Read Online Double Dealing (2013) by Linda Cajio - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Linda Cajio
Tags: contemporaryromance
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Delilah immediately snapped at her companion in warning and covered her growing pile of doggie delights with one paw. Jed cringed at the messy sight.
“What the hell is this?” Rae demanded, stepping into the kitchen.
“A get-acquainted party,” Jed quipped, inwardly wincing at being caught trying to subvert her dogs.
Delilah yipped like a puppy, drawing her owner’s attention. Jed wasn’t sure whether the dog was asking permission to eat or ratting on him and Samson.
“Good Lord! That’s expensive deli meat!” Rae exclaimed, running her hands through her hair. “And half a lamb roast! And the Stilton! Burrows is going to have a fit!” She turned to him, anger glowing hotly in her eyes. “Jed! How could you?”
“They looked hungry, Rae,” he said innocently. Samson trotted back to him and nudged his hand,obviously hoping for more food. He absently caressed the dog’s head.
Rae gaped in astonishment at them. “Samson, you traitor! Corner!”
At her command, the dog slunk away, his tail between his legs. Then, he slunk back and picked up the bone, before continuing to the nearest corner. Settling on his haunches, his back to his audience, the dog dropped the bone on the floor and stared at it. A wave of guilt overtook Jed at the dog’s dejected look. He joined Samson in the corner, patted his massive head again in commiseration, then faced the wall too.
There was silence in the room. Finally, Jed heard low obviously reluctant chuckles behind him. He grinned.
“What are you doing?” Rae finally asked.
“I been bad, too, Ma,” he drawled over his shoulder.
She erupted into laughter. Jed and his fellow convict turned together to watch her amusement. Samson, evidently taking it as a sign that he was off the hook, lay down on the floor and began working on the bone.
“Don’t make me laugh, Jed,” she said, as her mirth subsided.
“Why?” he asked, thrusting his hands into his pockets and leaning against the wall.
“Because I like you when you do.”
She gazed at him for a fleeting second longer, and he felt as if she’d just let down an invisible barrier between them. Then the doorbell rang, and her expression instantly became guarded. The dogs raced for the door.
“You can clean up the mess,” she said. Samson raced back into the kitchen and began to gobble down Delilah’s cache. She smiled sweetly. “You can also clean up the mess he’s going to make later, after he gets sick.”
“Thanks,” he muttered, as she left to answer the door.
Samson gave the now bare floor a final lick, then galloped after her. Jed followed at a slower pace, down a short wide hallway into the foyer. A grand curving staircase wound its way up and backward to a landing high above, and as he passed underneath it he couldn’t help but admire it once again. If a prettily pouting Scarlett O’Hara were to suddenly come sweeping down, he wouldn’t have been at all surprised. It was like stepping back in time, he admitted. The image of Rae, dressed in her red gown, gracefully descending the staircase ran through his mind. He grinned, thinking Scarlett would have run a poor second. His amusement faded as he wondered if strangers would care about the mansion’s beauty and heritage as much as Rae did, if it were turned into a clubhouse. He doubted it. High piping voices reached his ears, breaking into his musings.
Jed rounded the staircase to find the front door wide open and three young boys racing after the dogs outside on the front lawn. Rae was talking animatedly to a older male version of herself, who was lifting suitcases from the back of a Mercedes. Rand Barkeley had been a less frequent visitor to the house, but Jed had met the good-looking, poised older brother on several occasions. As a teenager, Jed had always felt inadequate and awkwardaround Rand, and that old sense of insecurity rose within him again, making him reluctant to go outside and greet Rae’s brother. He wished Burrows had returned
“What the hell is this?” Rae demanded, stepping into the kitchen.
“A get-acquainted party,” Jed quipped, inwardly wincing at being caught trying to subvert her dogs.
Delilah yipped like a puppy, drawing her owner’s attention. Jed wasn’t sure whether the dog was asking permission to eat or ratting on him and Samson.
“Good Lord! That’s expensive deli meat!” Rae exclaimed, running her hands through her hair. “And half a lamb roast! And the Stilton! Burrows is going to have a fit!” She turned to him, anger glowing hotly in her eyes. “Jed! How could you?”
“They looked hungry, Rae,” he said innocently. Samson trotted back to him and nudged his hand,obviously hoping for more food. He absently caressed the dog’s head.
Rae gaped in astonishment at them. “Samson, you traitor! Corner!”
At her command, the dog slunk away, his tail between his legs. Then, he slunk back and picked up the bone, before continuing to the nearest corner. Settling on his haunches, his back to his audience, the dog dropped the bone on the floor and stared at it. A wave of guilt overtook Jed at the dog’s dejected look. He joined Samson in the corner, patted his massive head again in commiseration, then faced the wall too.
There was silence in the room. Finally, Jed heard low obviously reluctant chuckles behind him. He grinned.
“What are you doing?” Rae finally asked.
“I been bad, too, Ma,” he drawled over his shoulder.
She erupted into laughter. Jed and his fellow convict turned together to watch her amusement. Samson, evidently taking it as a sign that he was off the hook, lay down on the floor and began working on the bone.
“Don’t make me laugh, Jed,” she said, as her mirth subsided.
“Why?” he asked, thrusting his hands into his pockets and leaning against the wall.
“Because I like you when you do.”
She gazed at him for a fleeting second longer, and he felt as if she’d just let down an invisible barrier between them. Then the doorbell rang, and her expression instantly became guarded. The dogs raced for the door.
“You can clean up the mess,” she said. Samson raced back into the kitchen and began to gobble down Delilah’s cache. She smiled sweetly. “You can also clean up the mess he’s going to make later, after he gets sick.”
“Thanks,” he muttered, as she left to answer the door.
Samson gave the now bare floor a final lick, then galloped after her. Jed followed at a slower pace, down a short wide hallway into the foyer. A grand curving staircase wound its way up and backward to a landing high above, and as he passed underneath it he couldn’t help but admire it once again. If a prettily pouting Scarlett O’Hara were to suddenly come sweeping down, he wouldn’t have been at all surprised. It was like stepping back in time, he admitted. The image of Rae, dressed in her red gown, gracefully descending the staircase ran through his mind. He grinned, thinking Scarlett would have run a poor second. His amusement faded as he wondered if strangers would care about the mansion’s beauty and heritage as much as Rae did, if it were turned into a clubhouse. He doubted it. High piping voices reached his ears, breaking into his musings.
Jed rounded the staircase to find the front door wide open and three young boys racing after the dogs outside on the front lawn. Rae was talking animatedly to a older male version of herself, who was lifting suitcases from the back of a Mercedes. Rand Barkeley had been a less frequent visitor to the house, but Jed had met the good-looking, poised older brother on several occasions. As a teenager, Jed had always felt inadequate and awkwardaround Rand, and that old sense of insecurity rose within him again, making him reluctant to go outside and greet Rae’s brother. He wished Burrows had returned
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