Read Online Actions Speak Louder by Rosemarie Naramore - Free Book Online
Authors: Rosemarie Naramore
Ads: Link
her efforts toward a reconciliation.
Was he open to that possibility? Had he even entertained the thought in the past six months? Well, maybe. But over the last few days? Nope.
Why?
And then it hit him. He hadn’t given Gwen any kind of focused thought since he’d met Marcia. Of course, he’d only just met his neighbor but…
He laughed suddenly, remembering Marcia’s advice to the girl, Collette. Her sidekick talk was interesting, but was it sound advice? he wondered.
He decided to ignore the other messages on the machine. He’d check them in the morning. It was probably Gwen anyway, leaving repeated messages in hopes that he would finally raise the white flag and come crawling back.
His thoughts went back to Marcia’s sidekick advice yet again. When he’d first met Gwen, had she been the sidekick or the center attraction? He let out a sigh. Stupid question. She was stunning, with platinum blond hair that fell in a smooth cascade down her back. She had a natural golden tone to her complexion, and always wore clothing designed to accentuate her smooth shoulders and exquisite curves. Naw, Gwen wasn’t anybody’s sidekick.
He searched his memory, remembering the girl who had been her closest friend, and to put her in Marcia’s terms, Gwen’s sidekick. The girl was brunette, subtlety pretty, but… He shook his head. She wasn’t a very nice girl, if he remembered correctly.
Hmmm. Maybe the sidekick advice only really applied to guys and not to girls. Could be , he mused, as he drifted off to sleep.
***
Ethan woke to the sound of someone knocking forcefully on the front door of his bungalow. He took a moment to wake up, shaking his head and wondering if he’d imagined it. But no, someone was definitely knocking.
He rose, glancing out the front window. He immediately spied a patrol car out front, with its flashing red light. “What the heck?” he muttered.
He hurried down the stairs, forgetting he was presently wearing boxers and nothing else, and also nearly forgetting that the staircase was missing the banister. That reality became apparent when he nearly sailed off of it. Fortunately, he caught himself and managed to avoid a bad fall.
Reaching the door in one piece, he threw it open. An officer stood on the porch, with Marcia standing beside him. He gave her a puzzled glance, and then focused on the cop, who was first to speak.
“Sir, we’re sorry to disturb you, but Miss Elton here spotted a man trying to break into your home.”
Ethan turned his attention to Marcia. “Where?”
“Basement window,” she told him. “The one facing my house.”
He nodded, trying to wake up. He ran a hand through his hair. “How did you spot him?” he asked her.
“Oh, well, fortunately, Allie and Tootsie are great watchdogs. They started dancing around, barking, and I couldn’t calm them down, so I knew something was wrong. When they began nosing around my front door, I walked outside and saw him.”
“So you walked outside to check it out on your own?” he asked, now wide awake.
She nodded. “I yelled at him and he took off.”
Ethan’s jaw dropped. Marcia had yelled at an intruder? What if he had turned on her? He shook himself, to steel himself against the onslaught of emotion he felt at the thought of her putting herself in jeopardy.
“Sir, are you okay?” the officer asked.
“Uh, yeah,” he said, glancing down and suddenly registering he was dressed in boxers and nothing else. He abruptly left the doorway, but soon returned with a drop cloth draped over his shoulders. “Sorry,” he murmured. “I, uh, didn’t realize I wasn’t, uh, well, dressed.”
He avoided eye contact with Marcia, who he realized had seen him practically undressed. He directed his question to the cop. “Uh, did you catch the guy?” he asked, knowing it wasn’t likely.
“No,” he answered
Was he open to that possibility? Had he even entertained the thought in the past six months? Well, maybe. But over the last few days? Nope.
Why?
And then it hit him. He hadn’t given Gwen any kind of focused thought since he’d met Marcia. Of course, he’d only just met his neighbor but…
He laughed suddenly, remembering Marcia’s advice to the girl, Collette. Her sidekick talk was interesting, but was it sound advice? he wondered.
He decided to ignore the other messages on the machine. He’d check them in the morning. It was probably Gwen anyway, leaving repeated messages in hopes that he would finally raise the white flag and come crawling back.
His thoughts went back to Marcia’s sidekick advice yet again. When he’d first met Gwen, had she been the sidekick or the center attraction? He let out a sigh. Stupid question. She was stunning, with platinum blond hair that fell in a smooth cascade down her back. She had a natural golden tone to her complexion, and always wore clothing designed to accentuate her smooth shoulders and exquisite curves. Naw, Gwen wasn’t anybody’s sidekick.
He searched his memory, remembering the girl who had been her closest friend, and to put her in Marcia’s terms, Gwen’s sidekick. The girl was brunette, subtlety pretty, but… He shook his head. She wasn’t a very nice girl, if he remembered correctly.
Hmmm. Maybe the sidekick advice only really applied to guys and not to girls. Could be , he mused, as he drifted off to sleep.
***
Ethan woke to the sound of someone knocking forcefully on the front door of his bungalow. He took a moment to wake up, shaking his head and wondering if he’d imagined it. But no, someone was definitely knocking.
He rose, glancing out the front window. He immediately spied a patrol car out front, with its flashing red light. “What the heck?” he muttered.
He hurried down the stairs, forgetting he was presently wearing boxers and nothing else, and also nearly forgetting that the staircase was missing the banister. That reality became apparent when he nearly sailed off of it. Fortunately, he caught himself and managed to avoid a bad fall.
Reaching the door in one piece, he threw it open. An officer stood on the porch, with Marcia standing beside him. He gave her a puzzled glance, and then focused on the cop, who was first to speak.
“Sir, we’re sorry to disturb you, but Miss Elton here spotted a man trying to break into your home.”
Ethan turned his attention to Marcia. “Where?”
“Basement window,” she told him. “The one facing my house.”
He nodded, trying to wake up. He ran a hand through his hair. “How did you spot him?” he asked her.
“Oh, well, fortunately, Allie and Tootsie are great watchdogs. They started dancing around, barking, and I couldn’t calm them down, so I knew something was wrong. When they began nosing around my front door, I walked outside and saw him.”
“So you walked outside to check it out on your own?” he asked, now wide awake.
She nodded. “I yelled at him and he took off.”
Ethan’s jaw dropped. Marcia had yelled at an intruder? What if he had turned on her? He shook himself, to steel himself against the onslaught of emotion he felt at the thought of her putting herself in jeopardy.
“Sir, are you okay?” the officer asked.
“Uh, yeah,” he said, glancing down and suddenly registering he was dressed in boxers and nothing else. He abruptly left the doorway, but soon returned with a drop cloth draped over his shoulders. “Sorry,” he murmured. “I, uh, didn’t realize I wasn’t, uh, well, dressed.”
He avoided eye contact with Marcia, who he realized had seen him practically undressed. He directed his question to the cop. “Uh, did you catch the guy?” he asked, knowing it wasn’t likely.
“No,” he answered
Similar Books
