Johnston - Heartbeat by Johnston Joan

Author:Johnston, Joan [Johnston, Joan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2014-06-26T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

“Do you want a hamburger or a hot dog, Maggie?” Roman called out as he carried a platter of raw hamburgers and hot dogs out his kitchen door to the gas grill on the screened-in flagstone patio.

“Hamburger,” Maggie called back. “And in deference to E. coli, char it, please.” She was treading water while hanging onto the side of Roman’s backyard pool. She provided a second set of watchful eyes on three-year-old Amy, who was being pushed by her mother around the shallow end of the pool in a colorful, plastic duck-shaped float.

The Easter egg hunt, with Amy wearing a pair of paper bunny ears she and Lisa had made together, had been a painful reminder to Maggie of days gone by. She had forced her-self to smile and cheer on Jack and Tomas, who had followed Amy around pointing out eggs for her to find.

“Hot dogs for me and Amy,” Lisa said before Roman could ask.

“One hamburger, one hot dog,” Tomas volunteered from his seat on the springboard at the deep end of the pool. “Any way they come off the grill.”

“A hot dog sliced down the middle with American cheese melted on it,” Isabel instructed from a lounge chair near the diving board.

“Figures,” Roman said with a laugh. “You like everything American.”

“Si, señor,” Isabel said with an exaggerated Spanish accent. “Todo Americana.”

“Jack? What about you?” Roman inquired.

“Hamburger. Rare,” Jack said from his spot half in, half out of the water on the stairs at the shallow end of the pool. “I like to live dangerously,” he said when Maggie opened her mouth to object.

“Be sure to put on another hamburger and hot dog for yourself, Roman,” Isabel said.

“Got ’em both right here.” The hot grill sizzled as the last of the meat went on. “I could use some help in the kitchen,” Roman said.

“I’ll be glad to help,” Isabel offered, already half out of the cushioned lounge chair.

“Don’t bother,” Lisa said quickly. “I’ll help Roman. I have some other things I need to do in the kitchen.”

Maggie cringed at the obvious friction between Lisa and Isabel. Lisa had told Maggie when she arrived that things were a little better between her and Roman, but the strain on Lisa’s face, and the dark looks she darted at

Isabel, left Maggie wondering just how much better things really were.

She let her gaze roam from Isabel to Roman and back again. As far as Maggie could tell, Roman only had eyes for his wife. She wasn’t as sure about what Isabel felt for Roman.

Lisa’s yearning look as she met Roman’s gaze told Maggie her friend was hoping for a few stolen kisses in the kitchen. Lisa obviously needed someone to take over with Amy while she was gone, but Maggie noticed Isabel wasn’t volunteering for that.

Maggie looked longingly at Amy, but she didn’t trust herself to be responsible for the dark-haired, dark-eyed pixie in the water.

“How about if I spell you?” Jack said to Lisa as he waded toward her.

“Amy doesn’t

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