sleep to be had here, though.â
He noticed that Lauren was just staring at him. Suspiciously.
âWhat do you do for a living?â Deanna asked.
Lauren elbowed her friend and gave her a reproving look, but he only laughed out loud. âItâs okay. Iâm a writer and a musician.â
âWhat do you play?â Lauren asked sharply.
âPiano, guitar.â
âDo you write music?â Deanna asked.
âSometimes. But mostly I confine my writing to article and, some fiction.â
âCool,â Heidi said.
âHorror novels?â Lauren asked pointedly. Those green eyes of hers didnât leave him for a second. He disturbed her, he thought. Why?
âIâve tried a few different things in my day.â
âAre you rich and famous?â Heidi teased.
âNo, Iâm sorry. Just plodding along,â he told her.
âIâm not sure I believe that,â Deanna said. âYou probably have a pseudonym but youâre not going to share it, right?â
âNothing that deep or mysterious, Iâm afraid.â
âWell, nice to meet you,â Lauren said. She set a hand on Heidiâs shoulder, her eyes still on him warily. âWe need to get moving.â
âWhatâs the hurry?â Heidi asked.
âYou said you wanted to go shopping,â Lauren reminded her. âNice to see you again, Mr. Davidson, but we need to get going.â
âIt was super to meet you,â Deanna said. Her voice was low and throaty. Sensual.
âAbsolutely,â Heidi agreed. She seemed to croon the single word.
âWeâll be seeing you again, I assume. After all, we are staying in the same place,â Deanna said.
âYes, we are,â Lauren murmured. She didnât sound happy about the fact, he noticed.
âYouâre here for a few days?â Heidi asked.
âI am. Cottage six.â
âThatâs right next door to us,â Lauren said, unable to hide her surprise.
âIs it?â he inquired.
âI guess we really will see you,â Lauren said, her suspicion and aggravation evident in her tone. âBut right now, we really do have to get going,â she said firmly.
She turned, walking determinedly toward the street.
âSee you,â Deanna said, and winked.
âLater,â Heidi told him.
âSure. Enjoy New Orleans,â he said, and he sat and pretended to give his full attention to his newspaper once again.
âMy God, you met him last night and you didnât say anything, much less introduce him?â Heidi marveled, staring at Lauren as they headed toward Royal Street.
âI didnât exactly meet him,â Lauren said. âI bumped into him.â
âI only bump into eighty-year-old men with canes,â Deanna said mournfully.
âHeâsâ¦magnetic,â Heidi said.
Lauren shot her a quick glance.
âDonât look at me like that. I love Barry, and I honestly believe weâre going to beat the odds and be married forever. But if Iâd bumped into that guy, I wouldnât have forgotten it. But you? You didnât say a word to us.â
Lauren let out a sigh. âWhat on earth was I supposed to say? We didnât have drinks, we didnât go to dinner. I bumped into him in a hallway.â
âIâd have mentioned it,â Deanna said. She let out a sigh.
âHeâs staying at our B and B,â Heidi commented.
âYes.â
Deanna stopped walking and laughed. âHeidi, did you hear that? Lauren, you said that one and filled it with more suspicion than I can believe. Whatâs the big deal? You bumped into him in New Orleansâand heâs staying in New Orleans. Imagine that.â
âHeâs staying in New Orleans at our B and B,â Lauren said.
âI call that cool,â Heidi said.
âYouâre engaged,â Lauren reminded her.
âBut not dead,â Heidi said with a
K. Sterling
Jacquie Rogers
Rebecca Hamilton, Conner Kressley
Shiloh Walker
Elizabeth Moynihan
Mary Balogh
Tara Fox Hall
Jonathan Maberry
Jane Hunt
James Kakalios