The Right Medicine (8 page)

"Jupiter! Here, fella!" he called in his biggest, booming voice.

Nothing.

He forcefully clapped his hands together and tried again.

There was a slight rustling in the bushes behind the park fountain.

"Jupiter!"

The movement stopped.

David had an idea. He placed two fingers between his teeth, spun around and whistled—hard.

"Most people just say hello."

David jerked his head sideways.

There stood Marie McCloud in a knee-length overcoat, hands fitted tightly over both ears. Her cheeks were flushed with morning cold, her lips the prettiest shade of pink.

For a moment David forgot all about the dog.

"Marie!"

"What," she asked, giving the park a suspicious sweep of her eyes, "exactly are you doing?"

"Oh," he said, letting out a full breath that clouded the air, "looking for Jupiter."

Marie's eyebrows shot up. "Hate to tell you this, but I think you'd have better luck at night."

David looked blank. Blank, but incredibly handsome, she decided. Even in his ratty gray sweats, and sky-blue parka. Didn't hurt that the color of his coat matched his gorgeous eyes.

"Oh!" he smiled, his whole face lighting up. Then he laughed in that rich, rumbling baritone Marie liked so much.

"Not the planet," he said patiently. "Jupiter is Caroline's dog."

Oh, Marie thought, as disappointment hit her hard. So he
was
taken. She felt her temper begin to simmer. Taken, and yet he'd still invited her to lunch?

Marie stared down at the leash dangling in David's hand. "Well, I'm sure Caroline won't be any more upset about you losing her dog than you hitting on your clientele."

"Client..." David's voice fell off, as his face turned a hue akin to purple.

"One question, David," Marie asked, her anger growing. "Do you always make passes at girls who wear glasses? Or, was I special?"

"I, uh..."

His neck was crimson, and his ears so vivid they looked like they were about to fall off.

At that moment, a frisky black Lab bounded out of the bushes and made a beeline for her knees.

"Hey there, big guy," she said, bending to scratch the salivating animal behind its ears.

Marie stuck out a hand and snatched the leash, instantly clamping it on to Jupiter's collar in one deft move.

"Go home to Caroline, David," she said, standing and handing over the lead.

"Home?"

Marie turned and began walking out of the park.

"Wait!" David said, racing to meet her, Jupiter galloping at his side. "Caroline's not at home!"

Marie cast him a sideways glance through heir glasses. "Sorry, David. I'm not into that. You'll have to do your two-timing with someone else."

She picked up her pace and kept going.

"No, you don't under—"

Jupiter collapsed in a heap and rolled sideways.

"Get up!" David pulled on the leash, but Jupiter just lowered his head to the pavement, tongue lolling out.

David looked up at Marie's curvy figure disappearing through the morning fog.

"Wait! Don't go! You've got it all..."

But it was too late. She'd already melted into the mist.

David put down the book and rubbed his temples. Holy cow, this was going to be even harder than he thought. What was the deal with this stuff, anyway? The dialogue wasn't even in quotation marks, for God's sake. So how in heaven's name was he supposed to know who was saying what? Much less thinking it?

David massaged his aching knees in frustration and stood to grab a beer.

He walked to the refrigerator, picked up a bottle and popped the top. Was she really worth it? David had never done anything like this before. Gone completely overboard for some woman. Some women who was
engaged,
for crying out loud. And she disapproved of him anyway, because she thought he had a woman named Caroline at home.

Marie was neatly tied up in a relationship that meant matrimony eventually. But then again, maybe it didn't. That was the hope David clung to. He knew from his sister Debbie's experiences that engaged women didn't necessarily walk down the aisle every time. Heck, for some women, it seemed to be a whole lot like shopping. Don't like the man after a while, return him. Nonetheless, David wanted to believe that once Marie committed to him, her shopping around would be over.

David froze as an ice-cold swig sliced down his throat.

Of course, that meant that his shopping around would be over as well... No more late nights with Candy, the aerobics instructor, or Lizbeth, his sexy new mechanic.

David took another swig of beer, letting the panic pass.

He was getting way ahead of himself here. Thinking about happily-ever-after! Holy cow. That wasn't what he wanted...

Was it?

He wanted Marie's attention, sure. But the exasperating woman didn't seem to want to give him a second look.

At first, there'd been a gleam in her eyes. That telling sparkle that told David he had half a chance...

But after the park, she'd acted like she could barely stand the sight of him. Even when he went into her store to buy some of Cecil's recommendations.

He'd approached her directly, but she'd claimed she was busy setting up some kind of wine tasting and assigned a flunky to help him.

Give him a break! Did Marie really expect David to believe they'd be serving wine in a bookstore? They couldn't possibly have a liquor license. Unless, of course, the brother of the guy who owned the place, who just happened to be the sheriff, had called in some favors at City Hall.

David set his beer on the counter, and began to imagine himself and Marie running down the steps of City Hall, hand in hand, smiling and happy. Her dark, wavy hair was piled high and studded with wildflowers, sweet curls breaking free to frame her glowing face.

David coughed loudly and shook his head. Next he would be seeing babies!

Better get back to his reading, he thought, carrying his brew to the armchair. All this fantasizing was getting him nowhere. And David Lake wasn't made for dreams. He was built for action.

Now, if he could just finish this blasted book, then maybe he'd be able to convince Marie his actions spoke louder than words.

End of extended excerpts.

Ginny thanks you for reading her work

and hopes to hear from you soon!

****