What to do? She wished she had his cell phone number. She remembered his last name from when he'd made his purchases at Pet Palace. She could look him up in the phone book, call and leave a message on his home phone apologizing for the silly mess she'd dragged him into. But when she searched her phonebook she found no Zach Stone listed. He probably kept his number unlisted so besotted women couldn't hara.s.s him.

She perched on the edge of her couch and gnawed a fingernail, trying to decide what to do. It didn't take much gnawing for her to realize there wasn't anything to do except wait.

Half an hour went by, and then another fifteen minutes before she heard a soft knock at her apartment door. She opened it to find Zach standing there with Queenie in his arms. He slipped inside the apartment and shut the door behind him. "Sorry it took me so long to come back. I wanted to wait until I was sure the prison guard wouldn't be watching from her window or out patrolling the grounds."

"She takes the no-pet rule very seriously," said Merilee. "I guess I can't blame her. It's her job, after all. But it's a stupid rule."

"Rules were meant to be broken, huh?" Zach teased as he handed Queenie over. "You know, there's a lot more to you than meets the eye."

There used to be a lot more to her that did meet the eye, but she wasn't sharing that information. The old Merilee who used to run to the cupboard for comfort was, hopefully, long gone, never to return. "Thanks for helping me find Queenie."

No problem. "Looks like we've got a lot in common."

They did?

"Cats with issues." He stroked Queenie's head and she purred and pressed into his large palm.

Oh, that.

For a moment they stood there, looking at each other. Something flashed in his eyes, something male and elemental that hot-wired Merilee's heart and sent a sizzle racing through her. It suddenly felt very warm in the apartment.

He cleared his throat. "I better get going. See you around."

Then, before she could say, "Wait, I've got some light eggnog," he slipped back out the door.

Merilee stood there, staring at the closed door and gnawing her lip. Maybe his cat would have more issues. Maybe he'd need a cat whisperer again.

Or maybe she should make an att.i.tude adjustment, go shopping for some new clothes, makeup, and a Clue game.

NINE.

"Shopping tomorrow? Absolutely. I'll take an extended lunch break and we'll power shop," said Merilee's older sister, Gloria, when Merilee called her. "It's about time you started listening to me."

"I've got the week off. I'm there," said her little sister, Liz. "And right before Christmas, we are for sure going to find bargains. This is will be sooo much fun."

Merilee wasn't sure how much fun it would be staring at herself in the dressing room mirror. But it sure wasn't fun living in the shadows. It was time to take a lesson from Zach's grandma and start living life to the fullest.

Just remember you can't afford to live too fully, she reminded herself. Not with her current job situation. Still, a few new clothes would be an investment in her future. She couldn't live indefinitely on what she was making at the shelter. She'd need a new outfit for job hunting. And ... other things.

She'd take a whopping fifty dollars out of savings and see what she could get with that. Probably not much, but you never knew. She could stumble on some fabulous holiday sales. 'Tis the season, after all.

Her sisters were already waiting at a table in the Angel Falls Mall food court, indulging in hot chocolate from Chocolate Heaven, when Merilee arrived. Gloria was tall and willowy, with long chestnut-colored hair and perfect features. She was wearing a crisply tailored white blouse with a black skirt that showed off her legs. She'd topped them with a red leather jacket accessorized with silver jewelry, proving that she deserved her nickname Glorious. Everything she wore demanded Pay attention to me, unlike Merilee's wardrobe, which said Maybe you'd rather not look. Liz was just as big an attention grabber as Gloria. She was pet.i.te and blond-eye candy in a small package. She wore jeans coupled with a pale pink sweater, her winter jacket draped over a nearby chair. Gold bangles dangled from her wrist and the fat diamond in her engagement ring winked h.e.l.lo as Merilee walked over.

As often happened in the presence of her glamorous sisters, the Ghost of Ugly Past hovered over Merilee, whispering in her ear that she would never be as pretty as her siblings. Why are you bothering? it taunted.

Good question. Because she wanted to be better, to become more than what she'd been. On fifty dollars. Oh, boy.

At the sight of Merilee, Liz jumped up to hug her. "All right! She's here. Let the games begin. Have you lost more weight? You look great."

"Correction," said Gloria, waiting her turn to hug Merilee. "She will look great when we're done with her."

Liz grinned and relinquished her hold on Merilee. "We've already been making a list of what you need."

"Which is practically everything," added Gloria.

Uneasiness crept over Merilee. She had a vision of her fifty dollars sprouting wings and flying away within the first five minutes of their shopping expedition. "I can't go too crazy now that my paycheck has shrunk to next to nothing."

Gloria linked an arm through hers and began to stroll her toward Macy's. "Not to worry. We've got it covered."

Merilee stopped. "What do you mean?"

Liz was on her other side now, moving her forward again, past a forest of artificial trees and giant candy canes. "We are taking care of your makeover. Merry Christmas from your sisters."

"Oh, you guys, you can't," Merilee protested.

"Of course, we can," said Gloria. "I made an obscene amount of money this year. I have to spend it on something."

"Me, too," said Liz. "Well, not as much as Glorious. No one makes as much as her."

"So sue me for climbing the corporate ladder," said Gloria with a shrug.

"You guys, I didn't call to b.u.m money off you," Merilee insisted. "I've got money."

Gloria c.o.c.ked an eyebrow. "How much?"

Merilee raised her chin to its haughtiest level. "Fifty dollars."

Liz let out a guffaw that made two women and a clerk turn and stare. "My G.o.d, how long has it been since you've been shopping?"

Merilee felt her cheeks burning. "Not that long."

"Well, fifty will buy you a bra and some panties and that's about it," Gloria informed her.

"Panties are good," said Liz, her eyes dancing. "A leopard thong, I'm thinkin'. Rrrrr," she added with a giggle and gave Merilee's arm a squeeze.

They were in the cosmetics department now. "I say we stop here first," said Gloria. "If I have to spend the next two hours looking at that great face of yours neglected and naked I'll wind up strangling myself with a scarf."

"Oh, yeah," agreed Liz. "Makeovers are so fun. I think I'll get one, too." She nudged Merilee. "We can pretend we're on What Not to Wear."

Liz, of course, didn't need anything made over since she was already perfect, but she enjoyed playing with different shades of lipstick and adding comments as the makeup expert at the counter worked on transforming Merilee.

Transformation? That was an understatement. She was startled by the face in the mirror. Who was this woman with the arresting green eyes and full, coral-colored lips? She couldn't possibly look that good, could she?

"You look incredible," Gloria told her. To the clerk she said, "We'll take one of each," and whipped out her credit card.

"You just spent a fortune," Merilee said weakly.

"What, you think you're not worth it?" Gloria retorted.

Actually, that was exactly what she thought.

"I like giving to worthwhile causes," Gloria said. "And you're one of the worthiest causes I know," she added with a smile. "Anyway, think of it as payback for the time I convinced you to eat mud when we were kids."

"I remember hearing about that." Liz made a face. "I can't even imagine."

"She told me it was fudge," muttered Merilee. "You were such a bully."

"Still am," Gloria said, unrepentant. "And now that I can stand to look at you, let's go bully you into a new wardrobe.

Bully they did. Merilee watched in amazement as her sisters cruised past racks of clothes, selecting tops, jackets, and pants with unerring eyes. "You have to get this sweater. It will look great with your red hair," said Liz, stepping in front of a thirty-something woman and scooping a turquoise sweater off a sale rack.

The woman glared at Liz and Merilee felt her face heat. "I think she wanted that," she whispered.

"It's the holidays," said Gloria. "The race is to the swift."

There were certainly a lot of people out racing. The roads were slushy, but with Christmas only a few days away that wasn't stopping anyone. The store was packed with shoppers, mostly women, of all sizes and ages, browsing beneath festive faux-cedar swags and giant wine-colored ornaments. All that body heat was keeping the store warm and the collective perfume smell made Merilee feel like she was trapped inside a giant scented candle.

She eyed the loads of clothes in her sisters' arms and said, "I think we've got enough."

"It'll do for a start," Gloria decided. "Come on. Let's get you into a dressing room."

"Oh, boy," muttered Merilee.

"You just wait," Liz told her. "You're not going to believe how good you look."

And she didn't. "Oh, my gosh," she said, as she took in the sight of herself in jeans and the turquoise sweater Liz had found. "I look-"

"Incredible," Liz supplied, beaming. "Am I good or what?"

"I don't know," teased Gloria. "Let's ask that poor schlub you suckered into proposing."

"Go ahead. He'll tell you he's the luckiest man in the world," Liz bragged, polishing her engagement ring on her sweater.

"Well, right now I feel like the luckiest woman in the world," Merilee said, taking in her reflection. "I never thought I could look so ... pretty." The word felt foreign, difficult to p.r.o.nounce.

Gloria gave her a hug. "We did." She handed over a slinky black top with a plunging neckline.

"Oh, I don't think-" Merilee began.

"That's right. This time you don't. Let us do the thinking for you."

"Trust us," said Liz. "If you want to light a fire under that fireman you told us about, this will do it."

"Maybe," Merilee said as she pulled off the sweater. She sure hoped she hadn't imagined interest in his eyes when they stood at her door. Had it been been wishful thinking?

"That's no way to talk," scolded Liz. "You have to have a little confidence in yourself."

She did. Very little.

"I think he's already interested," said Gloria, dropping the black top over Merilee's head. "Cat whisperer, what a flimsy excuse to see a woman!"

"The cat really wasn't eating," said Merilee. Although he'd had no problem eating when she arrived.

"Trust me, this man is already on the edge," said Gloria. "He just needs a little push." She folded her arms and a.s.sessed the top and jeans. "This should do it."

"I'll say," added Liz. "Add some hot shoes and you won't need to push at all. He'll jump right over."

Merilee blinked to make sure she wasn't seeing things. She wasn't. The reflection of a pretty woman, now with some serious cleavage on display, gawked back at her.

"The b.o.o.b fairy really blessed you, sis," said Liz, draping a casual arm over Merilee's shoulder. "And that great, new waistline sure shows 'em off."

Gloria crowded in on the other side and smiled. "Are we gorgeous or what?"

Merilee smiled. Her, gorgeous. Who knew?

An hour later and she had more new clothes than she'd ever had at any one time in her entire life. She looked from sister to sister with glistening eyes. "You guys, how can I ever thank you?"

"By going after this man," said Gloria.

"Don't be a fraidy-cat," added Liz. "Get out there and make something happen."

"In every area of your life," Gloria added, giving her a hug. "I meant what I said about having a pile of cash. I know you want to get back to school. If you need some money, it's yours."

"I think you've done enough," Merilee said, still feeling more than a little guilty over how much her sisters had spent on her.

"If the flip-flop was on the other foot, you'd be there for her," said Liz. "We're family. Family sticks together. Anyway, once you get through vet school we can have free care for our pets for the rest of our lives."

"If you ever get a pet," Merilee retorted.

"If you won't take it as a gift consider it a no-interest loan with no balloon payment," said Gloria, putting the conversation back on track. "I'm totally serious here. Don't give up on your dreams. Shoot for the moon, Mer."

Shoot for the moon. Merilee drove away from the mall in a daze. What was holding her back, really? Only herself. And what did she have to lose by taking a few chances? Some pride, perhaps. But how much more pride would she gain if she started really taking on life, and love, aggressively?

Before going to work the next day she would download the sample application for the College of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University. This time she was going to finish no matter what it took.

On her way home she stopped by Little Angels Toys and picked up a game of Clue. Then she went home and changed into her new jeans and the slinky black top.

"How do I look?" she asked Queenie, who was perched on the bed watching her.

Queenie blinked.

"I know, you can't believe your eyes," said Merilee. "But it's really me. The new me."