Marla’s chest constricted and her ears rang. Unable to move or speak, she stared at her sister and Dwayne chatting as if nothing was out of order. It was perfectly normal for him to be found half-naked at her breakfast table, right?
Char gave her a brief glance and turned to Dwayne. “No tattoos? I was sure you’d have at least one, being in the Marines and all. Donnie’s got a big one right here.” She touched Dwayne’s pectorals and took a bite of the omelet. “Mmm, good.”
He smiled at her sister and took a swallow of orange juice. “No tattoos. I didn’t want to mar my magnificent bod.”
Charlene waggled her brows. “I see. Where’s the coffee? Marla, did you make coffee?” Her head swiveled as she looked to the counter where the coffeemaker sat cold and unused. “No? Okay, I’ll make some.”
Marla sat in mute mortification while Charlene busied herself making coffee. Of all the mornings for her twin sister to show up unannounced. She made the mistake of glancing at Dwayne.
He winked and chewed on his toast as if he were here every morning, half dressed, having breakfast with her.
Charlene poured water in the well, added coffee grounds to the basket.
“You okay?” Char asked, her big eyes shining.
“Char, what you are doing here at this hour?”
“The question, dear sister,” she said as she pointed at Dwayne, “is what’re you doing here at this hour?”
“I take a little cream with my coffee,” Dwayne said with a grin. He gazed at Marla. “Right, honey?”
Marla gave up. She moaned and dropped her head in her hands. “Please, lightning strike now.”
Charlene poured a cup of coffee for Dwayne, opened the refrigerator for the half-and-half then put it on the table. “You take yours black, right, sis?”
Hands still covering her mouth, Marla nodded and uttered a muffled, “Yes.” She knew Charlene would absolutely, positively, never, ever let her live this down.
Dwayne poured cream in his coffee and stirred it with his fork. “Smells great, Charlene. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome, I’m sure you earned it.” She winked at Marla. “Did he? Earn it?”
“Yes, Char.” Marla glared. “He earned it. Every last drop. Anything else you’d like to know?” She’d get even with her sister for this embarrassing moment if it was the last thing she ever did.
Charlene gave Dwayne a sassy grin, accompanied by fluttering lashes. “I’m sure he did, and yes, I’d like every lurid detail, but I doubt you’re in a mood to share.”
Marla’s lips twitched a small smile. “I have to hand it to you, Char. You’re so perceptive.” She poked her arm. “Why are you here?”
“Ow.” Charlene bounced in her chair. “Oh, oh, I’m so excited. Donovan called to see if the three of us could come to Camp Pendleton Friday night. He got a weekend pass.” Her gaze bobbed between them. “Want to go? He reserved two rooms at the Hotel Del Coronado. I’ve always wanted to go there. It’s so historical, so romantic.” She sighed and crossed her hands over her heart.
“Two rooms?” Marla asked, her brow furrowed.
“Donnie said we’d only need two rooms because Dwayne would have gotten you in bed by now, and obviously he did, so you can stay together. Sound like a plan?” She gazed at Dwayne.
“Sounds like a plan to me,” he said. “Want to go, honey?”
“But what about Skipper? Do they allow pets?” What did it matter? She had no intention of spending the weekend with Donovan, Charlene, and Dwayne, in a hotel, in San Diego.
“No,” Char said. “I already asked Sil to watch him for the weekend. Any other reason you can’t go?”
Apparently she had no say in the matter. Coronado Island for the weekend sounded romantic, now that she had a few moments to consider it. “Um, no, I can’t think of any.”
“Oh, goody. Let’s take the train. It’ll be fun. Donnie will meet us at the San Diego station. We’ll go in his car from there. Coffee refills, anyone?”
Chapter Seventeen
Friday morning, Marla and Charlene shivered in the cool morning fog at Simi Valley Amtrak Station. Dwayne set the bags down and put his arms around them and hugged them for warmth.
“Brrr, I hope it’s warmer when we get to Coronado Island.” Marla snuggled closer.
Dwayne kissed Marla’s forehead. “I talked to Donovan last night. He said balmy, and more of the same expected for the weekend.”
Char pointed. “Look, the signal lights are flashing. The train will be here in a couple of minutes. I haven’t been on the choo-choo for years. This is fun.” She lifted her bag from the platform and leaned to peer down the track.
Dwayne grabbed his and Marla’s bags as the engine’s headlight appeared from the north. “Here she comes.”
The sleek Pacific Surfliner rolled to a stop at the platform, and Marla checked their tickets again to see if she could tell which car to board.
Char bounced on her toes. “Over there, Marla, Business Class car. See?”
Dwayne grinned. “Your sister is like a kid. I’m not sure if she’s more excited about seeing my brother again or taking a ride on the train.”
Marla enjoyed Charlene’s excitement and felt a twinge of her own. She and Dwayne had crawled out of her bed at five that morning with the benefit of little sleep. “I hope I don’t look as ragged as I feel this morning.”
“You look well-loved, Red.” He nodded to the car where Charlene spoke to the conductor. “Takes four hours to get there. You can have a nap.”
“Fat chance of that. I need more coffee. I’m hungry.”
“I had no idea you were so high maintenance.”
“Welcome to Marla’s World.” She followed her sister inside the car, and they selected a row with facing seats near the center of the car.
“This looks comfy, sis. You sit across from me and we can play cards.”
“Dwayne can play cards with you. I plan to snooze.”
“Party poop.” Char smiled at Dwayne. “Sit across from me. Marla doesn’t like cards.” She removed a deck from her purse. “Poker, Twenty-one, Gin, name your poison, Sergeant Dempsey.”
“I like strip-poker, but Amtrak probably doesn’t allow it.”
“I don’t know if I can stand the two of you for four straight hours.”
“What a grouch. That woman needs coffee.”
“So she said.” Dwayne hefted their bags onto the overhead luggage rack.
The train rolled away from the station in less than five minutes. Marla sighed with contentment when Dwayne sat next to her.
He took her hand in his. “Okay, Danaher?”
“More than Okay, Dempsey.”
Charlene propped open the small table and set the cards on top. “I’m not sure what kind of magic you weave, Mr. Dempsey, but you’ve definitely mellowed my little sister’s uptight personality.”
Marla stuck her tongue out at Charlene, and they exchanged identical sour faces.
Dwayne reached for the cards and opened the box. “Am I going to have to referee you two all the way to the end of the line?”
The Surfliner crawled into the long tunnel in the Santa Susanna Mountains separating Ventura County from Los Angeles County. Marla yawned when lights winked on in the car.
The conductor made her way through the coach checking tickets and chatting with passengers. Dwayne handed over their tickets. “Any chance of getting a cup of coffee?”
“Absolutely. Self-serve coffee and juice are at the end of the coach, and the snack bar is two cars back.”
He stood. “Shall I bring you two hot babes a cup of coffee?”
“Oh, yes, please,” Marla said.
“No coffee for me. I’ll have juice,” Char answered.
“You got it.” He walked to the back of the slightly swaying car.
“How can you keep your hands off that hunk of man? He makes my heart go pitter-pat.”
Marla pointed at her twin and smiled. “He’s off limits to you, Charlene.”
Marla leaned forward and whispered in a conspiratorial hiss, “Have you ever wondered what it is with Danaher women and Dempsey men? I mean, even our mother had the…whatever it is.”
“You always have to analyze everything, don’t you? Me—I’m just going to sit back and enjoy it.” She reached up with her hand as Dwayne returned with the drinks. “Thank you, Dwayne. What is it, cranberry?”
“That’s what it says on the bottle.” He handed the other cup to Marla. “Here’s your coffee, honey. You want a doughnut or something from the snack bar?”
“Thank you, yes, whatever looks good.” She tilted her head back for his kiss.
“You look good.” He kissed her soundly.
Char put her hand on her chest when Dwayne walked away. “Oh lordy, I could have an orgasm just looking at that man.”
“Charlene!”
“What?”
“You and your mouth.”
“Tell me you don’t feel the same way, Miss Starchy Pants.”
Marla rolled her eyes. Would she ever get used to her sister’s every thought rolling off her tongue for the entire world to hear?
Her cheeks caught fire when she noticed the man across the aisle grin and then quickly hide behind his newspaper. Mortified, that’s what she was, mortified. “I love you Char, but sometimes I want to slap duct tape over your mouth.”
Dwayne soon appeared carrying a tray loaded with a variety of snacks. He set it on the small table. “Did you finish your coffee already? I’ll get another cup for you.”
“No, sit, I’m fine for now. What did you bring us?”
“Good stuff, doughnuts and three breakfast sandwiches. Take your pick.” He sat next to her and winked lasciviously at Charlene.
Char pointed her finger at him. “Careful. Your brother has a jealous streak.”
Dwayne said, “I can take him down in under a minute.”
“Hmmm?” She lifted a sandwich off the tray and removed the paper wrapper. “Have one of these, Marla. Packed with nutrition, loaded with the three essential food groups. Fat, salt, and carbs.”
Marla helped herself to one of the sandwiches. “Smells good and I’m famished. Thanks, Dempsey.”
“Any time, Danaher.”
Dwayne stretched out his legs and pulled the bill of his baseball cap over his eyes. “I’m gonna grab a few Z’s, ladies.” And just like that, he was out.
Marla’s eyes grew heavy and she leaned into Dwayne’s shoulder. “I can’t stay awake another minute, Char.”
She woke to find herself on her side with her head in Dwayne’s lap. He joked with the man across the aisle, who was in the middle of a card game with Charlene. “Better quit while you’re ahead, buddy. That woman takes no prisoners.”
Marla moaned and sat up. “How long did I sleep?” She smoothed down her hair and rubbed her eyes. “Gosh, I went right out.”
Dwayne grinned and stretched his back. “We noticed. You slept about two hours.”
Charlene leaned forward. “I didn’t know you snored, sis.”
Marla jerked back. “I do not snore! Do I, Dwayne?”
He kissed her. “I’m taking the fifth on that one, honey.”
She snored? They had to be teasing her. She couldn’t imagine anything more embarrassing than being caught snoring on a crowded train. She tossed back her hair and stood. “I’m going to the ladies room.” She stepped over Dwayne’s legs. “Excuse me.”
He let his hand brush her hip and bottom as she stepped across him, and chuckled at her offended glare. “Hurry back.”
Dwayne leaned into the window and searched the arrivals platform as the train glided into the Spanish Colonial style San Diego Union Station. “There’s Donovan.”
The three of them stepped off the train. “Donovan!” Charlene called and waved. She ran to meet him and jumped into his arms, legs around his waist and arms around his neck.
Dwayne shook his head at the look of adoration on his little brother’s face. Donovan was a goner, for sure. “Looks like he’s glad to see her. What do you think?”
“I’m going to kill Char if she breaks your brother’s heart.”
What about his heart? Had Marla given any thought to that? “Hey, baby bro!” The two men bumped fists and slammed into each other like hockey players who’d just scored a goal. “How’s it going?”
Donovan took Charlene’s bag. “Come on, I’m parked in a pick-up zone. Don’t want to get ticketed.” He put his arm around Charlene’s shoulder and hugged her to his side.
Dwayne followed suit and urged Marla after them. “Yeah, I’m itching to get my toes in that swimming pool.”
Donovan grinned over his shoulder. “You mean the five you’ve still got left?”
“Watch it, kid. I can still whip your ass.”
Laughing, the four of them piled into Donovan’s none-too-new Range Rover and fastened their seat belts as he pulled away from the curb and waved to the traffic enforcement officer.
“That was close.” Charlene said, and gave the uniformed woman a big smile.
Donovan drove a couple of blocks, pulled to the curb, and snapped off his seat belt. He grabbed Charlene and planted a kiss on her lips. Then another.
Dwayne punched his shoulder. “Hey, get a room.”
“That’s what I intend to do.” Donovan shifted back to the driver’s seat and moved into traffic. “I couldn’t wait to kiss my woman. You know how it is.”
Yeah, Dwayne knew how it was. He instinctively took Marla’s hand and leaned in for a kiss.
She whispered in his ear. “Can’t wait to get in the pool? I had something else in mind.” Didn’t take any more than those few words and he went hard.
Time to take a breath and do some recon, soldier.
Were they moving too fast? Heading for a flameout? He sure as hell hoped not.
He leaned close to Donovan’s seat. “How long till we get there?”
Donovan’s shoulders bounced. “What is this? An are-we-there-yet-daddy moment? Relax. Enjoy the scenery.”
Charlene stared adoringly at his brother. “I’m enjoying the scenery, Donnie.”
He smiled back. “Me too, sweet thing.”
Dwayne faced Marla and waggled his eyebrows. “Think we’ll be seeing much of them this weekend?”
“Nope. Could get lonely all by ourselves.”
The heat of her gaze went right through him. Front to back. Head to toe. He could be in very deep shit in no time.
Chapter Eighteen
Saturday morning the four of them lounged around the pool after breakfast and took advantage of the warm sun and clear blue sky. A soft breeze ruffled the palm fronds over Marla’s head, and two gulls danced in the air above them.
She pointed to the birds. “Look. I wonder what it would feel like to be a bird. Do you think birds have fun?”
Dwayne’s gaze followed her hand. “Never doubted it for a minute.” He sat up and threw his legs over the side of the lounge. “Think I’ll go for a swim. You game?”
She stood to follow and the thought of him swimming with his prosthetic foot puzzled her. The mystery was solved when he sat at the edge of the pool and removed it.
A small boy wearing inflatable water wings paddled to them. “What happened, mister? Are you a soldier?”
Without a hint of embarrassment, Dwayne leaned forward on his hands. “I used to be a soldier. Got it blown clean off in the war.”
The child’s eyes widened. “Did it hurt?”
“Not when it happened, but it was pretty sore while the doctors were patching me up.”
“Can I touch it?” The boy’s innocence touched Marla’s heart.
Dwayne’s relaxed attitude with the child was wonderful to behold.
The little boy’s mother ran to them just as he reached tentatively f
or Dwayne’s stump. “Logan! What are you doing? Get out of the pool and leave this man alone.” She turned her red face toward Dwayne. “I’m so embarrassed.”
Dwayne lifted the boy from the pool and set him on his lap. “Don’t be. He’s curious. A normal kid.” He ruffled the child’s hair. “My daughter touches it all the time, Logan. She even helps me put my wooden leg on once in a while.” He winked at the kid’s mother.
Marla touched the woman’s arm. “It’s okay, really.”
Donovan strolled to the pool’s edge. He smiled at the woman and went down on his haunches. “My big brother is showing off for the kids again, I see.” He picked up the boy and handed him to his mom then shoved Dwayne into the pool. “I’ll see if I can drown him for you.” He jumped in.
When Dwayne’s head surfaced, he shook the water out of his eyes and pounced on Donovan. Marla was afraid they’d have to call the lifeguard to save both of them at this rate. She scooched back from the edge. The last thing she wanted was to be in the middle of their splashing and horsing around. Let them drown each other. Men! Did they ever grow up?
Charlene stood next to her. “Is your Dempsey trying to kill my Dempsey?”
“Can’t tell who’s ahead yet. Let’s go to the bar and get a Bloody Mary. We’ll come back and claim the bodies later.” She picked up the hat from the lounge and wrapped her sarong around her hips.
Char lowered her sunglasses and made squinty-eyes. “Starting early aren’t we? Who are you and where is my sister?”
Half an hour later, the two dripping men joined them at the poolside bar. Once they got the shoving out of the way, they squeezed onto barstools between her and Char.
Charlene made goo-goo eyes at Donovan. “Did big bad Dwayne hurt you, sweetie?”
Donovan laid a kiss on her. “Nah.” He signaled the bartender. “A Corona and a Dr. Pepper over here when you get a chance.” He kissed her again. “You already on the hard stuff?”
Marla giggled when Charlene replied, “Don’t worry, we won’t drink enough for you two cavemen to take advantage of us.”
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