She had never heard a grown woman use such endearing terms before. But what did innocent and trustable have to do with it? She was beginning to wonder if Marge was losing her mind.

"There, there," Jan led her back to the door. "I'm sure that once you get yourself together you'll see the wisdom of taking everything in your stride, Marge."

Marge stepped outside the screen door and blew a kiss at Rex through it. The dog promptly got up on its haunches, panting. It's long pink tongue was genuinely slavering through his pointy canine teeth. "Bye darling," Marge said to him. "Aunty Jan will look after you now, lover. Be a good doggy for Mama. Okay?"

Rex seemed to nod, adding considerably to Jan's mystification and confusion, and then Marge ran, with a sob, back to her own house.

Jam looked down at her beautifully physiqued guest, who had now settled down on his forepaws again. Goodness, she thought, this is impossible, Mother and Dad coming, and this dog, too. I'm going to lose my mind, I swear it.

Rex looked up at her as if he understood, inclined his ears, then lay jowl down on his forepaws. Jan sighed and fluffed out her long blonde hair, self-consciously sticking out the full young breasts on her chest. There was something about her neighbor's German shepherd that definitely bothered her. She was convinced that Rex had the most unusual eyes – although it was difficult for her to put her finger on just exactly what it was that troubled her about them.

It was as if there was an almost human perception about them, a kind of understanding that was more than one expected from a dog…

She shrugged this off. Another funny thought to take her mind off her work, that was all. She really had to get to the housework.