Page 50 of Random in Death

“It is, yes, and for several hours more.”

“Good. That’s good.” As he set her weapon and boots aside, she rolled and flopped on her face. “Wake me when it’s Monday.”

After shedding his shoes, he stretched out beside her with Galahad guarding her other flank.

“No dreams, darling Eve,” he murmured. “No dreams now. Just sleep.”

She woke disoriented in dim, dying light. She heard Roarke’s quiet murmur, and blinking, watched him give the cat a few of the treats Galahad craved like a junkie craved the funk.

After rolling over, she stared through the sky window over the bed, trying to gauge the time.

Gave up, sat up.

“Yes,” Roarke said. “It’s still Sunday.”

“How long was I out?”

“Nearly as long as we were at Mavis’s, and you look considerably better for it.”

“Did you sleep?”

“I had a solid, recharging hour.”

She swept her hands over her face and back over her hair. “I should have coffee, update the board.”

“Tell me, will updating it now change anything for your investigation or your victim?”

“No.”

“Then let’s try this. Why don’t we cap off that much-needed nap with a swim? After that, if you’re still anxious about the updates, I’ll give you a hand with them.”

“That’s a good deal.” Maybe, marginally, even better than coffee. “I could use a swim.”

“Grab something more comfortable than your work clothes to change into after.”

“Is that like that old line?” She slid out of bed. “Putting on something more comfortable?”

He looked at his wife, her whiskey-colored eyes alert again, her body loose instead of limp.

“It could be, though that wasn’t the original intent. I had in mind a T-shirt and lounging pants.”

She pulled both out. “Like these?”

“There you are.”

Taking her hand, he drew her to the elevator.

Inside, she leaned companionably against him. “Have you ever pulled carrots?”

“You’re oddly stuck on that, aren’t you?”

“Well, it was so weird. Have you?”

“I have not.” He shot her a cautious look. “Are you telling me you’d like to plant carrots so you can harvest them? Or, as you said, yank them out of the ground?”

“Jesus God, no.” The idea of it, and the accompanying image of the two of them doing just that, made her laugh. “We planted that tree by the pond, right? I think that covers us for the duration.”

“I enjoyed planting that tree, but agree. It covered us.”

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