Charlene waggled her brows. “I see. Where’s the coffee? Marla, did you make coffee?” Her head swiveled as she looked to the counter where the coffeemaker sat cold and unused. “No? Okay, I’ll make some.”
Marla sat in mute mortification while Charlene busied herself making coffee. Of all the mornings for her twin sister to show up unannounced. She made the mistake of glancing at Dwayne.
He winked and chewed on his toast as if he were here every morning, half dressed, having breakfast with her.
Charlene poured water in the well, added coffee grounds to the basket.
“You okay?” Char asked, her big eyes shining.
“Char, what you are doing here at this hour?”
“The question, dear sister,” she said as she pointed at Dwayne, “is what’re you doing here at this hour?”
“I take a little cream with my coffee,” Dwayne said with a grin. He gazed at Marla. “Right, honey?”
Marla gave up. She moaned and dropped her head in her hands. “Please, lightning strike now.”
Charlene poured a cup of coffee for Dwayne, opened the refrigerator for the half-and-half then put it on the table. “You take yours black, right, sis?”
Hands still covering her mouth, Marla nodded and uttered a muffled, “Yes.” She knew Charlene would absolutely, positively, never, ever let her live this down.
Dwayne poured cream in his coffee and stirred it with his fork. “Smells great, Charlene. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome, I’m sure you earned it.” She winked at Marla. “Did he? Earn it?”
“Yes, Char.” Marla glared. “He earned it. Every last drop. Anything else you’d like to know?” She’d get even with her sister for this embarrassing moment if it was the last thing she ever did.
Charlene gave Dwayne a sassy grin, accompanied by fluttering lashes. “I’m sure he did, and yes, I’d like every lurid detail, but I doubt you’re in a mood to share.”
Marla’s lips twitched a small smile. “I have to hand it to you, Char. You’re so perceptive.” She poked her arm. “Why are you here?”
“Ow.” Charlene bounced in her chair. “Oh, oh, I’m so excited. Donovan called to see if the three of us could come to Camp Pendleton Friday night. He got a weekend pass.” Her gaze bobbed between them. “Want to go? He reserved two rooms at the Hotel Del Coronado. I’ve always wanted to go there. It’s so historical, so romantic.” She sighed and crossed her hands over her heart.
“Two rooms?” Marla asked, her brow furrowed.
“Donnie said we’d only need two rooms because Dwayne would have gotten you in bed by now, and obviously he did, so you can stay together. Sound like a plan?” She gazed at Dwayne.
“Sounds like a plan to me,” he said. “Want to go, honey?”
“But what about Skipper? Do they allow pets?” What did it matter? She had no intention of spending the weekend with Donovan, Charlene, and Dwayne, in a hotel, in San Diego.
“No,” Char said. “I already asked Sil to watch him for the weekend. Any other reason you can’t go?”
Apparently she had no say in the matter. Coronado Island for the weekend sounded romantic, now that she had a few moments to consider it. “Um, no, I can’t think of any.”
“Oh, goody. Let’s take the train. It’ll be fun. Donnie will meet us at the San Diego station. We’ll go in his car from there. Coffee refills, anyone?”
Chapter Seventeen
Friday morning, Marla and Charlene shivered in the cool morning fog at Simi Valley Amtrak Station. Dwayne set the bags down and put his arms around them and hugged them for warmth.
“Brrr, I hope it’s warmer when we get to Coronado Island.” Marla snuggled closer.
Dwayne kissed Marla’s forehead. “I talked to Donovan last night. He said balmy, and more of the same expected for the weekend.”
Char pointed. “Look, the signal lights are flashing. The train will be here in a couple of minutes. I haven’t been on the choo-choo for years. This is fun.” She lifted her bag from the platform and leaned to peer down the track.
Dwayne grabbed his and Marla’s bags as the engine’s headlight appeared from the north. “Here she comes.”
The sleek Pacific Surfliner rolled to a stop at the platform, and Marla checked their tickets again to see if she could tell which car to board.
Char bounced on her toes. “Over there, Marla, Business Class car. See?”
Dwayne grinned. “Your sister is like a kid. I’m not sure if she’s more excited about seeing my brother again or taking a ride on the train.”
Marla enjoyed Charlene’s excitement and felt a twinge of her own. She and Dwayne had crawled out of her bed at five that morning with the benefit of little sleep. “I hope I don’t look as ragged as I feel this morning.”
“You look well-loved, Red.” He nodded to the car where Charlene spoke to the conductor. “Takes four hours to get there. You can have a nap.”
“Fat chance of that. I need more coffee. I’m hungry.”
“I had no idea you were so high maintenance.”
“Welcome to Marla’s World.” She followed her sister inside the car, and they selected a row with facing seats near the center of the car.
“This looks comfy, sis. You sit across from me and we can play cards.”
“Dwayne can play cards with you. I plan to snooze.”
“Party poop.” Char smiled at Dwayne. “Sit across from me. Marla doesn’t like cards.” She removed a deck from her purse. “Poker, Twenty-one, Gin, name your poison, Sergeant Dempsey.”
“I like strip-poker, but Amtrak probably doesn’t allow it.”
“I don’t know if I can stand the two of you for four straight hours.”
“What a grouch. That woman needs coffee.”
“So she said.” Dwayne hefted their bags onto the overhead luggage rack.
The train rolled away from the station in less than five minutes. Marla sighed with contentment when Dwayne sat next to her.
He took her hand in his. “Okay, Danaher?”
“More than Okay, Dempsey.”
Charlene propped open the small table and set the cards on top. “I’m not sure what kind of magic you weave, Mr. Dempsey, but you’ve definitely mellowed my little sister’s
