Backcast by Ann McMan Page B

Viv.”
    â€œLadies. Really?” Shawn held up a hand. “You two make Samuel L. Jackson sound like the Singing Nun.”
    They both glowered at her. An implied “fuck you” hung in the air.
    Shawn tried again. “How about we take a break?”
    Viv tapped her pen against the notepad. “Fifteen minutes?”
    Shawn glanced toward Kate and the dogs again. “How about thirty?”
    Towanda laughed. “A half-hour for a nooner? You two must work fast.”
    Shawn blushed.
    Viv rolled her eyes. “Fine. We meet back here in half an hour.”
    â€œWho made you the fucking cruise director, O’Reilly?”
    â€œSomebody has to be in charge.” Viv waved a dismissive hand. “You’re plainly incompetent, and Shawn is only able to concentrate on her—nether bits.”
    â€œNether bits?” Towanda stole a glance at Shawn’s lap.
    Shawn noticed and crossed her legs.
    Towanda looked back at Viv. “It’s good to see that you’re still a master wordsmith.”
    â€œSorry.” Viv smiled sweetly at her. “I’d have said ‘cunt,’ but I didn’t want you to accuse me of plagiarism.”
    â€œOkay.” Shawn stood up. “I’m outta here. See you all in half an hour.”

    â€œWait up.”
    Kate slowed down so Shawn could catch up with her.
    Patrick and Allie danced around Shawn’s feet for a minute or two before taking off to chase some geese that had the temerity to risk landing on a wide field adjacent to the inn’s lawn.
    â€œThey look really happy,” Shawn commented.
    Kate agreed. “I know Patrick is. He doesn’t get many opportunities to be off leash like this.”
    â€œWe were lucky that Barb picked a place that’s dog friendly.”
    â€œI think we’d have gotten a dispensation, anyway. Her cousin is the innkeeper.”
    Shawn was surprised. “Page Archer is Barb’s cousin?”
    â€œYep.”
    â€œSmall world. I wondered why she didn’t pick a place that was more centrally located.”
    â€œI’m glad she didn’t.” Kate took hold of Shawn’s arm. “This place is like heaven.”
    Shawn smiled at her. “It is pretty nice.”
    â€œYou’re hardly objective. I think you’d say that even if we were shacked up at a hot-sheet hotel in Poughkeepsie.”
    â€œThat does sound rather charming.”
    Kate rolled her eyes.
    â€œSo sue me. I like spending time with you.”
    â€œGoofball.”
    â€œDon’t you?”
    â€œDon’t I what?”
    â€œDon’t you like spending time with me?”
    Kate gave her an ironic look. “You have to ask me that after last night?”
    â€œWell.”
    â€œI could hardly walk straight this morning.”
    â€œHey, that part wasn’t my fault. You were the one who got into the acrobatics.”
    â€œOnly because I accidentally kicked Allie in the nose, and she flew off the bed like she was being chased by aliens.”
    â€œCan you blame her? I’m sure that scared the crap outta her.”
    â€œIt scared the crap outta me . Why do you let her up on the bed, anyway?”
    Shawn shrugged. “I don’t. She just kinda sneaks up there.”
    â€œSneaks?”
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œA seventy-five pound dog cannot ‘sneak’ onto a bed.”
    â€œShe can if it’s one of those very good plush tops, with pocketed coils and edge protection.”
    Kate looked at her.
    â€œOne of the characters in my new book sells mattresses.”
    â€œHow do you come up with these ideas?”
    â€œI like to write about real people.”
    â€œRight. Like chicken sexers.”
    â€œThey’re real people.”
    â€œIn what universe?”
    â€œIn any universe.” Shawn was starting to feel offended. “Why are you always such an elitist?”
    â€œI am not an elitist.”
    Shawn stopped walking. “Kate.