Free Dead on Delivery by Eileen Rendahl Page A

unopened under his bed. Some guy—his brother, I think—caught me as I was fishing it out. I haven’t had a chance to open it and see what it is.”
    He nodded. “And you were going to let me know about this when?” He picked up his pace a little.
    His legs were a lot longer than mine and I was wearing heels. I took a few jogging steps to keep up with him. “When I knew if there was something to be concerned about or not. I mean, why get everyone all upset before anyone knows whether or not there’s something to be upset about?”
    “I don’t know. Maybe because I thought we were intimate on more than a physical level.” He picked up the pace a little more.
    I dug my heels in and came to a full stop. Darkness had fallen completely now and we stood in a pool of light from the street lamp. The shadows played over his face. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
    “It means that we’re supposed to share things with each other. It means we’re supposed to trust each other. It means you’re supposed to let me into your little club.” He threw his hands in the air.
    “What club? There is no club. There’s just me. It’s always been just me. The only other person there’s ever been was Mae and she’s gone. If there ever was a club, the membership card can apparently be deadly. So be careful what you wish for.” I poked his chest with my index finger.
    “Wish for? You think I wished for this? You think I wished to fall in love with the girl with the craziest story I’ve ever heard? And don’t forget, I was raised by the guy who had me sleep in the aluminum foil hat so the aliens couldn’t read my thoughts, so my crazy-story rating system is pretty highly tuned.” He grabbed my index finger and held it.
    I glared at him. “That is the second time in the last five minutes that you’ve alluded to being in love with me. If you don’t say it right the next time, Ted Goodnight, hand to God, I’m going to bitch slap you down this sidewalk.”
    He was breathing fast and furious now, as if he’d been running hard. He grabbed me around my waist and pulled me to him. His breath was warm and sweet on my cheek, his chest hard against mine. “Melina Markowitz, I am head over heels in love with you. I am so crazy about you that I’m worried that you put me under a spell.”
    “I can’t do spells,” I said.
    He lowered his lips to mine and the rest of the world fell away. For a few moments, there was nothing but him and me and our bodies pressed together. Heat bloomed inside me and trailed fire from the very center of me to my toes.
    Then, from the very edges of my perception, I heard a growling noise. I ignored it, hoping it was my imagination. Then the buzzing in my flesh made it clear that I couldn’t. Something was out there. Something nasty. I disentangled myself from Ted just as the dog lunged at us.
     
     
    “WHAT THE HELL?” TED SWUNG AROUND AND INTO A CROUCH.
    I peeled around so I was back to back with him. We both cautiously circled, keeping each other’s backs covered. It felt as natural to me as when we were front to front, but different. This had its own thrill, but I think I like the front to front stuff better.
    The dog circled us, too. If it was actually a dog. At the very least, it wasn’t only a dog. I could tell that much by the electrified hum I felt from it. The glowing red eyes were the next dead giveaway.
    It lunged again, snapping its teeth inches away from Ted’s throat.
    “Bad dog,” he yelled. “Down.”
    Unbelievably enough, the dog-thing backed away a little. “ ‘Bad dog’? Seriously?” I asked. “That’s all you’ve got? ‘Bad dog’?”
    “Well, he’s not a good dog.” Ted took off his jacket and wrapped it around his left arm.
    True that. The thing lunged again. This time at me. I smacked down on its snout with my fist. It whined a little as it backed away. I growled a little in the back of my throat. That close, I could smell the sulfur coming off it.