asked.
Drake hurried to the door. “Yes, the party
never ends.” He opened the door and Wolfgang walked in. Drake
handed him a piece of bacon.
“Don’t—” Penny began, but stopped after it
was too late.
“What is that?”
“This is Wolfgang,” Drake said, rubbing the
dog’s head. Wolfgang finished off the bacon and gazed up at Drake
with eyes full of hope and devotion. What a traitor.
“I don’t think Mrs. Lee will be happy—”
“Oh, I’m sure she’ll be okay with it.”
“Really?” Melinda looked ready to burst with
frustration.
“Absolutely. We talked about pets.”
Penny decided that this man should write
fiction; he was very good at it.
Melinda composed herself, and within an
instant she returned to the poised woman Penny had always known.
“So, you’re going golfing with Daddy in an hour?” Her voice sounded
only slightly off, a little too bright and high.
Drake sat down on the other side of the sofa
with the French toast and started to eat. Wolfgang sat down at his
feet. Penny had to fight back the urge to kick Drake and her
disloyal dog.
“Of course,” he said.
Melinda’s gaze flitted from Drake to
Penny.
“It’s lovely that you could visit, Magdalena.
How long can you stay?”
“Not long,” Penny said.
“Don’t say that, sweets,” Drake said. He
turned to Melinda. “I’m trying to make her stay…forever.”
He’s a cheesy fiction writer, Penny
decided .
Melinda laughed uncomfortably and edged
toward the door. “Well, we’ll see you in an hour. Nice to meet you,
Magdalena.” She paused. “And Wolf.”
“Wolfgang,” Drake corrected her. “Like
Wolfgang Puck.”
After the door slammed, Drake turned to
Penny. “Well, it stands to reason.”
Penny felt as if all the air had been sucked
from her lungs. “What does?”
“That you named him after Wolfgang Puck. If
you were a composer I’d have guessed he was named after
Mozart.”
“That’s what you want to talk about?” Penny
waved her fork at him. Sometime during the Melinda exchange she’d
started eating the French toast. Oh, dear heavens, no. She looked
at the now empty plate and exploded. “My dog’s name? Are you a
complete nutter?”
“You think I’m a nutter because I want to be
married to you?”
“Yes!”
Drake stood and held out his hand for the
plate. Penny sadly took note of its French toastlessness. She’d
eaten all the toast and all the berry butter.
Drake took the plate to the sink and rinsed
it off. “You’re sadly lacking in confidence and self-awareness.” He
began to load the dishwasher.
“What does that have to do with anything?”
Penny followed him into the kitchen and watched him wipe down the
counters.
“Anything? Your confidence is everything.
Don’t you know about the law of attraction?”
Penny crossed her arms and said something
that she’d never said before, “I want to talk about our supposed
marriage. I want to talk about Magdalena.”
Drake finished with the counters and started
on the stovetop. “It’s interesting, until I met you, I thought
Magdalena was my life’s worst mistake, but now, suddenly, she’s
become useful.”
“Useful? Do you often use people?”
Drake stopped wiping. “You’re twisting
things.” He pulled out a kitchen chair for her and then sat down in
one himself.
Penny hesitated. Sitting put her at a
disadvantage if she wanted to hurt him. Again.
“Just think about it. Your plan was obviously
to hide from your stalker and can I tell you that I think it is a
very stupid plan?”
Penny gazed down at him, frustration
building. “You don’t get to have an opinion.”
“Everyone has a right to their opinion.”
“Stop it. I said you don’t get an opinion and
I meant it.” Her stomach churned. Maybe she’d get so upset she’d
vomit the French toast.
He laughed. “Okay, so my opinion doesn’t
count.”
“Which means I don’t have to listen to
it.”
He rolled his eyes. “Penny—” he used
Drake hurried to the door. “Yes, the party
never ends.” He opened the door and Wolfgang walked in. Drake
handed him a piece of bacon.
“Don’t—” Penny began, but stopped after it
was too late.
“What is that?”
“This is Wolfgang,” Drake said, rubbing the
dog’s head. Wolfgang finished off the bacon and gazed up at Drake
with eyes full of hope and devotion. What a traitor.
“I don’t think Mrs. Lee will be happy—”
“Oh, I’m sure she’ll be okay with it.”
“Really?” Melinda looked ready to burst with
frustration.
“Absolutely. We talked about pets.”
Penny decided that this man should write
fiction; he was very good at it.
Melinda composed herself, and within an
instant she returned to the poised woman Penny had always known.
“So, you’re going golfing with Daddy in an hour?” Her voice sounded
only slightly off, a little too bright and high.
Drake sat down on the other side of the sofa
with the French toast and started to eat. Wolfgang sat down at his
feet. Penny had to fight back the urge to kick Drake and her
disloyal dog.
“Of course,” he said.
Melinda’s gaze flitted from Drake to
Penny.
“It’s lovely that you could visit, Magdalena.
How long can you stay?”
“Not long,” Penny said.
“Don’t say that, sweets,” Drake said. He
turned to Melinda. “I’m trying to make her stay…forever.”
He’s a cheesy fiction writer, Penny
decided .
Melinda laughed uncomfortably and edged
toward the door. “Well, we’ll see you in an hour. Nice to meet you,
Magdalena.” She paused. “And Wolf.”
“Wolfgang,” Drake corrected her. “Like
Wolfgang Puck.”
After the door slammed, Drake turned to
Penny. “Well, it stands to reason.”
Penny felt as if all the air had been sucked
from her lungs. “What does?”
“That you named him after Wolfgang Puck. If
you were a composer I’d have guessed he was named after
Mozart.”
“That’s what you want to talk about?” Penny
waved her fork at him. Sometime during the Melinda exchange she’d
started eating the French toast. Oh, dear heavens, no. She looked
at the now empty plate and exploded. “My dog’s name? Are you a
complete nutter?”
“You think I’m a nutter because I want to be
married to you?”
“Yes!”
Drake stood and held out his hand for the
plate. Penny sadly took note of its French toastlessness. She’d
eaten all the toast and all the berry butter.
Drake took the plate to the sink and rinsed
it off. “You’re sadly lacking in confidence and self-awareness.” He
began to load the dishwasher.
“What does that have to do with anything?”
Penny followed him into the kitchen and watched him wipe down the
counters.
“Anything? Your confidence is everything.
Don’t you know about the law of attraction?”
Penny crossed her arms and said something
that she’d never said before, “I want to talk about our supposed
marriage. I want to talk about Magdalena.”
Drake finished with the counters and started
on the stovetop. “It’s interesting, until I met you, I thought
Magdalena was my life’s worst mistake, but now, suddenly, she’s
become useful.”
“Useful? Do you often use people?”
Drake stopped wiping. “You’re twisting
things.” He pulled out a kitchen chair for her and then sat down in
one himself.
Penny hesitated. Sitting put her at a
disadvantage if she wanted to hurt him. Again.
“Just think about it. Your plan was obviously
to hide from your stalker and can I tell you that I think it is a
very stupid plan?”
Penny gazed down at him, frustration
building. “You don’t get to have an opinion.”
“Everyone has a right to their opinion.”
“Stop it. I said you don’t get an opinion and
I meant it.” Her stomach churned. Maybe she’d get so upset she’d
vomit the French toast.
He laughed. “Okay, so my opinion doesn’t
count.”
“Which means I don’t have to listen to
it.”
He rolled his eyes. “Penny—” he used
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