Текст книги "Truly Madly Yours "

Автор книги: Рэйчел Гибсон

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Текущая страница: 15 (всего у книги 18 страниц)

The inside of the house was just as impressive as the outside. Lots of exposed beams, muted colors, and natural fibers. Delaney stood in front of a wall of windows and looked outside onto the deck. It was still snowing, and the white flakes accumulated on the rail and landed in the Jacuzzi. Nick had taken her coat, and with the ceiling so high and the rooms so open, she was surprised she wasnt cold.

“What do you think?

She turned and watched him approach her from the kitchen. Hed taken off his jacket and his shoes. One more black stud had been removed from his pleated white shirt, and hed rolled the sleeves up his forearms. The black suspenders lay flat against his wide chest. He handed her a Budweiser, then took a drink from his own. His eyes watched her over the bottle, and she got the feeling he cared about her answer more than he wanted her to know.

“Its beautiful, but huge. Do you live here alone?

He lowered the beer. “Of course. Who else?

“Oh, I dont know. Maybe a family of five. She glanced up at the balcony which she presumed lead to those four bedrooms hed mentioned. “Are you planning for a large family with lots of children someday?

“I dont plan to get married.

His answer pleased her, but she didnt understand why. It wasnt like she cared if he wanted to spend his life with another woman, or kiss her, or make love to her, or overwhelm her with his touch.

“No kids, either .. . unless youre pregnant. He glanced at her stomach as if he could tell by looking. “When will you know for sure?

“I already know Im not.

“I hope youre right. He moved to the window and looked out into the night. “I know single women are getting pregnant on purpose these days. Being illegitimate doesnt have the stigma it used to have, but that doesnt make it easy. I know what its like to grow up like that. I dont want to do that to some poor kid.

The Y of his suspenders lay against his back and up over his big shoulders. She remembered the times shed seen his mother and Josu sitting in the gymnasium watching school plays and holiday programs. Henry and Gwen would have been there, too, somewhere. Shed never thought about what that must have been like for Nick. She set her bottle on a cherrywood coffee table and moved to him.

“Youre not like Henry. You wouldnt deny your own child. She wanted to slide her hands around his waist to his flat stomach and press her cheek against his spine, but she held back.

“Henrys probably spinning in his grave.

“Hes probably congratulating himself.

“Why? He didnt want us to– Her eyes widened. “Oh, no, Nick. I forgot about the will. I guess you forgot, too.

He turned to face her. “For a few crucial moments, it did slip my mind.

She looked into his eyes. He didnt appear all that upset. “I wont tell anyone. I dont want that property. I promise.

“Thats up to you. He brushed a stray piece of hair from her face and softly traced her ear with his fingertips. Then he took her hand and led her upstairs to his bedroom.

As they moved up the steps, she thought about Henrys will and the repercussions of tonight. Nick didnt strike her as the type of man who let anything slip his mind, especially not his multimillion dollar inheritance. He had to care for her as much as she feared she was beginning to care for him. He risked a lot to be with her, while she risked nothing but a little self-respect. And actually, when she thought of it, she didnt feel dirty or used or regret anything. Not now—maybe she would in the morning.

Delaney stepped into a room with thick beige carpet and a set of closed French doors leading to an upper deck. There was a huge hardwood mission bed with pillows and comforters of striped sage green and beige. Keys were thrown on one dresser, and a newspaper lay unopened on the other. There wasnt a flower printed on anything, no spots of lace or strings of fringe in sight. Not even on the bolsters. It was a mans room. Elk antlers hung above the rock mantel. The bed was unmade, and a pair of Levis was thrown over a chair.

As he set their beer bottles on a nightstand, Delaney raised her hands to the black studs and worked them free until the shirt lay open to his waist. “Its time I got to see you naked, she said, then slid her palms up his warm skin. Her fingers combed through the fine hair growing in a dark line up his belly and across his chest. She pushed the white cotton and suspenders from his shoulders and down his arms.

He balled the shirt in one hand and tossed it to the floor. She ran her gaze over his taut skin, powerful chest, and flat brown nipples surrounded by dark hair. She swallowed and thought maybe she should check for drool. Only one word came to mind. “Wow, she said and pressed her hand against his flat stomach. She ran her palm up his ribs and looked into his gray eyes. He watched her from beneath lowered lids as she stripped him to his BVDs. He was beautiful. His legs were long and thick with muscles. Her fingers traced the tattoo circling his biceps. She touched his chest and shoulders, and slid her hands over his back and rounded behind. When her examination moved south, he grabbed her wrist and took over. He slowly undressed her, then laid her on soft flannel sheets. His warm skin pressed the length of hers, and he took his time making love to her.

His touch was different from before. His hands lingered over her body, and he seduced her with stirring languid kisses. He teased her breasts with his hot mouth and slick tongue, and when he entered her, his thrusts were slow and controlled. He held her face between his palms and his gaze locked with hers, holding himself back as he drove her wild.

She felt herself propelled toward orgasm, and her eyes drifted shut.

“Open your eyes, he said, his voice husky. “Look at me. I want you to see my face when I make you come.

Her lids opened and she looked into his intense gaze. Something bothered her about his request, but she didnt have time to think about it before he thrust harder, deeper, and she wrapped one leg around his behind and forgot about everything but the hot tingles building with steady pressure in her body.

It wasnt until just before dawn the next morning as he kissed her good-bye at her door, that she thought about it again. As she watched him drive away, she remembered the look in his eyes as hed held her face between his palms. It was if he were watching her from a distance, yet at the same time wanting her to know it was Nick Allegrezza who held her and kissed her and drove her wild.

He made love to her in his bed and later in the Jacuzzi, but neither time had been like that hurried, hungry mating in the linen closet when hed touched her with an urgency and need he hadnt been able to control. Shed never felt so wanted as she had smashed against his chest in the Lake Shore Hotel. “ I have to have you – now , hed said, as desperate for her as shed been for him. His touch had been needy and greedy, and she craved it more than the slow lingering caresses.

Delaney shut her apartment door behind her and unbuttoned her coat. They hadnt talked of seeing each other again. He hadnt said hed call her, and even though she knew it was probably for the best, disappointment tugged at her heart. Nick was the kind of guy a girl couldnt depend on for anything but great sex, and it was best not to even think about things like next time. Best but impossible.

The sun rose over dense jagged pine, topped with snow. Silvery rays spread across the partially frozen lake to the bottom of Nicks retaining wall. He stood behind the French doors in his bedroom and watched brilliant light stretch across his deck, chasing away dusky shadows. The snow sparkled like it was embedded with tiny diamonds, so bright he was forced to turn away. His gaze fell on his bed, the sheets and comforter shoved to the very end.

Now he knew. Now he knew what it was like to hold her and touch her as hed always wanted. Now he knew what it was like to live out his oldest fantasy, to have Delaney in his bed, looking into his eyes with him buried deep inside her. Her wanting him. Him pleasing her.

Nick had been with his share of women. Maybe more than some men, but less than hed been given credit for. Hed been with women who liked their sex slow or fast, raunchy or strictly missionary. Women who thought he should do most of the work, and those whod gone overboard to please him. Some of the women hed shared friendships with, others hed never seen again. Most had known what to do with their mouths and hands, a few were just drunken episodes hed mostly forgotten, but none of them had made him lose control. Not until Delaney.

Once hed pulled her into that closet, thered been no turning back. Once shed kissed him like she wanted to eat him alive, hooking her leg over his hip and grinding against his hard-on, nothing had mattered but losing himself in her hot slick body—not Henrys will, and certainly not the chance of discovery by a hotel employee. Nothing had mattered but possessing her. Then he did and the feeling nearly sent him to his knees. It shook him to the core, changing everything he thought he knew about sex. Sex was sometimes slow and easy, other times fast and sweaty, but never like with Delaney. Never had it slammed into him like a hot fist.

Now he knew, and he wished he didnt. It ate a hole in his gut and made him hate her as much as he wanted to hold her close and never let her leave him. But she would leave. She would leave Truly, blowing out of town in her little yellow car.

Now he knew, and it was hell.

Chapter Fifteen

Delaney combed her fingers through the back of Lannas damp hair and eyed her critically in the salon mirror. “What about if we cut it to here? she asked, moving her hands to about ear level. “You have a short enough jaw line that youd look really good in a short bob. I could bevel the back and you could flip it up.

Lanna tilted her head to one side and studied her reflection. “What about bangs?

“Your forehead is wide so you really dont need bangs.

Lanna took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Go for it.

Delaney reached for her comb. “You dont have to act like Im going to be drilling on your teeth.

“I havent had short hair since fourth grade. Lanna slid her hand from beneath the silver cape and scratched her chin. “I dont think Lonnas ever had hers short.

Delaney sectioned Lannas hair, then clipped it. “Really? She picked up her scissors. “Is your sister still seeing Nick Allegrezza? she asked as if she had no more than a passing interest.

“Yeah. She sees him off and on.

“Oh. Delaney hadnt seen him in over two weeks, not since the night of Lisas wedding. Well, shed seen him. Shed seen him across a crowded room at a Downtown Business Association meeting, and shed seen him as shed slid through a stop sign at the intersection of Main and First, nearly broadsiding his Jeep with Henrys big Cadillac. Shed managed to hook a right, he a left. That same evening he left a message on her answering machine: “Get some damn snowtires, he said, then hung up. She hadnt seen him again until yesterday when he and Sophie had walked out the back door of his office as shed been throwing trash in the Dumpster. Hed stopped by the drivers side of his Jeep and looked at her, his eyes hot, touching her everywhere. And shed stood there, the waste basket in her arms forgotten, stunned by the emotion twisting her stomach. “Uncle Nick, Sophie had called to him, but he hadnt answered. He hadnt said anything. “Lets go, Uncle Nick. He glanced over his shoulder at his niece, then back to Delaney.

“I see you still dont have snowtires.

“Ah . . . no. She stared into his eyes and felt her head get light and her stomach fuzzy.

“Come on, Uncle Nick.

“Okay Sophie, hed said, his gaze moving over her one last time before hed turned away.

“I dont think Lonna has seen Nick for a few weeks, Lanna said, breaking into Delaneys thoughts. “At least I dont think hes called and wanted her to meet him somewhere. She would have told me if he had.

Delaney cut a line along the nape of Lannas neck. “Do you two have that twin connection going on and tell each other everything?

“We dont tell each other everything . We do talk about the men we sleep with though. But shes more promiscuous and has more interesting stories. She and Gail used to sit around and swap stories about Nick. Of course that was back when Gail still thought she had a chance of becoming Mrs. Allegrezza.

Delaney reached for a duck clip and slowly combed out a section of hair. “She doesnt think that anymore?

“Not so much now, and she was so sure hed move her in, but he never even invited her to spend the night.

He hadnt invited Delaney, either. At the time, shed had no intention of actually spending the night with Nick. She knew how bad she looked every morning, and shed had no intention of waking up with someone she suspected got out of bed looking like a cover model. But she didnt want to be just another of his women , either. Shed let herself think that maybe she was special since he risked losing his Angel Beach and Silver Creek property to be with her. She remembered something else Lanna had told her once, too. Nick didnt take women home with him, but hed taken her. Shed hoped maybe shed been different from the others, but he hadnt even given her a call, so she guessed she wasnt.

“Are you going to be in the Christmas fashion show? Delaney asked her client. She just didnt want to talk about Nick anymore.

“No, but Im going to help the microbrewery build their ice sculpture for the Winter Festival.

The subject of Nick was dropped, and they talked about where each of them had spent Thanksgiving. Delaney had gone to her mothers, of course. Max had been there, and it was the first completely relaxed holiday she could remember. Well, almost completely relaxed. Her mother did try to drill her about the Christmas fashion show. Shed wanted to know what Delaney planned, starting with hair clips and ending with the style of shoes. Gwen recommended pumps. Delaney horrified her mother by mentioning hip boots even though she didnt own a pair. Gwen suggested a “nice Anne Klein suit. Delaney thought she might wear a “nice plastic cat suit, which she did own but had outgrown since shed been stuck in Truly. Max had stepped in and proposed he carve the turkey.

When Delaney was finished, Lanna liked her new cut so much she tipped her ten bucks. In Truly, that was a rare compliment. Once the salon was empty again, she swept up hair and checked her appointment book. She had a little less than an hour before her three-thirty cut and blow-dry. The appointment was with her second male client since shed opened the salon, and she was a little apprehensive. Some men tended to think since shed spent half an hour running her fingers through their hair, shed naturally want to go for a drink at Motel 6 afterward. She never knew which client would interpret her job as a sexual advance. Marital status was never a factor. It was weird, but wasnt uncommon.

While she waited, she counted products in the storeroom, telling herself she wasnt listening for the sound of a certain black Jeep, but she was.

She counted shampoo towels and wrote out an order for several dozen more. She needed more finger waving solution, thanks to Wannetta, and just as she finished checking her inventory, the muted crunch of gravel reached her from the back lot. She stilled and listened until she heard it again. Before she could think about it, she grabbed a small trash can and slowly opened the back door.

Sophie stood by the front of the silver Cadillac, raising the windshield wiper with one hand. In the other she held a white envelope. She slid the envelope under the wiper blade, and Delaney didnt have to see the typewritten note to know what it said.

“Its you.

Sophie spun around, her eyes huge, and lifted a hand to the chest of her blue parka. Her mouth fell open, then snapped shut. She looked as stunned as Delaney felt. Delaney didnt know whether to thank her for not being a psycho stalker or scream at her for being a brat.

“I was just. . .just... she stammered as she grabbed the envelope and shoved it in her pocket.

“I know what you were just doing. You were leaving me another warning.

Sophie crossed her arms over her chest. She tried to look tough, but her face was only a few shades darker than the snow at her feet.

“Maybe I should go call your father.

“Hes on his honeymoon, she said instead of denying anything.

“Not forever. Ill wait until he gets back.

“Go ahead. He wont believe you. Hes only nice to you because of Lisa.

“Your Uncle Nick will believe me. He knows about the other two notes.

Her arms fell to her sides. “You told him? she cried as if Delaney was the person whod done something wrong.

“Yep, and hell believe me. She conveyed a certainty she didnt at all feel. “Hes not going to like it when I tell him youre the one leaving the threatening notes.

Sophie shook her head. “You cant tell him.

“Tell me why youve been sneaking around trying to scare me, and I might not call Nick.

Sophie stared at her for few long moments then took several steps backward. “Go ahead and call him then. Ill just deny it.

Delaney watched the girl disappear from the parking lot, then she turned and entered her salon. She couldnt let Sophie get away with what shed done, but the problem was, she didnt know what to do about it. She had no experience with children, and she didnt want to drop something like this on Lisa when she arrived back from her honeymoon. Also, she suspected Lisa might have her own problems with Sophie, and she didnt want to add to them. That left Nick. She wondered if hed believe her.

She was still wondering the next afternoon when Sophie walked into the salon at three-thirty. Delaney looked up from Mrs. Stokesberrys wig and spotted the girl hovering near the front door. She’d clipped the sides of her thick hair into flower barrettes, and her dark eyes were huge in her small face. She looked like a scared little girl in a big puffy coat. “I’ll be with you in a minute,” she called to her, then turned her attention to her client. She fit the white wig on the older woman, then handed her a black helmet of hair stuck on a Styrofoam head. She gave Mrs. Stokesberry her senior citizen discount, then helped her out the door.

Delaney turned her attention to Sophie and waited for the girl to speak. After a moment of hesitation Sophie said, “You didnt call Uncle Nick last night.

“Maybe I did and you just dont know yet.

“You didnt because Im staying with him until Dad and Lisa get back.

“Youre right. I didnt call him.

“Have you talked to him today?

“No.

“When are you going to?

“I dont know yet.

A deep furrow settled between her brows. “Are you trying to torture me?

Delaney hadnt thought about the agony the thirteen-year-old must be going through waiting for the bomb to drop. “Yes. She smiled. “Youre never going to know when or where Im going to say something.

“Okay, you win. I wanted to scare you so youd leave town. Sophie folded her arms over her chest and looked at a point somewhere behind Delaneys head. “Sorry.

She didnt sound sorry. “Whyd you do it?

“Because then my uncle would get everything that you always took from him. His father gave you everything and he had to wear holey jeans and T-shirts.

Delaney didnt remember Nick wearing anything holey. “I was Henrys stepdaughter, do you think I should have gone naked because my mother married Nicks father? Do you really think what Nick wore was my fault?

“Well, if your mother hadnt married Henry then—

“Then he would have become a great dad? Delaney interrupted. “He would have loved Nick and bought him anything he wanted? Married your grandmother? She could see by the look on Sophies face that was exactly what she thought. “It wouldnt have happened. Nick was ten when I moved to Truly, and in those ten years his father never acknowledged him. Never said one nice word.

“He might have.

“Yes, and monkeys might have flown out his butt, but the chances werent good. She shook her head. “Take off your coat and come on back, she ordered. She didnt think she could look at Sophies split ends for another minute.

“Why?

“Im going to wash your hair.

“I washed it this morning before school.

“Im also going to trim those dead ends for you. Delaney stopped by the sink and stared toward the front of the salon. Sophie hadnt budged. “Im still not sure I shouldnt call Nick and tell him about the notes youve been leaving.

With her scowl back in place, the girl shrugged out of her coat and walked to the back. “I dont want my hair cut. I like it long.

“Itll still be long. It just wont look like a frayed rope. Delaney used a mild shampoo and conditioner, then moved the girl to the salon chair. She combed and clipped, and if all that glorious dark hair had been attached to another head besides the girl frowning at her through the mirror, she might have been in stylist heaven. “You might not believe this, but your Uncle Nick doesnt want what Henry left me in his will. And I certainly dont want what he got.

“Then why are you always hanging around him, dancing and kissing and making him take you home when you get sick? I know all about the will, and I saw you staring at him. Grandma has seen it, too. You want him to be your boyfriend.

Had she really looked at him in that way? “Nick and I are friends, she said, as she sniped two inches of dried split hair. But were they? She didnt know how she really felt about him and was afraid of what he might feel for her. Afraid he might feel nothing one way or the other. “Dont you have boys who are just friends?

“A few, but thats different.

They both fell silent and Delaney thought about Nick and what she felt about him. Jealousy for sure. The thought of him with another woman made her stomach knot. Anxious, wondering when she might see him again, and disappointment at knowing it was probably best if she didnt.

She let down the remainder of Sophies hair and slightly beveled the ends so it would curl under easily at her shoulders. She grabbed a big round brush and blew it dry. Mostly Delaney felt confused.

“Why are you being nice?

“How do you know I am? You havent seen the back of your hair yet. She gave Sophie a hand mirror and spun her around.

Relief flooded the girls eyes when she saw her hair hadnt been butchered. “I dont have money to pay you.

“I dont want your money. Delaney removed the cape and neck strip and lowered the chair. “When someone asks you where you got your hair cut, you tell them at the Cutting Edge, but if you go home and start washing your beautiful hair with something harsh and it starts looking like hell again, you tell everyone you got it cut at Helens Hair Hut. She thought she detected a slight smile but wasnt quite sure. “No more notes, and Ill accept your apology when you really mean it.

Stone-faced, Sophie studied her reflection. Her eyes met Delaneys, then she walked to the front of the salon and grabbed her coat. After she walked out the door, Delaney watched her move down the sidewalk. Sophie waited half a block before she ran her fingers through her hair and tossed her head. Delaney smiled. She recognized the signs of a pleased customer.

She turned from the window and wondered what Sophies family would think.

The next morning she found out as she decorated her salon for the Christmas season. Nick walked into the front door of her salon wearing his leather jacket and platinum Oakleys. Delaney had just started coffee brewing and was preparing for her nine-thirty appointment. She had a half an hour before Wannetta Van Damme teetered in for her monthly finger wave.

“Sophie told me you cut her hair.

Delaney set a roll of clear tape and a string of green garland on her styling station counter. Her heart hitched a beat and she placed a hand on her stomach. “Yes, I did.

He reached for his sunglasses and slid his gaze down her black turtleneck and short kilt skirt to her black riding boots. “How much do I owe you? he asked as he shoved his Oakleys in his jacket pocket and pulled out a checkbook.

“Nothing. He raised his gaze to hers once again, and she lowered hers to the middle of his chest. She couldnt look in his eyes and think at the same time. “I cut hair sometimes just for promotion. She turned to her station and straightened a jar of sanitized combs. She heard his footsteps behind her but kept her attention on her work.

“She also told me shes the one who left those threatening notes.

Delaney looked up into his reflection in the mirror as he moved toward her. He unzipped his jacket, and beneath it, he wore a blue flannel shirt tucked into his Levis and a leather woven belt. “Im surprised she told you.

“After you cut her hair, she started feeling so guilty she broke down and confessed last night. He stopped directly behind her. “I dont think she should be rewarded with a free hair cut.

“I didnt see it as ... a .. . She locked at him through the glass and forgot what shed been about to say. He was so bad for her mental health. He was so close, if she leaned back just a little, she could press herself into his big chest.

“You didnt see it as what?

The smell of crisp morning air clung to him. She took a deep breath, pulling the scent of him deep into her lungs.

“Delaney?

“Hmm? Then she did lean back, her shoulders into his chest, her behind pressed into his groin. He was solid and fully aroused. He brought one hand around to her stomach and he drew her tight against him. Delaney followed his gaze to his long fingers splayed wide across her abdomen. His thumb brushed the underside of her right breast.

“When is your first appointment this morning? he asked close to her ear. He pushed the edge of her turtleneck and kissed the side of her throat.

Her eyes drifted closed, and she tilted her head to one side to give him better access. He cared about her. He had to. “In about twenty minutes.

“I could give us what we both need in fifteen. His fingers brushed her sensitive flesh through the cotton of her shirt.

She was falling in love with him. She could feel it happen like a fierce undertow, pulling at her, sweeping her feet from beneath her, and there was nothing she could do about it except maybe save herself a little pain. She looked into his stunning face and said, “I dont want to be just another of your women, Nick. I want more.

He raised his gaze to hers. “What do you want?

“While Im here, I want to be the only woman youre with. Just me. She paused and took a deep breath. “I want you to make love only to me. I want you to get rid of your other women.

His hand stilled and he studied her for several long moments. “You want me to get rid of all the women Im supposed to be screwing to make some sort of commitment to you for what... six months?

“Yes.

“What do I get in return?

Shed been afraid hed ask that question. There was only one answer she could give him, and she was aware he might not think it enough. “Me.

“For six months.

“Yes.

“Why should I?

“Because I want to make love with you, but I dont want to share you with anyone.

“You say the word love a lot. He straightened and dropped his hand from her abdomen. “Do you love me?

She was scared as hell she did and afraid of what it meant. “No.

“Good, because I dont love you. He took a step back and zipped his jacket. “You know what they say about me, wild thing. I cant be faithful to one woman, and you havent said anything that would make me want to try. He took a few more steps backward. “If you want hot, sweaty sex, you know where to find me. If you want someone to beg for crumbs at your table for a few months, find someone else.

She didnt want him to beg for anything and didnt really know what he meant, only that she wasnt enough for him. After he left Delaney wanted nothing more than to curl up in a tight ball and cry. Maybe she should have taken those fifteen minutes he offered, but she was more selfish than that. She didnt share. Not men, and especially not Nick. She wanted him all to herself. Unfortunately, he didnt feel the same. Because of the risk hed taken to be with her, shed been so sure he cared. She guessed not.

Now she didnt have to think about what loving Nick meant. She didnt have to consider the repercussions or what to do about them. All she had to do was get through the next six months.

Chapter Sixteen

The holiday parade kicked off the Truly Winter Festival and started a scandal that would last for decades when the man chosen to play Santa, Marty Wheeler, got so wasted he took a header out of the sleigh and knocked himself unconscious. Marty was short, as stocky as a pug dog, and as hairy as a primate. He overhauled engines at the Chevron on Sixth and was an instructor at the kung fu dojo—a real mans man. The fact that Marty got tanked before and during the parade shocked no one. His choice of underwear, however, left the crowd speechless. When the paramedics opened his Santa suit and revealed his bright pink merry widow, everyone was stunned. Everyone but Wannetta Van Damme, whod always figured the forty-three-year-old bachelor was “a mite queer.

Delaney was almost sorry shed missed seeing Marty in his underwear, but shed been busy at the Grange hall decorating for the fashion show. She helped decorate the stage with silver stars and tinsel and the runway with pine boughs and Christmas lights. Backstage, she set up lighted mirrors and chairs. She brought gel and mousse, big cans of hair spray and little sprigs of holly. She figured the people of Truly werent ready for anything as extreme as style show hair. No rose bushes or birds nests for these ladies. She brought pictures of braids and twists and ponytails she could arrange in ten to fifteen minutes per head.

The show was set to start at seven, and by six-thirty, Delaney was deep into her work. She braided hair into ropes and knots, turned them inside out and upside down. She twisted and tucked and rolled and listened to the latest dish, secretly relieved Marty had taken her place on the menu.

“One of the nurses at the hospital told Patsy Thomason who told me that Marty had on one of those lace thongs, too, the mayors wife, Lillie Tanasee, informed Delaney as she braided a coronet in the womans auburn hair. Lillie had decked herself and her young daughter out in matching red and green taffeta. “Patsy said the merry widow and panties were from Victorias Secret. Can you imagine anything so tawdry?