“No, they’re not for you, and what are you doing here?”
With a stage wink, she said, “Protecting my little sister from the big bad wolf.”
“Ha ha.”
Any hopeful fantasies he’d been harboring flew right out the window. He held on to the flowers and handed Marla’s sister the wine.
“Oh, you are so kind—for such a grumpy bear. How come you’re not more like your little brother? He’s very sweet, In fact, he’s perfect.” The wink again.
Ah yes, his lucky little brother. At least one of them was getting laid.
He picked up Skipper, who’d been pawing with excitement at his leg. “How’s it going, bruiser?”
“Have a seat, and I’ll pour you a glass of this,” Charlene said.
“No, I don’t drink. Water will be just fine with me.”
“Oh, please don’t tell me you had plans to break down my sister’s defenses with wine. For shame. Here, give me those flowers. I’ll put them in water.”
He thrust the flowers into her hands and made a face, then strode to the living room, Skipper tucked in the crook of his arm. He plopped down on the end of the sofa and sighed. Staring into the tiny dog’s big eyes he whispered, “If I’m not careful your mom will have my balls, just like she got yours, soldier.”
Skipper took on a hangdog expression as if he understood exactly what Dwayne had said. He rewarded the little guy with a vigorous belly rub.
Marla relaxed and enjoyed the dinner table banter between Dwayne and Char. Her sister tried to wheedle information about Donovan out of him. He wasn’t having any of it. Instead he turned the tables on her with questions about her past as if conducting a job interview. “So how many hearts have you broken, Ms. Danaher?”
Charlene turned to Marla with a look of phony outrage on her face. “Do you believe this? Tell him. I’m not in the business of breaking hearts. All my exes love me.”
Marla snickered. “Maybe not all, but I have to admit you’re very clever when breaking up and making them think it was their idea.”
“Speaking of breaking up, have you shown Edwin the door?”
Now why did Charlene say that? It wasn’t her business, or Dwayne Dempsey’s either. Her arrangement with Edwin was convenient and without unsettling fireworks. A companion for dinner and a movie, with Edwin she never had to worry about the turmoil she drowned in whenever she was with Dwayne.
“Edwin’s been in Brussels, at the company headquarters for the past few weeks. He’ll call me when he returns.”
“I’m sure he calls you every night, right? Because he misses you so much?” She faced Dwayne. “Edwin Plimpton is Marla’s boyfriend.” She cocked her head. “You didn’t know she had a boyfriend?”
“No. Uh, who does he work for?”
Marla’s stomach cramped at the defeated look on his face. Why should she care? It wasn’t her fault he didn’t know she already had a boyfriend and wasn’t looking for another.
Before she got a chance to answer, Charlene jumped in. “He’s some kind of big executive at BDO. He travels all the time. Wasn’t he in Australia last month, Marla?” She pursed her lips. “He’s hardly ever around.”
“Is that why you dragged her to the single’s dinner?” He looked at Charlene then turned his gaze to Marla.
“Time for dessert.” Marla stood. “I’ll get it.” She hurried to the kitchen. If she didn’t commit fratricide before the evening was over it would be a small miracle. She gritted her teeth and fussed over the cake plates, heard them laughing, and decided she’d add homicide to the fratricide. If she was going to spend her life on death row, she might as well make it worthwhile.
Chapter Thirteen
Marla had all day Saturday and Sunday to get her head and heart straight. She failed miserably. Not looking forward to facing Dwayne, she nevertheless had to go to the construction office to retrieve her laptop before heading to the real estate office downtown.
She pulled into the lot just as a large flatbed truck with a We’re The Tops logo finished unloading a shipment of granite countertops. Dwayne signed the manifest and handed the clipboard to the driver. The truck rumbled away as he bent to examine the stone more closely.
Marla parked, stepped from her car, and approached him. She stared at the cut granite countertops. “This isn’t what I wanted. Why didn’t you send it back?” Chin forward, she glared at him.
Dwayne thrust his hands in the air, and then slammed them on his hips. “I ordered this instead, because it’s superior quality for a little more money.” He strode to the construction trailer office, flung open the door, and stomped inside.
Marla followed him inside. “It’s my money, Dempsey! When are you going to start paying attention to what I want?”
He spun on her. “When are you going to stop micromanaging every step of this project, Danaher?”
She clenched her fists. “Grrr! You are the most exasperating person I’ve ever worked with.”
He leaned his face dangerously close to hers, the muscles in his jaw tensing. “You’re the most exasperating person I’ve ever worked for!”
“I don’t know why I hired you in the first place.”
“I don’t know why I accepted the damn contract. You’re impossible to please, and half the time you don’t know what you’re asking for. Why don’t you leave the contracting up to the contractor?”
Glaring, she crossed her arms and invaded his space. “I have half a mind to fire you!”
“Oh, yeah? I have half a mind to quit!” He took a step closer.
“You have half a mind all right, you…” Marla shut her mouth at the dangerous glint in his eyes. She might have pushed him too far. Hah, as if she could push the stubborn lout an inch in any direction. She dropped her hands to her sides. “I’m…”
He put a finger to her lips, closed his hands on her upper arms, and pulled her
