But my greatest new source of enjoyment is Willy. He’s become a very dear friend of mine and Abby’s, dropping in on us often, bringing us flowers, fruit, candy, champagne, and the pleasure of his ebullient company. He also brought me a beautiful new set of four crystal champagne glasses, which have-thanks to our mutual fondness for fizz and bubbles-been put to frequent use.

Now that he’s no longer a murder suspect, the bold, unfearful side of Willy’s personality has emerged, and we’re seeing him at his wise, funny, charitable, insightful, and oh-so-lovable best. Abby is downright crazy about him. And Otto has made his deep affection for Willy known by curling up in his lap-instead of mine!-at every opportunity. At first I was jealous, but I’ve gotten used to it now.

Even Jimmy likes him. The last time we all got together (for pizza, smoked oysters, and champagne) Jimmy insisted on reciting his new poem, and-though I can’t be one hundred percent sure, of course-I would swear it’s all about Willy:

When the whistles blow

And snow falls

The sun shines still

As we know.

Never been rightly teached

Love’s always up front

Only way to go!

Okay, maybe it isn’t about Willy. Who the hell can tell? All I know is that Jimmy laughs a lot when Willy is around, and participates more in the conversation (if you can call it that), and he even lets Willy take Otto out for an occasional walk-which is Jimmy’s way of showing that he trusts you.

Dan trusts Willy a lot, too. Though he hasn’t spent that much time with him-Dan has to work late most nights, solving one grisly homicide right after another-he’s very glad that I have a new friend to keep me company (and out of trouble) when he’s working on a new case. I suspect Dan’s especially glad that my new friend is a

man (better protection, don’t you know), but one he never has to worry about or be jealous of. He hasn’t said as much, but he doesn’t have to. I know the way his wary, watchful (and intermittently wicked) mind works.

As for Dan’s relationship with me-well, that just couldn’t be finer. He introduced me to his daughter a little over a month ago, and he’s been taking us both out to Schrafft’s and to the movies every Sunday since then. And you know what that means, don’t you? It means Dan trusts me now, too. It means he believes our relationship is really going to last.

Katy is really great, by the way-a petite blonde with a keen mind, a fabulous sense of humor, and a wealth of human understanding far beyond her fifteen years. We like each other as much as Dan predicted we would. We even like the same kind of movies. I got a bang out of her favorite, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and she got a big kick out of mine-Lady and the Tramp. (No lie. I’ve seen it three times.) I look forward to getting to know Katy better, and I know Dan’s really happy about that. I can tell by the way he keeps staring at us when we’re together, with a goofy, mile-wide grin on his face that puts Red Skelton’s cockeyed smile to shame.

But who am I to talk? I’ve been walking around with a permanent smile on my kisser ever since that day in the police station when Dan first told me that he loved me. I’ve tried to hide it, but I can’t. I’ve done scowling exercises and eaten about a thousand lemons, but nothing works. No matter how hard I try to force my features into a frown, they pop right back into a beaming smile the instant I relax my cheek muscles. Abby says I look like a dumbstruck fool.

“I can’t take it anymore,” she said to me this morning over coffee, holding her hand up to shield her face. “Your freaking teeth are shining in my eyes!”

“I’m sorry, Ab,” I said, laughing. “I just can’t help it. I’m floating on cloud nine.”

She groaned and gazed up at the ceiling. “Oy gevalt, Paige! How many times do I have to tell you? Cloud nine is for the birds; it’s the mattress that counts!”

I laughed again. “Thanks for the advice,” I said, “but Dan and I are sticking to the couch for now.”

“Still waiting for the stupid wedding band?” she scoffed.

“Well, no, not really… but I saw a pretty nice one in Macy’s the other day.”

About the Author

Amanda Matetsky has been an editor of many magazines in the entertainment field and a volunteer tutor and fund-raiser for Literacy Volunteers of America. Her first novel, The Perfect Body, won the NJRW Golden Leaf Award for Best First Book. Amanda lives in Middletown, New Jersey, with her husband, Harry, and their two cats, Homer and Phoebe, in a house full of old movie posters, original comic strip art, and books-lots of books. You can visit the author online at www.amandamatetsky.com.