An Act of Love. Marion Ekholm
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on earth do you have his keys?”
“I feed his cat when he’s away. You can do it so I won’t have to.” She handed the keys to Marley. “At least you’ll get one good night’s sleep while you’re here.”
“Are you sure he won’t mind?”
“Who will tell him?” Lindy grabbed Marley’s shoulder and pushed her toward the door. “Use his guest room. That’s the one I always use when I want to get away from the family. It’s on the right when you enter the townhouse.” Marley hesitated. “Just change the sheets and leave the room like you found it.”
Still undecided, Marley asked, “What’s the cat’s name?”
“The Baroness. But she answers to ‘Kitty, Kitty.’ Now go. I’ll explain to Mom.”
* * *
WITH RICHARD’S ADDRESS punched into her cell phone’s GPS, Marley drove to his townhouse in her rented Toyota. Rain had started, again. Normally, Marley loved the sound of rain in Phoenix because it was infrequent and so welcome. But the intermittent downpours since her arrival in Pennsylvania had become annoying. She hoped the rain would end before the wedding.
What would it be like to see Richard again? Had he changed much? Did he still have that golden hair, those eyes that melted any resistance? Did every woman he came in contact with still swoon and long to be in his arms?
Their short romance had occurred while he was a senior at PITT and she a junior. Because he’d been popular with the women, Marley had felt special when he singled her out. Just as things between them had begun to heat up, her father had reappeared unexpectedly in her mother’s life. Nora accepted the situation, but Marley refused to.
No way would she be like her mother, chattel, used by a man who tossed her aside when something better arrived. That promise to herself ruled Marley’s life. All her relationships had turned into slow fizzles the moment she detected any resemblance between the man and her father. At the time, she’d seen all the signs in Richard.
She parked across from Richard’s townhouse in a guest parking space and dragged her one suitcase up the front steps. The Baroness, a solid gray short hair with a white bib, greeted her at the door and rubbed against Marley’s ankles. After cleaning the cat’s box and providing fresh water and food, Marley ran a bath for herself. The Baroness followed every step, demanding constant attention, which Marley gladly provided.
Marley picked up a crocheted ball, one of the many cat toys scattered on the floor, and tossed it. “Here, chase this.” The Baroness ran after it, and Marley could close the door and slip into the tub. However, the cat scratched at the door, determined to get back in the room.
When bubbles trapped around the cubic zirconia made a radiant rainbow of color, she thought of Brant. What made that man tick? He liked being engaged to her way too much. She hoped it wouldn’t create more problems for her when she returned to Phoenix.
Marley slipped off the ring, wiped it dry and dropped it into her shoe. Once back in her T-shirt that served as a nightgown, she bustled about with a need to straighten the bathroom and destroy any evidence of her presence. Spotting underwear in the corner, Marley retrieved them, only to realize they weren’t hers.
She dropped them into a hamper. The discovery of something so personal made her feel uncomfortable. What did she really know about Richard or his lifestyle? He could be having a steady relationship with someone. What a depressing thought. How could she resolve her muddled feelings for him if he already had commitments?
Determined to get some rest, Marley closed the guest room door on the Baroness. She had no intention of sleeping with the cat, especially one whose purr had to equal Aunt Effie’s snoring.
Oh, what quiet, what solitude. Climbing between the sheets, she relished the cool, smooth texture. Finally, a peaceful sleep.
* * *
THE BED UNDULATED, bringing Marley from a dreamless rest to semi-consciousness. When something hit her head, she woke completely. Ominous epithets from a masculine voice brought her back to her surroundings.
I’m going to be murdered! Marley thought as the overhead light turned on. She pulled the sheet over her face and prepared for death.
“What are you doing here?” a man shouted. “Sheba, get out!”
Marley dropped the sheet to her nose. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she took in more and more of broad shoulders and flat waist. She gulped. Richard Brewster. His long pajama bottoms were covered with Pittsburgh Steelers logos.
“Richard! What are you doing here?” She sat up, keeping the sheet protectively under her chin. His expression turned from questioning to incredulous.
“Marley?” he asked. “Marley Roman?”
“Yes,” she said, wishing she was facing a serial killer instead. Anything was preferable to having Richard discover her in his home. She gulped again and stared back as he breathed deeply, dropped his arm and relaxed his shoulders. “Who...” She faltered. “Who did you think I was?”
Oh, the years had added more muscular weight, and his hair had a trimmer cut. Laughing, teasing, virile. The same old Richard, she thought as she clamped her teeth into her lower lip.
“Sheba.” The single word came out in a whisper. Obviously not one of his favorite playmates. The Baroness jumped on the bed and came over to be petted. A welcome distraction.
He still appeared stunned, so she asked, “Who’s she? Some exotic belly dancer?”
“No.” He stared right into her eyes. “My mother’s poodle.”
Marley’s stomach knotted at his easy admission. He didn’t even have the grace to look disconcerted. She bristled. “A dog? You thought I was a dog?”
“Yeah. It’s your hair.” He flipped his fingertips through his own blond waves. Another reference to her hair. One more time and she’d shave it all off. “I thought my mother left her dog here.” His voice got softer as he continued to stare at her. “She sometimes brings her when she takes care of my cat.”
“Really?” Adrenaline poured into her from her aborted fear. “Lindy said she was taking care of the Baroness.”
Richard collapsed against the wall, rubbed his head and closed his eyes. “Right, I forgot. When the Baroness was scratching at the closed door, I came over to see why.”
“The dog and cat get along?”
He nodded, straightening, his eyes still on her. “So why are you here? I hoped we’d have a chance to get together. I just never figured you’d take the initiative.”
“Hey, wait a minute.” Marley jolted upright. If he thought she’d planned this... “You’ve got the wrong idea here. I didn’t expect you home.” She paused. “I needed a place to stay, and Lindy gave me the key.” Had Lindy planned this so that Richard would discover her this way?
Richard rubbed his head again. “I should have told her I changed my plans.” He faced Marley. “I’m in charge of Denny’s bachelor party tomorrow night...tonight, actually...I think. Tonight’s Thursday, isn’t it?”
Marley reached for the clothes she’d placed at the end of the bed. “I should go.”
“No. Stay. The room’s available. Not exactly how I planned our first meeting but...”
“You had something planned?”
Richard chuckled. “Not really. Just figured us meeting again would be a surprise. Figured you probably weren’t aware of your sister marrying my brother. I know it certainly shocked me.”
The humor in Richard’s voice helped ease her tension. “Say, I’m wide-awake now. Want to talk?” He started out, but at the door he turned. “I’ll meet you in the living room.”
After dressing in her shorts and another