipe at his nose. Now Allie Ray’s Maltese had Pirate wrapped around her paws like a dog in love. All her theories about Mac not wanting to marry because their dogs were incompatible went out the window.
“I’ll take care of the pizza,” Roddy said, heading indoors. “We eating out there?” he called back to Mac.
“We are,” Mac said. “Unless you’re cold,” he added, looking, concerned, at Allie.
“Nothing a sweater couldn’t fix,” she replied. “I enjoy eating outdoors. Californians don’t do it often enough. Take advantage of our climate, I mean. I’ve learned to enjoy Malibu’s mists and winter storms as much as our beautiful sunny days, when you wonder why you would ever want to live anywhere else.”
“And would you? Ever want to live anywhere else, I mean?” Sunny asked.
Allie gave her a surprised look. “Sometimes I think about it,” she said. “Sometimes, I dream of another life.” Then she gave a quick shrug and added briskly, “But this is the life I created for myself. I’m a very lucky woman, I know. Millions of women would want to change places with me. Wouldn’t they?”
Her turquoise blue eyes fixed on Sunny, who said, surprised, “Yes, I’m quite sure they would. Though of course there would be no way to replace the real Allie Ray.”
“I need a magic wand to wave over my life,” Allie saidsoftly, as though she were voicing private thoughts, not meant for another’s ears. “All I need is that magic wand to make me disappear.”
Mac pushed open the rattling screen doors. “Pizza. Come and get it,” he said, as he and Roddy put two enormous pies on the redwood trestle table, plonking down bottles of wine and Pellegrino, as well as a container of hot chili peppers. Roddy added a bunch of paper napkins which blew away in the wind, sending him dancing after them. Mac offered Allie his old dark green cashmere sweater and received a smiling thank-you.
Sunny recognized that sweater. She had bought it for Mac a couple of Christmases ago. Buttoning her orange and pink striped cardigan, she took the chair next to Allie.
When they were all seated and their glasses filled Mac said, “Okay, first we have news, Allie.
Good
news,” he added. “Well, let me amend that.
In a way
it’s good news. The Sebring has not been seen since Lev has been guarding you.”
Her shoulders slumped. “But what about when he leaves? And anyway who is it? It’s so scary knowing someone is watching you, living your every moment. It’s as though they’re stealing your life.”
Sunny could see she was
Looking like a white kitchen mop, Fussy was on her belly edging slowly toward Pirate, who sat frozen to the spot, his one wild eye glued on her.
“Oh my God!” Sunny whispered, repeating Roddy’s words. “We should do something.”
She meant Allie should do something, but Allie simply stared, and Mac held up a hand, watching silently.
Fussy inched closer. A quiver ran through Pirate’s body as she drew nearer. There was nowhere for him to run because the tide was already over the rocks.
Everybody held their breath. Fussy was twelve inches away and still Pirate sat transfixed. The Maltese lifted her head, button eyes peering at him through her fringe. A moment passed in silence. Then she rolled over onto her back, paws waving in the air, and peeked flirtatiously up at him.
“Well, the shameless little hussy,” Roddy said, breaking the silence. “Will you just look at her,
flirting
with Pirate.”
“And take a look a Pirate,” Mac added. There was a bewildered look on Pirate’s face as he bent his head and the two dogs sniffed, nose to nose. Then he wagged his tail and flopped down beside her.
“How about that? I believe Pirate’s in love,” Mac said, beaming at Allie.
Sunny’s heart sank. In the two years they had been together Tesoro had never as much as acknowledged Pirate’spresence, except for the occasional snarl and swipe at his nose. Now Allie Ray’s Maltese had Pirate wrapped around her paws like a dog in love. All her theories about Mac not wanting to marry because their dogs were incompatible went out the window.
“I’ll take care of the pizza,” Roddy said, heading indoors. “We eating out there?” he called back to Mac.
“We are,” Mac said. “Unless you’re cold,” he added, looking, concerned, at Allie.
“Nothing a sweater couldn’t fix,” she replied. “I enjoy eating outdoors. Californians don’t do it often enough. Take advantage of our climate, I mean. I’ve learned to enjoy Malibu’s mists and winter storms as much as our beautiful sunny days, when you wonder why you would ever want to live anywhere else.”
“And would you? Ever want to live anywhere else, I mean?” Sunny asked.
Allie gave her a surprised look. “Sometimes I think about it,” she said. “Sometimes, I dream of another life.” Then she gave a quick shrug and added briskly, “But this is the life I created for myself. I’m a very lucky woman, I know. Millions of women would want to change places with me. Wouldn’t they?”
Her turquoise blue eyes fixed on Sunny, who said, surprised, “Yes, I’m quite sure they would. Though of course there would be no way to replace the real Allie Ray.”
“I need a magic wand to wave over my life,” Allie saidsoftly, as though she were voicing private thoughts, not meant for another’s ears. “All I need is that magic wand to make me disappear.”
Mac pushed open the rattling screen doors. “Pizza. Come and get it,” he said, as he and Roddy put two enormous pies on the redwood trestle table, plonking down bottles of wine and Pellegrino, as well as a container of hot chili peppers. Roddy added a bunch of paper napkins which blew away in the wind, sending him dancing after them. Mac offered Allie his old dark green cashmere sweater and received a smiling thank-you.
Sunny recognized that sweater. She had bought it for Mac a couple of Christmases ago. Buttoning her orange and pink striped cardigan, she took the chair next to Allie.
When they were all seated and their glasses filled Mac said, “Okay, first we have news, Allie.
Good
news,” he added. “Well, let me amend that.
In a way
it’s good news. The Sebring has not been seen since Lev has been guarding you.”
Her shoulders slumped. “But what about when he leaves? And anyway who is it? It’s so scary knowing someone is watching you, living your every moment. It’s as though they’re stealing your life.”
Sunny could see she was
Similar Books
