Free Fatal Charm by Linda Joy Singleton Page A

looked up, expecting Josh to shoot a tricky basketball shot, like ricocheting the ball off his head or throwing it backwards with his eyes shut. So I didn’t expect him to bounce the ball to his dog.
    With a sharp bark, Horse sprang forward and head-butted the ball so that it flew up and sailed down dead center into the basket.
    “Wow!” was all I could say.
    “Exactly the reaction I was hoping for.” Josh grinned and slipped Horse a doggie treat. “Want to see it again?”
    I nodded and stepped back to get a good view. Josh threw the ball again, but this time Horse sprang at the ball too soon and only hit the backboard. The ball bounced off into the garden. While Josh retrieved it, I patted Horse and said, “Good try.”
    Josh rewarded Horse with another doggie treat. “He’s gotten much better and sinks the ball three out of four times.”
    “Very cool.” I applauded.
    “The credit goes to Evan.”
    Not what I wanted to hear, but I kept right on smiling.
    “He came up with the idea to train Horse. At first I didn’t think a dog could shoot a basketball. But Horse and Evan proved me wrong. Now I’d like to put Horse into my act, you know, like when I go into hospitals. Animals really cheer up sick kids.”
    “Horse would look cute with a little hat on his big head,” I suggested.
    “He would! Good idea.”
    Josh and I sat at a small table and brainstormed more ideas, like teaching Horse to bounce a balloon and standing on his back feet to dance.
    We were still talking when Josh’s mother brought out a tray with iced tea, cheese, crackers, and cookies. I really liked Josh’s mother and secretly wished my mother were more like her. Mrs. DeMarco was like those moms you see in reruns of old sitcoms, all hugs and nurturing. Her only fault was fussing too much over Josh. She’d lost one child so it made sense she’d cling more to her remaining son. I noticed Josh’s embarrassment.
    I was thinking of the different ways my mother embarrassed me when I heard an odd, shrill sound. A dark flutter of wings swooshed over our heads and disappeared into a nearby tree. We all looked up, but I was the only one who recognized the sharp-beaked tawny falcon.
    What was Dagger doing here? He was sort of a pet of Dominic’s, except he was completely wild and free to go wherever he wanted. Usually that was near Dominic.
    Did that mean Dominic was close by? Was he waiting to talk to me?
    Conflicting emotions made me crazy. I was eager to see Dominic again yet anxious because I didn’t trust myself with him. Could I ignore lustful urges and treat Dominic like a friend? But what if he wanted to kiss me again? Would I be able to resist?
    Doubtful.
    Why was staying honest and loyal so hard? Was it because of something lacking in my relationship with Josh? Or had Dominic cast a spell on me? Just thinking about him made me itchy under my skin, hot and lightheaded.
    All of this passed through my head in micro-seconds, while I pasted a smile on my face and pretended to listen to something Mrs. DeMarco was saying about a pet pigeon Josh owned when he was young. I should have been hanging onto every word about Josh, eager to know what he was like as a child and thinking about our future together and even imagining the children we might have someday. That’s how a typical girlfriend would act—yet seeing Dagger sent my thoughts flying back to Dominic.
    Torture. That’s what I felt not being able to rush out of the yard and look for him. He’d been gone for days and I’d tried not to think about him, wonder what he was doing and if he was thinking about me …
    And I was dying to ask him the Big Question: Had he found the final charm?
    You’re overreacting, I chastised myself. The bird probably isn’t even Dagger.
    But as if to prove himself, the falcon flapped his wings with a squawk and launched himself into the air. He circled directly over my head, which set Horse off. The large dog barked and jumped at the bird.
    “What’s