One, of course, stayed home with me. I’d made my peace with the memory of James, and Musetta had her own bed by my computer now, although she preferred the wine-colored velvet armchair by the window. And Aslan, the ragged tabby whose fighting spirit may have saved our lives, was enjoying the pampered ease of a house pet. I frequently saw him, with his equally shabby sister, when I went for my morning run, sitting like royalty in the window of Patti’s house on their own dupioni silk pillows. (I’d recommended Ultrasuede, but Patti wasn’t ready to go that far.) Patti herself often waved to me if she saw me go by, though she knew enough not to stop me before I was done. The For Sale sign never went back up. She and her neon outfits were part of the neighborhood now.
I didn’t run on weekends, though. Not when I had anything better to do. In fact, I’d been sleeping in when the phone woke me. A lovely, luxurious morning, Musetta and I stretched in unison. I decided to ignore the ringing, and smiled when I remembered the night before.
“That was a Mrs. Hudson for you,” said Bill as he walked in with two steaming mugs of coffee. I groaned. That woman! “I told her you were still asleep and I wouldn’t wake you.” He put one of the mugs down on my night table and gave me a quick kiss, before ducking out of the bedroom again. He returned with the paper and climbed under the covers again. “Do you want to see this?” He handed me the magazine, which boasted a special section on interior design. “She already did. She said she wouldn’t bother you for the world but I was to tell you thank you. You captured, and I quote, ‘the essence of her art and her home,’ and she loves the piece.” I took the magazine from him and felt my professional instincts start to click in. Did I want to read it? What would the layout look like? “Forget this,” I said, and contemplated the book review section. Then I reached for Bill instead.
On the floor, nestled on the Sunday paper, Musetta purred and purred.
Table of Contents
Cover Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventen
Chapter Eighteen
Epilogue