MacKenzie's Lady by Dallas Schulze Read Free Book Online

been washed and towel-dried until it lay in fluffy dark curls against her head. But the notebook open in front of her, waiting to be filled with ideas for the entertainment and education of her students, was filled with nothing more earth-shattering than several meaningless doodles and the name "Mackenzie Donahue" written in various forms.
    Maryann dropped her purse on a chair and strode to the refrigerator, giving Holly a casual greeting as she passed. She rummaged through the refrigerator, coming up with a package of sliced ham and some mustard.
    "How was your day? Did you murder any of the little monsters?"
    Holly grinned but drew her brows down in a ferocious scowl. "My students are not monsters. They are well-behaved children with a thirst for learning."
    Maryann sliced her thick sandwich in half with a deft stroke of the knife and offered Holly a sardonic smile. "Pull the other leg, Holly. I've worked in the children's ward, remember? I know exactly what your sweet little students are like." She gestured warningly with a carrot stick as she leaned back against the counter. "My advice to you would be, don't turn your back. You never know when one of the little darlings is going to turn up with a hand grenade that he whipped up out of Play-doh and Lego pieces."
    Holly laughed and shook her head. "I've given up trying to convince you that children aren't constantly on the lookout for ways to sabotage the adults in their life."
    Maryann nodded agreeably. "You're right. They're not plotting all the time. Even /acquit them of making devious plans while they're sleeping."
    "Just wait until you have kids of your own," Holly warned her. "Then you'll regret all your unfounded accusations."
    "The only thing I'll regret is that I was dumb enough to get pregnant. I'm not the woman who daydreams in baby shops. You're the one who's in for a rude awakening. You wait until you have one of the little beasts underfoot twenty-four hours a day and then tell me that you love kids."
    Holly gave up the argument with a smile. "So, how was life in the big city hospital today?"
    Maryann shrugged as she reached up to pull the pins out of her thick auburn hair. She gave a sigh of pleasure as it fell around her shoulders, framing her rather ordinary features like a soft cloud.
    "Dr. Johnson was on the prowl again tonight. I swear that man needs surgery to detach his hands from his libido. I may just provide the knife," she added darkly, as she unbuttoned her prim uniform and kicked off her shoes. She continued to talk as she walked into her bedroom, leaving the door open while she changed clothes and raising her voice so that Holly could hear her.
    She wandered out into the kitchen a few minutes later, her slim figure swathed in a voluminous flannel nightgown. Holly was still seated at the kitchen table, her knees drawn up to her chest and her expression dreamy. Maryann let her voice trail off in midsentence, moving over to stand behind her roommate and stare down at the notepad that lay on the table.
    "Who's Mackenzie Donahue?"
    Holly jumped and her hand flattened against the paper as if trying to hide a guilty secret. Maryann circled around the table and sat down opposite her, looking at her quizzically. Holly flushed beneath her interested glance, dropping her feet to the floor and turning over a new sheet of paper.
    "Who's Mackenzie Donahue?" Maryann repeated the question, letting Holly know that she wasn't going to let the question slide.
    Holly shrugged. "Just a guy I met today." Her tone said that he was no one important.
    Maryann let her brows go up just a fraction of an inch, the slight movement expressing her disbelief. "The last time I remember your doodling a guy's name all over the place, it was Dick Orman's name."
    Holly flushed deeply and tossed the other woman a glance that spoke volumes. "That was eleven years ago in high school and I had a crush on him."
    Maryann let her smile deepen to an annoying depth. "Exactly. So the last time