Full House by Janet Evanovich Page B

smiled prettily at Deedee. "I'd like to have a word with Nick. Would you excuse us?"
    Deedee shrugged, headed for the sofa, and curled up, tucking the longest legs Billie had ever seen beneath her. "I need a nap anyway."
    Billie shoved Nick outside. "We need to talk."
    "Deedee is really very sweet," he whispered.
    "Which is why you're in such an all-fired hurry to get rid of her."
    "I've already explained everything. Trust me, you'll love her. Right now, she needs coffee. She's not used to getting up this early. Once she tosses back a couple of cups of caffeine she can charm the skin off a snake."
    Billie recognized the man from the stable unloading the pickup. He wore the same disgruntled look as before, only this time she couldn't blame him. Two trunks, seven garment bags, thirteen cartons, and twelve pieces of matching luggage were efficiently stacked in Billie's foyer. He gave a grunt of disgust before making his way wordlessly toward the truck.
    "Your stable hand is obviously having another bad day," she said.
    Nick glanced over his shoulder. "Yeah, he's definitely got an attitude problem. Guess I need to talk to him. This would probably be a good time to do it."
    "After
you explain the meaning of all this." Billie pointed to the mountain of luggage.
    "Deedee isn't what you'd call a light traveler," Nick said. "We'll bring the rest over tomorrow."
    "The rest?"
    "Only a few more things. Mostly shoes. My cousin is a bit of a clotheshorse." He checked his wristwatch. "Oops, got to run."
    He was gone. Billie closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then opened them slowly. She went inside and regarded the woman on the sofa, who opened her eyes and gave a semblance of a smile.
    "I guess you're stuck with me, huh? But don't worry, I can afford to pay my share. I'm rich, and I have a rich fiance as well."
    Deedee's voice was high-pitched and squeaky, making Billie think of Betty Boop. "Well, that certainly works to your advantage," she said, wondering if the woman had ever held a job. "Would you like some coffee?"
    "I'd kill a Boy Scout for coffee."
    Billie believed it. She hurried into the kitchen with Deedee on her heels. As she filled a mug, she searched her brain for innocent conversation. "Nick said you're cousins?"
    Deedee lifted impossibly long, thick black lashes. "Yeah." She didn't sound particularly thrilled about it. "My mother is his father's sister. Nick and I practically grew up together. He used to do some of the most outrageous things. Made his father so mad. It was the only time the man ever noticed he had a son." Deedee inhaled her coffee. "Nick's father was heavy into making money."
    "What about Nick? Is he into making money?"
    Deedee shook her head. "Nick never gave much thought to money, but when you're filthy rich you don't have to think about it. All he cares about is his newspaper and those smelly horses. He gets up every morning at five-thirty to take care of them, even though he employs people for the job. Have you ever seen a horse up close?" Deedee shuddered.
    Billie inadvertently looked down at her foot. The swelling had gone down during the night, and it wasn't as sore, but it would take a while before the discoloration went away. "Yes, unfortunately, I
have
seen a horse up close."
    Deedee followed Billie's eyes to the foot.
"Eeyeuuw,"
she said, wincing. "What happened to your foot?"
    "You know Zeke? The big brown horse with the attitude? He stepped on it."
    "Oh, honey, that's worth a lawsuit. And Nick is so rich he wouldn't miss the money."
    Billie tried to hide her amusement as she sipped her coffee. Deedee was obviously annoyed at Nick. "I don't think I could get very much. Nothing's broken."
    "Gee, that's too bad."
    Billie decided the woman had a strange way of looking at things. She wiggled her toes. "I hope it's better by next weekend. I paid for three polo lessons in advance."
    "You're taking polo lessons? Are you one of those horse-crazy people?" She looked distressed. "Oh, geez, I hope