he saw her staring at him as though he’d crossed some line with her. Hell, maybe he had.
He spied a stray coffee mug on the counter. Its rim bore a half moon of lipstick. Without taking his eyes off her, he opened the dishwasher and stuck it in haphazardly, then shut the machine again, pushing the door with his hip.
“There,” he said. “That’s done.”
“Thank you,” she said faintly.
“I guess I could take out the trash,” he said, gesturing at the overflowing receptacle.
“I believe the cans are in the garage. You’ll want to make sure the lid’s on tight to discourage raccoons.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said with exaggerated courtesy. He picked up the kitchen garbage and headed out the back door. When he turned to close it, he saw Lily Robinson open the dishwasher and carefully put the coffee mug in its proper place.
chapter 10
Friday
9:25 p.m.
I n a way, thought Lily, Sean Maguire was a blessing. He was so incredibly obnoxious that he distracted her from worrying herself to the point of despair. So she supposed he was good for something.
When he came in from taking out the trash, she didn’t acknowledge him. She was busy clearing off the countertops in order to give them a good cleaning.
It wasn’t like this was a social situation, anyway, she thought, feeling unaccountably defensive. They wouldn’t have a thing to do with each other if not for the bizarre situation they found themselves in.
“I’m going to go check on Cameron,” he said.
“That’s probably a good idea.” She set down the bottle of Windex. “So how worried is he?”
“Plenty. It’s completely unlike Derek to just take off without explanation.”
“Crystal would never do that, either.”
“Oh, no?” He lifted one eyebrow. “She left them overnight at Derek’s two weeks ago.”
“That’s different. She missed a flight and she was completely in touch by phone the whole time. Listen, Crystal’s my best friend. I’ve known her since I was Charlie’s age. She’s a good mother, and I’m sure there’s an explanation for whatever’s going on.”
He studied her hard, with a blue-eyed gaze that probed almost insultingly. “Have we met before?”
She went back to cleaning the countertops. “Why do you ask?”
“You seem familiar to me.”
She finished the counter and moved on to the range top. She found plenty of spattered grease to attack there. Crystal had never been the world’s greatest housekeeper. When she was married to Derek, it hadn’t mattered because they employed full-time help. Now Crystal was on her own.
“We were both in their wedding,” she told Sean.
“Oh.” He looked blank.
“Sixteen years ago,” she reminded him. “I was just a kid,” she added. “You wouldn’t remember me.”
He snapped his fingers. “As a matter of fact, I do. I made fun of your glasses and braces. ‘When do train tracks have four eyes?’ Remember? I thought that was so hilarious.”
She scrubbed furiously around a knob. “You were a real charmer.”
“I was a punk,” he said easily. “You should have told me to get lost.”
“I believe I did just that.” Agitated, she moved on to the cabinet faces, spritzing the entire row above the counter. Whenshe came to the end of the row, Maguire stood in the way, leaning back against the counter. He didn’t move, so she spritzed him, too.
“Oops,” she said. “Sorry.”
He caught hold of her wrist and gently took the Windex bottle away from her. “Tell you what, Lily,” he said. “Let’s both go talk to Cameron.”
His touch drew a quick, shocked gasp from Lily. She pulled away and cradled her wrist in her other hand.
“All right,” she said, ducking her head. To her dismay, a hot blush crept up into her cheeks. How stupid was that? He’d barely touched her, and she was acting like a complete Sabine.
She told herself to get a grip, but the fact was, good-looking men intimidated her. She was always convinced they were making fun of
He spied a stray coffee mug on the counter. Its rim bore a half moon of lipstick. Without taking his eyes off her, he opened the dishwasher and stuck it in haphazardly, then shut the machine again, pushing the door with his hip.
“There,” he said. “That’s done.”
“Thank you,” she said faintly.
“I guess I could take out the trash,” he said, gesturing at the overflowing receptacle.
“I believe the cans are in the garage. You’ll want to make sure the lid’s on tight to discourage raccoons.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said with exaggerated courtesy. He picked up the kitchen garbage and headed out the back door. When he turned to close it, he saw Lily Robinson open the dishwasher and carefully put the coffee mug in its proper place.
chapter 10
Friday
9:25 p.m.
I n a way, thought Lily, Sean Maguire was a blessing. He was so incredibly obnoxious that he distracted her from worrying herself to the point of despair. So she supposed he was good for something.
When he came in from taking out the trash, she didn’t acknowledge him. She was busy clearing off the countertops in order to give them a good cleaning.
It wasn’t like this was a social situation, anyway, she thought, feeling unaccountably defensive. They wouldn’t have a thing to do with each other if not for the bizarre situation they found themselves in.
“I’m going to go check on Cameron,” he said.
“That’s probably a good idea.” She set down the bottle of Windex. “So how worried is he?”
“Plenty. It’s completely unlike Derek to just take off without explanation.”
“Crystal would never do that, either.”
“Oh, no?” He lifted one eyebrow. “She left them overnight at Derek’s two weeks ago.”
“That’s different. She missed a flight and she was completely in touch by phone the whole time. Listen, Crystal’s my best friend. I’ve known her since I was Charlie’s age. She’s a good mother, and I’m sure there’s an explanation for whatever’s going on.”
He studied her hard, with a blue-eyed gaze that probed almost insultingly. “Have we met before?”
She went back to cleaning the countertops. “Why do you ask?”
“You seem familiar to me.”
She finished the counter and moved on to the range top. She found plenty of spattered grease to attack there. Crystal had never been the world’s greatest housekeeper. When she was married to Derek, it hadn’t mattered because they employed full-time help. Now Crystal was on her own.
“We were both in their wedding,” she told Sean.
“Oh.” He looked blank.
“Sixteen years ago,” she reminded him. “I was just a kid,” she added. “You wouldn’t remember me.”
He snapped his fingers. “As a matter of fact, I do. I made fun of your glasses and braces. ‘When do train tracks have four eyes?’ Remember? I thought that was so hilarious.”
She scrubbed furiously around a knob. “You were a real charmer.”
“I was a punk,” he said easily. “You should have told me to get lost.”
“I believe I did just that.” Agitated, she moved on to the cabinet faces, spritzing the entire row above the counter. Whenshe came to the end of the row, Maguire stood in the way, leaning back against the counter. He didn’t move, so she spritzed him, too.
“Oops,” she said. “Sorry.”
He caught hold of her wrist and gently took the Windex bottle away from her. “Tell you what, Lily,” he said. “Let’s both go talk to Cameron.”
His touch drew a quick, shocked gasp from Lily. She pulled away and cradled her wrist in her other hand.
“All right,” she said, ducking her head. To her dismay, a hot blush crept up into her cheeks. How stupid was that? He’d barely touched her, and she was acting like a complete Sabine.
She told herself to get a grip, but the fact was, good-looking men intimidated her. She was always convinced they were making fun of
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