One for the Hooks by Betty Hechtman

Author:Betty Hechtman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: CROOKED LANE BOOKS

Chapter Fifteen

The house was better than I’d expected. The dining room table had been cleared and the dishwasher run. The caterer had packed up leftovers and put them in the refrigerator. Some furniture had been rearranged, and some entertainment industry award statuettes that Peter had won were on the mantelpiece.

Peter and Gabby were in their room with the door shut in a reversal of roles, which was fine by me. The animals were beyond happy to see me and to be released from the master suite. They let me know their displeasure at having been confined. I found a trash can knocked over and the contents spread around the room.

They went rushing across the house, and even Blondie and her new friend, Princess, joined in. The dogs all got yard time, and the cats got attention and a second dinner of their favorite wet cat food.

As much as they couldn’t wait to get out of the master suite when I got home, they were anxious to go back in there when I went to bed. I feel asleep being cuddled by their furry bodies.

I had to admit that I felt reassured by Mason’s assessment of Peter. At least if he was taking over my house, he was on a mission. They were sitting in the backyard having breakfast when I came outside the next morning, on my way to the bookstore.

“Mason told me what you’re working on,” I said. “I’m okay with all the masquerading, but I do insist you not leave the animals locked up for a long time. They need their water and cat boxes.” I considered what to say next. “I need advance warning and for you to ask, not tell me you are taking over the house.

“You don’t have to worry about any people here tonight. You can do karaoke in the living room wearing that grass skirt you got in Hawaii,” he said. For a moment I froze. Was that what he thought I did when I was home alone? I checked his expression and was relieved to see a good-natured smile. He was joking. “Gabby and I are taking a ride up to Santa Barbara. We’re going to stay over a couple of nights.” He looked at my attire—my usual work wear of khaki pants and an untucked shirt—and shook his head. “It’s Sunday. Don’t you ever take a day off?”

I debated what to tell him. Would he understand that the bookstore was more than a job? I didn’t really have to go in, but I wanted to work on getting everything together for the event.

In the end, I just shrugged off his comment and wished them a pleasant trip.

I grabbed a Red Eye from the café. I’d considered ordering something different just to show Bob and myself that I wasn’t stuck in a rut, but the Red Eye was what I really wanted. There was no story time, and the bookstore was quiet. I took the drink to the cubicle near the front of the store that served as my office.

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