was curt.
“It’s weird how he’s always sneaking around.”
“It is,” she agreed carefully. “But maybe he has his reasons.”
Considering I’d found Templeton lurking in strange places like the attic, I wasn’t sure I agreed with her assessment.
“And he does have his good qualities,” Loretta murmured. “He’s brave and heroic.”
I couldn’t disagree with her there. More than once Templeton had come to my rescue, even putting himself in mortal danger to save my life.
Who was I to judge a man who’d never done anything to me? The one person who’d defended me at Alice’s wedding when everyone else was thinking the worst of me. The man who’d prevented Paul Kowalski from raping and murdering me in my childhood bedroom.
Overcome with guilt, I buried my head in my hands.
“You love him, don’t you?” Loretta asked gently.
I jerked my head to look at her like maybe she needed to be sharing a room with my mom, her sister, in the mental institution. “You love him….or at least you’re in love with him.”
“What? I’m not… Where did you ever?” I spluttered. I seriously worried that she’d gone round the bend if she thought I was somehow enamored with, or even fond of, her man.
“It’s okay,” she said softly. “You don’t have to worry. I know Susan wouldn’t approve, so my lips are sealed.” She pantomimed zipping her lips.
“Susan wouldn’t approve?” I leaned forward, trying to spot the madness cloaked behind her false eyelashes. “What about you ?’
She chuckled as though she found that funny. “My dear, I’m certainly not one to pass judgments on affairs of the heart.”
I collapsed back in my chair, too flabbergasted to speak.
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of, dear,” she assured me.
I blinked. “But—”
“Maggie’s from Mars, Loretta’s from Venus,” God remarked in his most bored tone of voice.
“Huh?” I asked eloquently.
“Figure it out,” he taunted.
“I’m not blind. I’ve seen the way you look at him.” Loretta smiled.
“I don’t—” I protested.
Undeterred she continued. “And even though he tries to hide it, I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”
“You have?” The idea of Templeton making puppy dog eyes at me made me feel sick to my stomach.
“But remember what I said about excitement?” Leslie continued, unaware she was coming close to making me barf. “It doesn’t last. While all this sneaking around is fun and exhilarating, it won’t last.”
“I’m not sneaking around.”
She raised an eyebrow that had been drawn on with the precision with a great artist.
“I’m not.”
“Well, then, I guess if you want to get technical, he is. Not that I can blame the poor man for wanting to see you.”
Bile rose in my throat at the thought of Templeton sneaking in to see me. “He sneaks in here?”
“Oh don’t play coy, Maggie. It doesn’t suit you.”
I swallowed hard, fighting the urge to retch.
It was Piss who took pity on me, wending between my legs and purring. “She’s not talking about her man, Sugar. She’s talking about yours.”
Suddenly, I saw everything Loretta said in a different light. I let out a long, shaky breath as the release from stress made me lightheaded. “Thank heavens,” I muttered.
“Fool,” God mocked.
“What’s that squeaking sound?” Loretta asked.
“The lizard,” I replied flatly.
“I do NOT squeak!” he yelled.
“I beg to differ,” the cat responded with a yawn. “You be the tie-breaker, big Dee. Does his holiness of the reptilian persuasion squeak?”
The poor dog, no doubt confused, cocked her head. “Huh?”
“A creature after your own heart,” the lizard informed me smugly. “You must be so proud.”
“Hush, jackass,” the cat hissed, the hair along her back puffing up to illustrate her annoyance.
“He’s going to get caught,” Loretta said.
Since she seemed to know all about Patrick’s visits, it seemed he’d already been
“It’s weird how he’s always sneaking around.”
“It is,” she agreed carefully. “But maybe he has his reasons.”
Considering I’d found Templeton lurking in strange places like the attic, I wasn’t sure I agreed with her assessment.
“And he does have his good qualities,” Loretta murmured. “He’s brave and heroic.”
I couldn’t disagree with her there. More than once Templeton had come to my rescue, even putting himself in mortal danger to save my life.
Who was I to judge a man who’d never done anything to me? The one person who’d defended me at Alice’s wedding when everyone else was thinking the worst of me. The man who’d prevented Paul Kowalski from raping and murdering me in my childhood bedroom.
Overcome with guilt, I buried my head in my hands.
“You love him, don’t you?” Loretta asked gently.
I jerked my head to look at her like maybe she needed to be sharing a room with my mom, her sister, in the mental institution. “You love him….or at least you’re in love with him.”
“What? I’m not… Where did you ever?” I spluttered. I seriously worried that she’d gone round the bend if she thought I was somehow enamored with, or even fond of, her man.
“It’s okay,” she said softly. “You don’t have to worry. I know Susan wouldn’t approve, so my lips are sealed.” She pantomimed zipping her lips.
“Susan wouldn’t approve?” I leaned forward, trying to spot the madness cloaked behind her false eyelashes. “What about you ?’
She chuckled as though she found that funny. “My dear, I’m certainly not one to pass judgments on affairs of the heart.”
I collapsed back in my chair, too flabbergasted to speak.
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of, dear,” she assured me.
I blinked. “But—”
“Maggie’s from Mars, Loretta’s from Venus,” God remarked in his most bored tone of voice.
“Huh?” I asked eloquently.
“Figure it out,” he taunted.
“I’m not blind. I’ve seen the way you look at him.” Loretta smiled.
“I don’t—” I protested.
Undeterred she continued. “And even though he tries to hide it, I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”
“You have?” The idea of Templeton making puppy dog eyes at me made me feel sick to my stomach.
“But remember what I said about excitement?” Leslie continued, unaware she was coming close to making me barf. “It doesn’t last. While all this sneaking around is fun and exhilarating, it won’t last.”
“I’m not sneaking around.”
She raised an eyebrow that had been drawn on with the precision with a great artist.
“I’m not.”
“Well, then, I guess if you want to get technical, he is. Not that I can blame the poor man for wanting to see you.”
Bile rose in my throat at the thought of Templeton sneaking in to see me. “He sneaks in here?”
“Oh don’t play coy, Maggie. It doesn’t suit you.”
I swallowed hard, fighting the urge to retch.
It was Piss who took pity on me, wending between my legs and purring. “She’s not talking about her man, Sugar. She’s talking about yours.”
Suddenly, I saw everything Loretta said in a different light. I let out a long, shaky breath as the release from stress made me lightheaded. “Thank heavens,” I muttered.
“Fool,” God mocked.
“What’s that squeaking sound?” Loretta asked.
“The lizard,” I replied flatly.
“I do NOT squeak!” he yelled.
“I beg to differ,” the cat responded with a yawn. “You be the tie-breaker, big Dee. Does his holiness of the reptilian persuasion squeak?”
The poor dog, no doubt confused, cocked her head. “Huh?”
“A creature after your own heart,” the lizard informed me smugly. “You must be so proud.”
“Hush, jackass,” the cat hissed, the hair along her back puffing up to illustrate her annoyance.
“He’s going to get caught,” Loretta said.
Since she seemed to know all about Patrick’s visits, it seemed he’d already been
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