Page 57 of A Wolf After My Own Heart
“I didn’t even like that house,” she replied on auto-pilot. “Sorry. Force of habit.”
“I can’t think of a single thing you need to apologize for. So. Magnus Berne,” he said, and she was so grateful he’d changed the subject she almost kissed him. She might kiss him anyway. No, no… “D’you think his friends call him Maggie?”
That had been her first thought when the man introduced himself: Sally’s father (if that’s who had been on the phone) had specifically warned her:watch out for Maggie.“And you’ve gotta admit, that’s an interesting coincidence.”
“Yep.”
“And if you and I thought of it—”
“Yeah, Annette’s in there politely giving him the third degree. Bet on it.”
“If he’s willing, you could bring him back to my house. If he’s been traveling—do we know how he got here? Or where he came from?—he might want a break. It’s still early, but he’s bright-eyed and neatly dressed, so I’m thinking he pulled an all-nighter on the way here. So he might want a drink or what-have-you. He might say something he wouldn’t, normally. Or he’ll totally clear himself.”
“And Sally should see him,” Oz added. “She might know if he’s the real deal. And if he’s the Maggie she was warned about.”
“I’m aware this is the question of the week, but whereisSally?”
“Still watchingSimpsons.I caught Dev skulking outside on my way here, so I told him to get his sneaky butt in the house and keep an eye on her until we got back, on pain of violent dismemberment if he disobeyed.”
“All that, while you were simultaneously changing your clothes,” she teased. “Impressive.”
“I fucking love your robe,” he replied with off-putting intensity.
“Uh. Okay.”
“Have dinner with me.”
“Try to stay focused.”
* * *
“I dunno who this is.” Sally was blinking up at Maggie-the-giant. “But it’s nice to meet you?”
Berne threw back his head and laughed. After they went back to Lila’s place, Magnus Berne had wasted no time introducing himself to Sally. “We’ve met, darling, but I don’t expect you’d remember… It was two years ago. You were just a wee thing.”
And wasn’tthatconvenient: the goddaughter hadn’t seen her godfather, but oh, sure, they’d definitely met, and he was definitely a friend of the family, so there was definitely no need to worry further on that account. Or ask any more questions.
Sure.
Macropi hadn’t come back to Lila’s, preferring to remain and sift through some of the wreckage. She promised/threatened to bring more clothes and food to Lila’s and insisted they make “poor Mr. Berne” comfortable, and at her insistence, they left her to it.
“Magnus was just telling us that he flew here in his own plane,” Oz said with an impressive lack ofah-ha!in his tone. “He lives in Scotland and has his own Cessna.”
“Fascinating. I didn’t know you could make that flight in a single-engine plane,” Lila said.
“Y’can, lass, but takes some planning, I can tell you. And my island is in Lake Minnetonka. And you…Miss Lila, is it?”
“You’re half right.”
“How d’you know my goddaughter?”
“I found her in an alley, took her home, gave her honey, and my life unraveled from there.”
“Hey!”
Lila smiled and took Sally’s hand. “‘Unraveled’ in a good way.”
Berne’s broad face was furrowing, which wasn’t unlike watching a cliff frown. “When ye say ‘found her,’ she was. Ah. Her other self?”
