Fashion Faux Paw (38 page)

BOOK: Fashion Faux Paw

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“He seems like a nice man,” said Ellie, giving Rudy a nudge with her foot. “And it sounds as if he’s on your side in this bakery venture.”

Sara pulled a chair over and took a seat. “He is. That’s why I hired one of his grandsons to work in the store. I figured it was about time I took some of Joe’s advice.”

“Joe? You asked Joe for advice?”

“Well, sure. We’re sort of in the same field, and he has a good head on his shoulders. You went to college together. You must know that about him.”

“Joe Cantiglia is a very smart guy. It’s just that—”
He’s head over heels in love with you?
“He, um, he’s a man. And they’re, you know, kind of, um . . .”

“Dense? Sure, I see that. When I first started asking his opinion, he always wore a dopey expression, but I gave him a chance, like you suggested, and now we’re pals.”

Pals?
The word would definitely annoy Joe.
“He’s a trusted friend, and very good-looking. You notice that, right?”

“Oh, yeah, but you know how I feel about fancy wrapping. It’s what’s inside the box that counts. Give me a man with a brain first, then a sense of humor. Good looks fade as the years pass, but the rest of it hangs around forever. I want a man who knows what he’s doing, makes me laugh, and promises to stick with me until death do us part.”

“I do think Joe is that kind of guy,” Ellie said.

“He might be, but I’ve seen him in the store, reacting to the women who come in and flirt with him. I bet he has a different date every night.”

“Uh, no,” Ellie answered, sticking up for Joe. “He’s turned over a new leaf. He’s looking for a woman he can count on. He wants kids, and a life with friends and family. The same thing you’re looking for.”

“Well, I hope he finds it. In the meantime, I’m happy he’s given me a hand with a few business decisions, and convinced me to hire more help for the store.”

Ellie bit back a laugh. It had been a long while since she’d met two people who saw things so differently. She was going to have to come up with a plan that would make Sara see Joe was the perfect man for her.

“Have you seen Joe, by the way? We came in together and then I lost him.”

“I left him with my mom and dad. Funny how they seemed to hit it off after just a few minutes. That’s when I decided to come find you.”

“Are your parents staying long?”

“Until the first of the year, though I don’t know if Mom will make it. All she keeps saying is they live in an island paradise, and here they are in Manhattan for the winter. She’s dressed to avoid germs, so it’s a good thing it’s been mild or she’d be out of here like a shot.”

“I take it you have a lot to do to keep them occupied.”

“Dad wants to dabble in the kitchen, for sure. He said it’s been too long since he puttered with a recipe, like he did with Grandma Millie’s. He’s dying to try the mix he brought me for a new cookie. Pooh and Tigger will be his taste testers, so please bring your four-legged clients in whenever you can to take their place. Otherwise the girls will gain weight and I’ll never get them back to a healthy size.”

A dog barked and Sara stood. “That sounds like Pooh or Tigger. I’d better see what’s up. How about taking a walk with me? I want you to meet the rest of the family, including my new hire.”

Ellie walked into her apartment, hung up her coat, and removed Rudy’s leash. Sam had been a no-show at the party, which worried her, but she was smart enough to know that if the situation was urgent, he’d find a way to get a message to her.

Her detective took his job seriously, and he’d always been honest with her about the hours he put in. Ellie had made up her mind long ago that she wanted Sam in her life, flaws and all. Now if only he and Rudy could—

“So the dappy dick let you down again, huh?”
came her boy’s voice from below.

“Sam never let’s me down. He probably got tied up—”

“Maybe on the tracks of a subway train.”

“That’s very unkind,” she said, marching down the hall. “He’d forgive me if I got involved with my job. In fact, he’s done so on several occasions, including that time you were kidnapped. He saved us both, if you’ll remember.”

“Sure, sure, but he’d still dump me first chance he got.”

“I do not believe that for a second. Now, stop being difficult. It was a great party, don’t you think?”

“Great food and even greater dogs. Who could ask for more?”

She stood and slipped out of her slacks. After removing her underthings, she drew a sleep shirt over her head and went to the bathroom to finish her nightly routine. When she returned to the bedroom, she found her boy curled up on his favorite pillow.

“I have no idea where Sam is or when he’ll get home, so I’m going to relax for a while.” She got under the covers and took the romance novel she’d been reading off the nightstand.

A short while later, Ellie closed her book and tried to doze, but sleep evaded her. She thought about Joe and Sara. Would they ever find each other, the way she and Sam had? What had happened to Sam tonight? Why hadn’t she heard from him? And how funny was it that her dog and her man had so much in common, yet they would never realize it?

She finally fell asleep, but it didn’t seem like long before she heard Rudy growl. The closet light turned on and she blinked, watching Sam’s silhouette fill the doorway.

“Hey, you’re home.”

After toeing off his shoes and socks, he stripped off his slacks and hung them up, then dropped his shirt in the hamper. “Yeah, and I’m sorry I didn’t call, but something came up. I ended up trading weekends with a guy whose son was in a car accident.” Sam walked to her side of the bed. “Sorry, babe, but I’ll probably pull duty this weekend.”

She tried not to sigh. “I understand. Besides, there’s always next weekend, right?” She entwined her fingers in his hand. “Just promise me you won’t give up Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, no matter who needs a sub.”

“I’ll remember.” He bent forward and they shared a warm kiss.

“Maybe we can snuggle for a while and I can fall back to sleep. I’m willing to give it a try if you are.”

She wriggled into the curve of his body and was soon asleep. But when the phone rang, her eyes snapped open.

She checked the time. Who in the world would bother reaching her at six a.m. on a Saturday morning?

“If that’s your mother, I’m gonna arrest her for disturbing the peace,” Sam muttered, yawning.

She grabbed her cell phone from the charger and gave a muffled, “’lo?”

“Ellie, it’s Joe.”

Joe?
“Uh, hi. What’s up?”

“I need to see you. Now.” His voice choked. “There’s been a murder.”