One of the Boys Read Free

guests out onto the balcony. “She could go into interior design professionally if she wanted to.”
    â€œAnd I thought I was lucky to find my little bayside cottage,” Maura said with a sigh, sinking into one of the lounge chairs to absorb the full glory of a flaming-red sun hovering above the dark green waters.
    â€œIt wasn’t easy to get into this condo,” Pete confided. Pouring margaritas from a frosty pitcher, hepassed them to his guests before settling his lanky frame onto a lounge chair. “The pittance we poor civil servants earn barely covers the maintenance fees. I thought we’d have to hock Carol’s jewelry for the down payment.”
    â€œOh, come on, Pete.” His wife’s voice carried a hint of annoyance. “You know it’s not that bad.”
    â€œWell, I hope you saved enough for insurance,” Jake put in, and deftly steered the conversation away from the apparently rocky shoals of domestic finances to the upcoming hurricane season. Maura had already participated in one hurricane watch since her arrival. Weather was a favorite topic of conversation on this part of the coast, she’d discovered, right after Miami Dolphins football.
    She tried to warm up to her hostess over dinner. Carol had obviously gone to considerable effort on her guests’ behalf. Heavy gleaming silver and sparkling crystal decorated the table, with an exquisite bird-of-paradise blossom in a Lalique holder at each place setting.
    â€œPete’s right,” Maura offered sincerely. “You have a wonderful flair for decorating.”
    â€œThank you.” Her long, manicured fingers stroked her crystal goblet sensuously. “I think a beautifully ordered setting helps create an inner serenity, don’t you?”
    Amusement flickered in the gray eyes directly across the table from Maura. She could see Jake waiting expectantly for her response.
    â€œYes, I do.” She gave her hostess a polite smile. “Of course, we all find beauty in different ways. I, for one, like lots of splashy color.”
    â€œI know Jake appreciates clean, pure lines,” Carol purred. “He’s got a fabulous place across the bay.” The look she sent him from under lowered lashes suggested an intimate knowledge of his home—among other things.
    A tinge of red crept up Jake’s cheekbones as he gave a light answer and changed the subject.
    Sooo, Maura thought. Our hostess has the hots for the dashing Colonel McAllister. Repressing a twinge of something she couldn’t quite analyze, she glanced at her host. Pete was energetically tossing the Caesar salad, but the faint crease between his brows told her he hadn’t missed his wife’s provocative remark.
    Maura stepped in to cover the awkward moment. “You’ll have to tell me where to shop around here. I’ve been so busy at work I haven’t had time to hit the malls.”
    â€œSandestin has some nice little shops,” her hostess replied with a polite smile. “Although I doubt they’ll have anything quite as stylish as the boutiques in L.A.”
    â€œOr as expensive,” Maura agreed, laughing.
    Pete gave her a grateful glance and kept the ball rolling by pumping her about L.A. Allowing her natural liveliness full rein, Maura exhausted her store of anecdotes about traffic tangles, star sightings and mail carriers on in-line skates. By the time Carolbrought in the coffee, she couldn’t wait for the awful evening to be over.
    Â 
    Riding home through the soft, starry night, she fought the beginnings of a headache. Her gushing chatter had drained both her energy and her enthusiasm. With a small sigh, she leaned her head back against the soft leather seat.
    â€œWould you mind telling me what that was all about?”
    The deep, gravelly voice coming at her out of the darkness made Maura jump. “What do you mean?”
    â€œI mean your performance tonight. You played the