The Harder They Fall (19 page)
“Rover!” Martin said excitedly, forgetting the book.
The door slammed and they heard snuffling and the patter of wildly scampering paws as Rover, a black cocker spaniel puppy with a white splash on his chest, came flying down the hall. He shot through the air and landed on Martin, who was screaming with laughter. The dog smothered the boy with loud, wet kisses.
“Well, I must say Rover seems none the worse for wear,” Helene said dryly to Chris, who was lounging in the doorway, grinning at the spectacle on the bed.
“Dr. Bock gave him a shot for the infected ear,” Chris replied. “And he had a chicken fajita at Super Burger on the way home.”
“Christopher, how many times have I told you not to give that dog Mexican food?” Helene said in strong voice.
“He likes it.”
“He won’t eat his dog chow tomorrow. And when he doesn’t, I’ll just send you out for a special order of tacos, okay?”
Chris ambled over and kissed her lingeringly on the side of her throat. “Okay,
mamacita
,” he said in a chastened voice, which didn’t fool her for a minute.
Rover leaped off the bed and began to rocket around the room, panting madly. Martin shouted encouragement from the bed, waving his arms and giggling.
“I guess Rover’s excited to be home,” Chris said, laughing.
“Well, at least he saved me from three renditions of the bad little pony,” Helene replied dryly, sneaking the book back onto the shelf while Martin was preoccupied with the dog.
“Okay, buddy,” Chris announced to his son. “Rover has to go back to his bed in the kitchen.”
Rover chose that moment to vault onto the bed and land on his back at Martin’s feet, paws in the air. Martin looked up at them with mute appeal flooding his huge brown eyes and pleaded, “Rover stay with me?”
Helene groaned.
“That’s up to your mother, kiddo,” Chris said, taking the coward’s way out.
“Chris, the bed will be full of fleas by morning,” Helene said in an undertone.
“Are you suggesting that Rover has fleas?” Chris asked in mock horror.
“Please?” Martin said, adopting a perfect imitation of his father’s most beguiling expression. To add to the pitiful tableau, Rover whimpered adoringly and thumped his tail once.
“I give up,” Helene said, shrugging and throwing out her hands in resignation.
Martin yodeled and hugged the dog, who licked his face enthusiastically.
“Just this once,” she added, trying to hang on to some semblance of discipline.
“Now lights out,” Chris said.
“Pillow for Rover?” Martin suggested.
“Don’t push your luck, kid,” Chris advised him, switching off the lamp next to the bed and turning on the night-light. As if in response to some secret signal, Rover flopped onto his side at the foot of the bed and sighed deeply.
“I know I’m going to regret this,” Helene said. “He’ll have Stomper sleeping in here next.” Stomper was Martin’s six-month-old spotted colt.
“G’night, champ,” Chris said, bending from the waist to kiss his son’s forehead.
“Night, Daddy,” the boy said.
Helene tucked him in after Chris left and by the time she closed the bedroom door both boy and dog were deep in dreamland.
“Is he sleeping?” Chris asked as Helene came into their bedroom, yawning.
“Snoring. He’s exhausted.”
“Come here and join me,” Chris said, flipping back the sheet invitingly.
Helene slid in next to him and curled against his warm naked flank, sighing with contentment.
“Do you think he’s spoiled?” Chris asked.
“Are you kidding? Of course.”
“Is that a problem?”
“If he plans to live among the rest of the human race, it is.”
“He’ll shape up when he gets to school.”
“By the time he gets to school he’ll think he’s the center of the universe.”
Chris was laughing silently; she could feel him shaking.
“It isn’t funny,” she said.
“I have a solution,” he offered.
“I can’t wait to hear it.”
“Let’s have another child.”
Helene propped herself up on one elbow and stared down at him.
“Do you mean it?” she said.
“Sure. Let’s get started on it this minute,” he said, pushing aside the collar of her nightgown with his tongue.
“It’s not the right time.”
“It’s always the right time.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Then I guess we’ll just have to keep working at it until we get it done,” he said in mock resignation.
Helene melted into his arms in agreement.
– THE END –
I am Doreen Owens Malek, author of over forty books and lifelong fan of romantic fiction. I live in PA with my husband and college student daughter, a mini dachshund and a sun conyer parrot. I would like to tell you a little about myself.
I came to writing by a circuitous route, starting out as an avid reader of
Jane Eyre
and
Wuthering Heights
and
Gone With the Wind
and
Rebecca
, and any other similarly themed books I could find. I first worked as a teacher and then graduated from law school when I desired a more lucrative and independent career. I had always been discouraged from pursuing a writing career by the volatile nature of the business and the relatively poor chance for success. But the realization that I needed a focus for the future encouraged me to do what I had always wanted to do. I sold my fledgling novel to the first editor who read it, and I have been writing ever since. I have written all types of books for all types of people, but my favorite literary pursuit is and always has been romance. Nothing is as rewarding as hearing from my readers, so please use my website to communicate your thoughts and criticisms, as I am always eager to learn from you.
A romance novel rarely disappoints me: in an uncertain world filled with tragedy and sadness, reading about an appealing woman finding a strong man to love her and share her life is the perfect escape. I like to read and write stories in which the main characters overcome obstacles to get together, and then stay together because their mutual devotion cannot be denied no matter what else is happening around them. They always HELP each other and reinforce the quaint but enduring notion that love conquers all—at least in the fictional universe of my imagination. So pull up a chair and take down a book—or pick up a Kindle—and join me in a world where the heroes are tough and headstrong but never boorish and the heroines are feminine and sympathetic but never helpless.
Happy reading!
— Doreen Owens Malek
NEW RELEASES BY
DOREEN OWENS MALEK
Brand new, never published
Contemporary Romance
AMANDA’S BLUE MARINE
Available for digital download
at Amazon.com, and in print at
Reissue of the enormously popular
A MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE (1989),
available for digital download at Amazon.com
Look for
ANOTHER MARRIAGE
OF CONVENIENCE,
the sequel to the above title, available
for digital download later in 2012.
Also available for digital
download at Amazon.com,
MARRIAGE IN NAME ONLY
best seller from 1995.
JUST RELEASED (MARCH 2012)
MEN OF INTRIGUE: A TRILOGY
750 Pages of Romance Reading Entertainment!
Amanda’s Blue Marine
(Contemporary Romance): When Amanda Redfield, an assistant district attorney from a wealthy Philadelphia family, is harassed by a mysterious stalker, she meets Brendan Kelly, the detective assigned to her case. Smart and capable but deeply troubled, Kelly protects Amanda while he works to find her tormentor, but his disturbing presence and rogue behavior disrupt Amanda’s settled life. She is helplessly drawn to the sexy and charming but barely controlled cop. As their passion grows she must choose between her privileged past and an uncertain future with a man who is spiraling out of control. How she draws on her wits and resources to rescue Kelly as surely as he once rescued her makes for a powerful and satisfying love story.
A Marriage of Convenience
(Contemporary Romance). Taylor Braddock. His name brought back memories of a man so handsome that a young girl had fallen in love - and made a fool of herself. A man so unique he’d spoiled Sharon Philips for any other love.
But now her father’s will had joined their lives once again. In a final attempt at matchmaking, Dad left half his California horse ranch to Sharon, the other half to Braddock - provided they were husband and wife.
A quick wedding. A quick divorce. A quick sale of the ranch. It seemed simple. but time had only fueled their passion. Could Taylor erase then years of pain and show Sharon that loving him was her destiny?
