that there was a chance I could find her alive, so instead I insisted, “I need to know.”
Patrick stared somberly. When he spoke, I knew he was weighing his words carefully. “I’ve seen what this kind of thing can do to people. They get obsessed with a loved one’s death and forget to live themselves. I wouldn’t want that to happen to you, Mags.”
“I appreciate the warning, but this is important to me.”
“Why?”
I shrugged, unable to tell him about the message Gypsy had conveyed.
“Is this about Marlene?”
“It could be,” I said agreeably, hoping he’d latch onto that and stop trying to figure out my true motivation.
Pulling a roll of LifeSavers out of the front pocket of his jeans, he silently offered me a mint.
I declined with a shake of my head.
Taking one from the roll, he popped it into his mouth. He crunched on it, the cracking sound echoing the silence.
“Okay,” he said when he was done chewing. “I’ll see what I can come up with, but I want it on the record that I don’t think this is your best idea.”
“Thank you!” I threw myself at him, looping my arms around his neck, and pulling his head down so that I could plant a grateful kiss on his cheek. “Thank you.”
Wrapping his arms around me, he pulled me close and murmured into my hair. “As much as I’m enjoying this display of gratitude, I think I’d appreciate it more if you’d put on some clothes before we end up doing something we’d regret.”
“Uh… okay.” I pulled away, an embarrassed flush warming my skin as I realized I’d thrown my half-naked self at him.
“A grown woman who blushes,” he murmured. “Is it any wonder you drive me crazy, Maggie Lee?”
“Just get dressed,” God shrieked. “Enough of this will you or won’t you? You both know you won’t… at least not now… or today… or if there’s any justice in the world… EVER .”
With God’s rant ringing in my ears, I rushed back into the bathroom and dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, perfect dog catching wear. When I emerged, Patrick was sitting on the couch, staring at the lizard’s enclosure.
“You got him a new cage.”
“Home, you imbecile!” God shrieked. “It’s my home. My domicile. The place I rest my weary head.”
“I don’t think he likes it,” Patrick said. “He looks kind of agitated.”
I didn’t dare answer him for fear of setting God off on another diatribe.
“Where’s the dog?” Patrick asked.
“Missing.”
Patrick sat up straight, alarmed. “Missing?”
“ She lost her,” God provided helpfully, despite the fact the man couldn’t understand him.
Ignoring the lizard, I said, “That’s why I was so upset last night. She ran away.”
“She ran away?”
“Are you sure he’s a man and not a parrot?” God mocked. “He’s repeating everything you’re saying.”
“Yes. She ran away and I couldn’t find her.”
“I can go look for her,” Patrick offered, leaping to his feet and heading for the door. “Where’s the last place you saw her?”
“The hospital,” I said sheepishly.
Stopping, he turned back to face me. “What was she doing at the hospital?”
“I took her there.”
“You brought a dog to a hospital?” He frowned at me. “Why?”
“I was short on time. I told her she should stay right where she was and I wouldn’t be long, but then I ran into Delveccio and then I tackled Bob…”
He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “You told her to stay and you wouldn’t be long?”
I nodded. “Very specifically.”
“But she’s a dog .”
“Exactly my sentiments,” God piped up from where he lounged on a piece of driftwood in his enclosure.
Shaking his head, Patrick turned to leave, then turned back. “What do you mean you tackled Bob? You do mean your aunt’s boyfriend, Bob, right?”
I shrugged, tugging nervously at the hem of my T-shirt. “I thought he was hurting Katie.”
“So you tackled a grown man… and you wonder why I
Patrick stared somberly. When he spoke, I knew he was weighing his words carefully. “I’ve seen what this kind of thing can do to people. They get obsessed with a loved one’s death and forget to live themselves. I wouldn’t want that to happen to you, Mags.”
“I appreciate the warning, but this is important to me.”
“Why?”
I shrugged, unable to tell him about the message Gypsy had conveyed.
“Is this about Marlene?”
“It could be,” I said agreeably, hoping he’d latch onto that and stop trying to figure out my true motivation.
Pulling a roll of LifeSavers out of the front pocket of his jeans, he silently offered me a mint.
I declined with a shake of my head.
Taking one from the roll, he popped it into his mouth. He crunched on it, the cracking sound echoing the silence.
“Okay,” he said when he was done chewing. “I’ll see what I can come up with, but I want it on the record that I don’t think this is your best idea.”
“Thank you!” I threw myself at him, looping my arms around his neck, and pulling his head down so that I could plant a grateful kiss on his cheek. “Thank you.”
Wrapping his arms around me, he pulled me close and murmured into my hair. “As much as I’m enjoying this display of gratitude, I think I’d appreciate it more if you’d put on some clothes before we end up doing something we’d regret.”
“Uh… okay.” I pulled away, an embarrassed flush warming my skin as I realized I’d thrown my half-naked self at him.
“A grown woman who blushes,” he murmured. “Is it any wonder you drive me crazy, Maggie Lee?”
“Just get dressed,” God shrieked. “Enough of this will you or won’t you? You both know you won’t… at least not now… or today… or if there’s any justice in the world… EVER .”
With God’s rant ringing in my ears, I rushed back into the bathroom and dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, perfect dog catching wear. When I emerged, Patrick was sitting on the couch, staring at the lizard’s enclosure.
“You got him a new cage.”
“Home, you imbecile!” God shrieked. “It’s my home. My domicile. The place I rest my weary head.”
“I don’t think he likes it,” Patrick said. “He looks kind of agitated.”
I didn’t dare answer him for fear of setting God off on another diatribe.
“Where’s the dog?” Patrick asked.
“Missing.”
Patrick sat up straight, alarmed. “Missing?”
“ She lost her,” God provided helpfully, despite the fact the man couldn’t understand him.
Ignoring the lizard, I said, “That’s why I was so upset last night. She ran away.”
“She ran away?”
“Are you sure he’s a man and not a parrot?” God mocked. “He’s repeating everything you’re saying.”
“Yes. She ran away and I couldn’t find her.”
“I can go look for her,” Patrick offered, leaping to his feet and heading for the door. “Where’s the last place you saw her?”
“The hospital,” I said sheepishly.
Stopping, he turned back to face me. “What was she doing at the hospital?”
“I took her there.”
“You brought a dog to a hospital?” He frowned at me. “Why?”
“I was short on time. I told her she should stay right where she was and I wouldn’t be long, but then I ran into Delveccio and then I tackled Bob…”
He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “You told her to stay and you wouldn’t be long?”
I nodded. “Very specifically.”
“But she’s a dog .”
“Exactly my sentiments,” God piped up from where he lounged on a piece of driftwood in his enclosure.
Shaking his head, Patrick turned to leave, then turned back. “What do you mean you tackled Bob? You do mean your aunt’s boyfriend, Bob, right?”
I shrugged, tugging nervously at the hem of my T-shirt. “I thought he was hurting Katie.”
“So you tackled a grown man… and you wonder why I
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