janet maple 05 - it doesnt pay to be bad Read Online Free Page A

to scoop up Baxter.
    Seeing both Janet and Dennis at once, Baxter was struck with a momentary dilemma as to which of his masters to run to first, but he resolved it quickly by pawing at Janet’s legs and then rushing off to Dennis.
    Dennis picked up Baxter and scratched him behind his ear. “Were you a good boy? You didn’t give Mrs. Chapman a hard time, did you?”
    “Oh, no, Dennis. Baxter was perfectly well-behaved,” Mrs. Chapman assured him. “It was a pleasure having him.”
    “I don’t know what we’d do without you.” Janet smiled. “We’re both so grateful for your help.”
    “Nonsense.” Mrs. Chapman waved her hand dismissively. “I always enjoy Baxter’s company, as do all the folks at the community center.” A widow, Mrs. Chapman kept herself busy by being an active member of the local community center where she frequently organized dances and other social events for seniors in the neighborhood. She was also a self-proclaimed fashionista. Today her choice of attire was as daring as always and included a pink top with a puffy black and white polka dot skirt.”
    “Would you like something to drink? A cup of tea maybe?” Janet offered.
    “I’ll pass on the tea, but if you have something stronger?” Mrs. Chapman inquired.
    “We have just the thing.” Dennis rummaged in the duty free bags they’d brought from the airport and fished out a bottle of French cognac. “Please, Mrs. Chapman, have a seat.”
    “Are you sure I’m not intruding? I can tell that you just got in,” she said hesitantly.
    “It’s fine. We could all use a drink.” Janet ushered her into the living room.
    “Just one drink,” Mrs. Chapman agreed demurely. She made her way into the living room and took a seat on the couch.
    Janet grabbed the glasses and Dennis opened the cognac bottle. A few moments later they were all comfortably seated on the sofa. Baxter was pacing the floor excitedly, momentarily settling by Janet’s or Dennis’s feet and then pacing and sniffing again.
    “Sit down, Baxter.” Janet tried to get Baxter to sit on her lap, but he wouldn’t have any of it.
    “I bet he’s fishing for a treat,” Dennis said. “Sorry, buddy, we didn’t bring you any treats—it’s against the rules—can’t bring food from overseas,” Dennis explained.
    “I can fix this.” Janet got up and headed into the kitchen. She opened the cupboard where she kept Baxter’s treats and took out several pieces of dog beef jerky. A few moments later she was back in the living room. At the sight of her, Baxter froze, sitting on his hind paws—no doubt the smell of the beef jerky had hit his sensitive nose. “Enjoy.” Janet handed Baxter his treats.
    “That’ll keep him busy for a while.” Dennis poured out the cognac. “The French know how to make a good drink,” he added, inhaling the aroma from his glass.
    “They certainly do,” Mrs. Chapman agreed as she sniffed her glass. “Smells delicious. My late husband loved his cognac,” she added, “but enough about the past. Here’s to the young couple. May your life together be as wonderful as your honeymoon.”
    “Thank you.” Janet raised her glass and took a sip.
    “Thank you indeed, Mrs. Chapman, although I don’t think I could handle that much walking on a daily basis,” Dennis added.
    “Oh, please!” Janet waved her hand in dismissal. “Stop complaining. And you did enjoy it.”
    “What’s this, a lovers’ quarrel? You know, it’s forbidden to quarrel in your first year of marriage,” she said jokingly.
    “Dennis is being overly dramatic,” Janet explained. “We just did a little sightseeing.”
    “If you call covering the entire span of Paris and Antibes on foot ‘a little sightseeing’,” Dennis countered, “then that’s what we did. I don’t think there’s a corner of Paris that we missed, or Antibes for that matter.”
    “That’s because there was so much to see,” Janet retorted. “The Louvre in Paris took two days by