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Sean had just closed the door behind him. He blinked in the sunshine as he ambled over, straightening the sleeves on his jacket. He stopped next to Sunny and kissed her on the cheek. “Maybe I’ll see you later.” He turned his gaze to Pete. “Hi.”
“Hi.” Pete’s big grin fell.
Sunny’s face went hot. “Pete, this is Sean. Sean, Pete.” She did some clumsy gesturing.
They nodded at each other.
“Pete’s a knight in shining armor.” Sunny gripped his shoulder and squeezed. “Always helping me out when I need something. Been like that since we were kids.” Her voice had an odd, high pitch to it. “Right, Pete?”
“Yep.”
Sean’s gaze went from Sunny’s hand on Pete’s shoulder to Pete’s face and back again. “Sure,” he said. He turned to Sunny. “Enjoy your day. Hope you get all your decorations up.”
“Great.” Why did her voice sound so funny? And why did she saygreat? That didn’t even make sense.
After Sean left, Pete turned to her. “Sean a new friend?” He gestured toward the sedan as it disappeared down the road. “I don’t remember seeing him before. Though he does seem familiar.”
“Yes. New.” She didn’t feel like getting a second lecture on promiscuity, so she kept her answer short. Luckily, Pete was not the sort to pry.
“All right, then.” Pete eyed the giant Douglas fir that reached all the way up to Sunny’s bedroom turret. “So what’s our deal? I help you put balls on this sucker and you let me start training the pups in January, right?”
“That’s the deal.” Sunny nodded toward the ladder that lay on the ground next to the tree. “I’ll bring your balls out soon as I’m dressed.”
“Speaking of balls.” Pete eyed her up and down. “You must be freezing yours off right now.” His breath turned to steam as he laughed.
Sunny pulled on the hem of her silky robe but did not succeed in making it cover any more of her bare skin. “Why, yes, I am,” she agreed. “Which is why I’m going inside.”
By the time Sunny had showered, fixed the coffee and taken a thermos out to Pete, he was already on the ladder, wrapping garland around the fir. “I found it in the foyer,” he called from his perch ten feet in the air. “Found your balls, too!” He pointed to the bag of giant ornaments on the ground. Sunny had spied the big balls on clearance after Christmas last year and had bought as many pink ones as she could find.
She gave Pete the thumbs-up. “I brought you some coffee.” She peered up at Pete and shielded her eyes from the sun. Despite the cold, he’d peeled off his jacket and had it tied around his waist. His flannel shirt was rolled to his elbows, giving him a rugged look of concentration as he wound the gold garland on the branches.
Pete climbed down the ladder and accepted the thermos. “I know where I’ve seen him.” He pointed toward the end of the driveway, where Sean had disappeared. “I’ve seen that guy at the police station. When I’ve gone out to visit Kyle.” After a pause Pete clarified, “Kyle, from the K-9 Unit. Your visitor is a cop.”
Sunny wasn’t sure why she felt a twinge in her stomach. “Maybe.”
“He is.” Pete nodded. “Everything okay?”
Sunny took the thermos from Pete’s hands and opened it. She took a sip, but it burned her tongue. “He’s the friend I told you about. Don’t worry. Like I said, nobody saw you at the kennel the night we rescued the dogs. They think I beat up the nephew. Not you.”
Pete took the thermos back and narrowed his eyes. “I don’t care about that. I just want to make sure you’re okay.” The morning sun played over Pete’s face, changing his eyes from light brown to gold and back again. He sipped the coffee, and didn’t seem to mind the heat.
“I’m fine.” Sunny reached out and squeezed his shoulder again. Only after she did it did she wonder how often she did that. “You know you don’t need to worry about me. I got it all under control.”
Pete took another drink. Then another. Then he handed her the thermos and winked. “All right, Sunny Skye. Leave your big balls out here and get inside, where it’s warm. I’m sure you’ve got plenty to do before tonight’s party.”
“Thanks, Pete.” Sunny kissed him on the cheek. She didn’t pull away as quickly as she expected. He smelled different somehow. His skin felt different, too, under her lips.
“Go.” Pete drew away and stepped onto the ladder. “You got all those rich people coming to party. Get to work, girl.”
“Right.” Sunny smiled. She went inside, but for a few minutes more she watched Pete as he worked the garland around the tree, slowly but surely making her Douglas fir bright and happy.
The grounds were decked out in full, tasteful Christmas glory. A single live pine wreath, complete with red berries and bows and electric candles, adorned each window of the house. The twelve-foot-tall Douglas fir on the north lawn had been decorated with white lights and large balls in ecru and pale pink. The grand foyer had another large Christmas tree, this one with fat, colored bulbs, bubbling lights, Victorian Santas and old-fashioned ornaments that hinted at years gone by. Garland wound the railings and the air had a subtle hint of pine.
Sunny wore a fashionable dress in a red-and-black checkered pattern that clung to her slender body. “You remember, now that you made me give him your room, you have nowhere to stay.” She pushed her golden hair behind her ear and fixed Constance with a stern look.
“I don’t care.” Constance, wearing her navy blue scrubs, looked far less classy than her sister. What else was new? “If I choose to sleep here tonight, I can sleep in the massage room. Or on your floor.”
“Uh-uh.” Sunny shook her head. “You’re not sleeping in my room. I know what you’re like since Daddy died and Josh left. You don’t sleep. You toss and turn, call out, wake in night sweats. Unless I get you drunk. Hmm.” She pinched her chin with her thumb and forefinger. “That’s an idea.”
