Free Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie Page A

saw the dog. "Cool. A dog." She looked at it more closely. "I think."
    The screen door slimmed as Wes came out. "You now have a new bathroom showerhead," he said to Amy as he came down the steps. "But the shower drain still needs work. I'll come back tomorrow."
    "Oh, well—" Sophie began, but Amy said, "Fantastic."
    "Your guests need work, too," Phin said, and Sophie turned to look at the porch, where the Lutzes were having one of those intense, whispered conversations that married people have before they kill each other.
    "Yeah, that's the problem I called you out here for," Amy said to Sophie. "We may have pushed this too far."
    "I'm blaming this on you," Phin said. "Before you got here, they only did this when they'd had too much Page 39
    to drink."
    "Good," Sophie said. "Now they're out in the open. We're clearing the hypocrisy out of Temptation."
    "A little hypocrisy never hurt anyone," Phin said.
    "So were you born a politician?" Sophie started off for the porch. "Or did you have to work to achieve this level of immorality?"
    "Oh, I was born to it," Phin said, sounding a little grim.
    Sophie went up the porch steps to the Lutzes, with the dog at her heels. "We were so grateful that you were helping us with the filming that we forgot to feed you. Can I make you a sandwich?"
    "Oh."Georgiastraightened a little. "Oh, no, we have to be going anyway. But how nice of you to offer."
    "Well, we're supposed to cater to the talent." Sophie smiled at her, andGeorgiaflushed with pleasure and smiled back.
    "That's a good one." Frank looked at his wife with contempt.
    "Amy says you both looked great on camera," Sophie lied. "Maybe you can come back out tomorrow.
    "You bet." Frank perked up, and evenGeorgiabegan to look less fried around the edges.
    "We'll do anything we can to help."Georgialooked at Sophie with unqualified approval. "And maybe you can use Rob, too."
    Sophie looked into the yard to the minivan, where Clea was laughing up at a dazzled Rob. "I'm sure we'll be using him," she said flatly.
    "That was kind of you," Phin said, when the Lutzes had gone and Sophie was sitting on the porch steps with the dog at her side surveying the yard as if it belonged there, its mascaraed eyes half-lidded in complacency.
    "I'm a kind person," Sophie said, her chin in the air.
    "You know, all evidence to the contrary, I think you are." He leaned over to pat the dog, his face was close to hers, and Sophie's pulse kicked up. "What I can't figure out is why you're so damn nervous."
    "I've been under a lot of stress." Sophie scooted up a step, and the dog climbed to stay with her. "And I come from a very tense family." She thought about her father and Davy and Amy, all of them absolutely nerveless, and honesty made her add, "Well, some of the Dempsey women have been high-strung."
    "A weekend in the country should take care of that," Phin said, still watching her as he scratched the dog behind the ear. "There's nothing stressful in Temptation."
    Just you, Sophie thought, and he grinned at her as if he'd read her mind, "Nice seeing you, Sophie Dempsey," he said, and straightened to go out to the car where Wes was waiting for him.
    "Same to you," Sophie said, as her pulse slowed again. "And if I don't see you again, thanks for all your Page 40
    help."
    "Oh, you'll see me again," Phin said without turning around.
    "Terrific." Sophie watched him go, appreciating the fact that he was leaving while admiring how good he looked from behind.
    Amy came to enjoy the view with her. "Helluva day, huh?"
    "Explain to me again," Sophie said, "what happened to 'just the three of us'?" Amy shrugged. "You're the one who invited the dog."
    Sophie looked down at the dog who looked back up with its Cleopatra eyes, adoring her.
    "The dog stays for a while," Sophie said. "The mayor goes."
    *
    When Sophie took her shower that night, blessing Wes the entire time for their new flexible showerhead, the dog put its feet on the edge of the tub and whined. It was covered with