Unforgettable by Adrianne Byrd Page B

plummeted to her toes.
    Brandy’s coal-black eyes glittered as she stared at the intruder.
    Diana tried not to stare pointedly into the dog’s almond-shaped eyes. She read somewhere that aggressive dogs found that threatening. Slowly, her gaze slid downBrandy’s slick, solid black coat, and then the rust markings on her head, chest and legs.
    A baby, my ass.
    Brandy cocked her head as if she was confused by Diana’s presence.
    Diana swallowed, but a lump of fear remained lodged in her throat. “H-hello there.” She forced a smile, but felt silly when the dog just continued to stare.
    â€œOkay, I’m going to, uh, get you some food and let you run around outside for a little bit. Would you like that?”
    Woof!
    Diana jumped and nearly started crying. Stay calm. “I can’t stay calm.” Yes, you can. Arguing with herself was definitely a sign that she was indeed losing her marbles.
    Brandy cocked her head in the other direction and then sat back on her haunches.
    This had to be a good sign, Diana decided and relaxed long enough for her lungs to start working again. Familiar with the house’s layout, she realized she had to work her way around the dog in order to make it to the kitchen or even to the back door.
    When her cell phone rang from inside her purse, she jumped and Brandy barked again. Diana’s hand quickly covered her heart as if the act would prevent it from leaping out of her chest cavity.
    Brandy’s barking grew louder with each ring of the phone, but Diana was too nervous to reach for the thing and shut it off. If she died now, how long would it takefor someone to wrestle her lifeless body from this baby’s ferocious mouth?
    To her relief, the phone stopped ringing and Brandy lowered back onto her haunches.
    â€œOkay, I’m going to the kitchen now,” she said, but was really asking for permission.
    Brandy just watched her.
    Diana extended one leg and took her first step. When nothing happened, she was encouraged to take another. At this rate, she’d make it to the kitchen by Christmas. The fact the dog hadn’t attacked her yet should have relaxed her, but logic never quite sounded like logic at times like these.
    Easing next to the dog, she was grateful that her knocking knees didn’t set off another barking frenzy or worse—a violent attack.
    However, she didn’t know what to think when Brandy turned and quietly trotted behind her to the back door. Diana unlocked and slid the glass door open and Brandy crossed the threshold hardly sparing Diana a glance.
    Diana closed the door and almost collapsed into a heap on the floor. Instead, she hurried into the kitchen and quickly prepared the dog’s dinner and refilled the water pail. “So far so good,” she mumbled under her breath and went to let the dog back inside.
    Brandy jetted inside and made a beeline straight into the kitchen as if she knew what would be waiting for her.
    Diana rushed to relock the glass door and was aboutto head back toward the front door when she stepped on a squeaky toy and bent to pick it up.
    That was her first mistake.
    Â 
    Marcel couldn’t sit still. His conversation with Diana had him more than a little concerned. Mostly, he didn’t understand why she’d agreed to feed Brandy in the first place. It was either courageous or stupid. He wasn’t sure which.
    He dialed her cell phone again and frowned when he didn’t get an answer.
    â€œWhat’s wrong?” Nora asked, rejoining him and handing him a steaming cup of coffee.
    â€œNothing, I hope.” He accepted the offered cup, but couldn’t pull his thoughts away from Diana. “Look, you don’t mind just having dinner with Solomon tonight, do you?”
    She straightened in alarm. “Solomon? I didn’t know he was joining us.”
    â€œWell, we had some business to discuss and I didn’t see anything wrong with trying to kill two birds