Because a Husband Is Forever Read Free Page A

fashion, was MacKenzie. The second Dakota entered the brightly lit room, MacKenzie sighed audibly.
    â€œOh, thank God you’ve finally shown up. Do you realize what time it is?” With one gnawed fingertip, she pointed to her wristwatch. “I was going to call out the National Guard to find you.”
    Dakota was accustomed to MacKenzie’s dramatic moments. They’d been roommates in college in California. Dakota, the blond, statuesque native, took it upon herself to show around the petite, dark-haired transplanted Bostonian. They’d come out to New York together to take the town by storm. Thanks to a few wordsDakota’s father had put in for them with the head of the studio, they pretty much had.
    Dakota tilted her head toward the light as Alicia put on the final strokes. “They have more important things to do than look for me, Zee.”
    â€œIn case you hadn’t noticed, so do I.” Without preamble, she took Dakota’s purse from her and flipped open the section where her cell phone was usually housed. “So, it is here.” To underscore her point, MacKenzie took the small silver cell out and held it up. Her tone and frown were both accusing. “The object of having a cell phone, Dakota, is so that people can call you when they’re in the middle of having a heart attack.”
    Dakota took her cell back and tucked it into her purse before depositing the latter in the bottom drawer of the vanity table. “I wanted to be alone.”
    MacKenzie pressed her lips together. Her eyes searched Dakota’s face, looking for a telltale sign that she was about to break. It wasn’t like her just to take off like that without leaving some kind of word. “I was afraid you’d do something drastic.”
    Close as they were, Dakota didn’t like to expose her feelings. Especially not when there was a third party present. Her voice lowered. “Over John? Please, I’m not some teenager.”
    They’d known each other too long for pretenses. MacKenzie had never thought she’d see her gregarious friend give her heart to any man. When it happened, sheheld her breath, waiting for a shoe to drop, praying it wouldn’t. But it had. With a resounding thud.
    â€œNo,” MacKenzie said quietly in a tone that matched Dakota’s, “you’re a grown woman whose heart was stomped on by a big ape in combat boots.”
    Dakota waved a dismissive hand at the words. “Past history.”
    Glancing at her makeup artist, Dakota held out her hand for the lipstick she favored. Alicia dug the tube out of her makeup caddy and placed it in Dakota’s palm. Without benefit of mirror, Dakota did the honors quickly. Finished, she handed the tube back to Alicia and squared her shoulders.
    She was going to wear what she had on, she decided. “Now let’s move on to our present history.”
    But as she began to walk out of her dressing room, MacKenzie placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her. “Small problem.”
    Dakota narrowed her eyes. “What kind of small problem?”
    â€œThat animal trainer who was scheduled to be on the show—”
    Dakota nodded. It was Monday. She’d gone over the week’s guest-star list, skimming over their biographies and trying to get to know a little about them before she faced them on her program. “Fearless Frederick. What about him?”
    â€œSeems that Fearless was taken to the emergency room last night. One of his animals decided to challengehis title and took off the tip of one of his fingers. I hear Fearless turned the E.R. blue.”
    Dakota stifled a shiver, trying not to envision the gruesome sight. “Is he okay?”
    â€œThey sewed it back on, but needless to say, you won’t be holding on to one of his trained snakes today.”
    â€œCan’t say I’m really disappointed.” Though she was game for anything, there were definitely things that