Taking on Twins by Carolyn Zane Page B

on.”
    â€œOkay, already,” she huffed, exasperated.
    â€œGood night, Em.”
    â€œNight, Wyatt.”
    On autopilot, Wyatt tossed his phone back into the glove box and wove through MaryPat’s older, yet well-maintained, neighborhood toward the downtown area. When he reached Main Street and Summer’s Autumn Antiques, he tapped the brakes and perused the building’s welcoming facade for a moment. Tiny white twinkly lights rimmed the windows and outlined the building. The window display was a page out of yesteryear: warm and colorful antiques mixed with whimsical arts and crafts made by the locals. On the boardwalk, twin benches flanked the front door and a sign over one read Husbands’ Waiting Area.
    Annie really had done well for herself. Built a good life. Far better than his, on an emotional level.
    As he continued slowly down the street in search of a parking spot somewhere near The Faded Rose Inn, thoughts of Annie filled his mind, his senses. Impossibly, their light good-night kiss had left him wanting her far more than he already had. He groaned deep in his throat. Ah, man, he was so screwed up.
    What the hell had he been thinking, promising MaryPat that he wouldn’t bother Annie unless he was serious? How could he be serious about her? He was a big-city boy. Shewas a small-town girl. And now her world included two redheaded moppets and the ghost of that nice local boy she’d married.
    But still, he loved Annie. That much he knew. And until things were set straight between them, he would never find contentment. Damn. Between Annie and Emily, he wasn’t going to sleep a wink tonight. Frustrated and tired, Wyatt found a spot, parked his car, locked it and walked down the empty street toward the hotel.
    So deep in thought was he that, as he mounted the lobby steps, he didn’t see the flicker of a lighter flaring in a phone booth just outside the hotel. Neither did he notice the pungent aroma of cigarette smoke as it caught the evening breeze, nor did he hear the muttered curses as Snake Eyes Pike fumbled his way through a call to Prosperino, California.
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    Removing a solid gold earring as she went, Patsy locked the door to her bedroom suite and rushed to answer the incessant ring of her cell phone. Luckily for her, there was yet another pre-wedding party in full swing out in the courtyard. There were so many blasted relatives and shirttail foster people out there, nobody would even notice that she’d opted not to attend.
    Patsy snatched up the phone and tucked it between her shoulder and ear.
    â€œYes?” she barked. She’d given this number only to Snake Eyes so she knew who it was.
    Patsy wrinkled her delicate nose. She could fairly smell his fetid breath through the line. Sinking to the edge of her bed, she braced herself for more bad news. Trust her rotten luck to pick the only thug in L.A. known as Mr. Screw-up among his dubious peers. “You’d better not be calling me with some limp excu—”
    â€œI found the brat.”
    Patsy froze. She touched her tongue to her lips. “You found Emily?”
    â€œYup. I was right about her heading for Wyoming. Finding her trail was a pain in the—”
    â€œYou found her. That’s all that matters.” Patsy glanced over her shoulder, feeling paranoid. Joe had a way of popping in at the least opportune times these days.
    â€œYeah, I found her, but I’m gonna need some more cash.”
    â€œYou’ll get what you deserve and not a penny more when the job is complete,” Patsy hissed. “When are you going to do it?”
    â€œSoon. I gotta follow her home from work tomorrow and figure out where she lives.”
    A slow smile of satisfaction crept across Patsy’s lips. Soon, at least half of her worries would be over. “Where is she?”
    â€œWire me some money and I’ll tell you.”
    Patsy’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t like to be jacked