He tried to kiss me, Killer said with a scrunch of her nose. What a yuck.
Tommy Bradley lacks a little technique, hmm?
He really gives me the creepsdont tell my dad about that, okay? My dad wouldnt like it if a boy tried to kiss me. He already told me hes not gonna let me date until Im forty-five. As if Id want to.
I wont tell, Ariel said gravely.
Im gonna grow my hair just like you. And wear earrings just like you. I just have to get a little older about the earrings, Dad says.
Half the little ones conversation was peppered with whatever her dad said and thought. Ariel couldnt help but picture Josh surviving the incessant stream of girl talk. Shed never rationed smilesor laughterand she wasnt that busy. It was easy to give the child the female companionship she was so poignantly lonesome for.
Killer had fresh French braids and the bagged-up quarter magic trickdiscountedwhen she skipped out of the store around three.
Fifteen minutes later, Ariel discovered the missing ruby-eyed dragon.
* * *
Lightning striped the black sky. Rain slashed down in gusty torrents. After five days of killing heat, the storm was more than welcome, but Josh was soaked through by the time he jogged from the Bronco through the alley and up the back metal stairs. When he reached the top, rain drizzled down his neck and matted his eyelashes. Still, he hesitated before knocking.
He really didnt want to be here.
Killer had told him that Ariel lived over the shop, and lights shone through the pale curtains, fair evidence that she was at home. It was past eight. Hed been to his place, had dinner and messed around with the kids for as long as he could procrastinate this little chore. Any later than this, and an unexpected caller at night would probably scare a woman alone. Hell, an unexpected guy caller could probably scare her now, but at least eight oclock was still reasonably early.
He just really didnt want to knock on that door.
Rain sluiced through his hair and rivered off his denim jacket. Impatiently he set his jaw, squared his shoulders. And firmly back-knuckled the door.
The back light popped on. He heard her, on the other side, undoing a dead bolt and locks. His shoulder muscles were bunched and braced even before she poked her head out.
Josh? Her clear-bell voice made his name sound like a question, but there didnt seem to be any startled shock in her expression. She glanced at him, chuckled as she said, Good grief, are you wet! Come on in, before you drown out there and then looked down and past him.
It wasnt hard to guess that she was searching for another body. Killer isnt with me. Killer is grounded for the rest of her life, he informed her.
Ah.
The twinkle of humor in her eyes disarmed himmaybe she didnt know about his daughters latest shoplifting escapade? Either way, he positively wanted this encounter over quick. One horrified glance had revealed that she was in pajamas. Silky, sexy, scarlet pajamas. And the last time hed seen her, her hair had been all piled up. Now it was down, brushed smooth, about three miles of silvery-gold taffy that swished almost to her waist. He averted his eyes, trying to look nowhere, not at her place and for sure not at her, as he dug inside his jacket for the small wrapped package. I believe this dragon thingamabog belongs to you.
Yeah, Im afraid it does. Her soft green eyes met his. I realized she had it about three minutes after she left the shop.
You know she took it? Since yesterday afternoon?
Yes. I just wasnt sure what to do. I really didnt want to get her into any more trouble. She hesitated. Look, wouldnt you like to come in and dry off for a few minutes? Ive got some coffee on the stove. You want a splash of brandy in it?
I... He never planned on coming in, not once he realized she was dressed for bed. But the friendly offer for coffee threw him. She could have been madder than a wet henhell, she could have called the cops on his kid. If there was some protocol for a single dad in this situation, he just didnt know what it was. I never meant to take up your evening. I just wanted to give the thing back to you and apologize.
I understand...but youre worried about your daughter, arent you? Maybe itd help if we talked about it.
Personally, Josh never found that talking helped much of anything. But he figured he owed her some kind of explanation for his daughters recent kleptomaniac streak, and he didnt want Ariel thinking he was the kind of dad who didnt give a damn about his kids. So gingerly he stepped inside.
She took his jacket. And he had to heel off his boots or risk tracking in mud. The next thing he knew, he had a fragile-looking china cup in his hands, filled with some kind of fancy gourmet coffee, fragrant and rich and topped off with a splash of brandy.
Come on in the living room. More comfortable to sit in there, she said easily.
He took a gulp of the brew as he followed her, hoping the liquor might settle his nerves. It didnt. Guessing conservatively, he figured the chances of his being comfortable around her rivaled the odds of a federal balanced budget. Thered be colonies on Mars first.
Im crazy about your daughter, you know. She curled up in the corner of the couch, and motioned him to the closest chair. Her sweep of a smile seemed honest and warm. Somehow that smile made it easier for him to talk than hed expected.
Shes crazy about you, too. Practically everything shes said in the last week was a quote from you. Dont take this wrong, okay? But I think half the problem is this attachment shes formed to you.
Ariel nodded thoughtfully. I had the feeling she was really lonesome for a womans company.
I know shes lonesome for a womans company. She took her moms leaving hard. I have two boys....
She told me about her brothers.
Josh rubbed his jaw. Nancys leaving, the divorce, hasnt been easy on any of them. But Killer definitely had the hardest time with it. And still is. Thats no excuse for stealing. She knows better. But I dont want you thinking shes a bad kid. Shes not bad. Shes... Well, the squirt was damn near perfect in his eyesalways had been. Yes, exasperating and exhausting and an incredibly confusing little female person, but a light in his life like nothing else. Only, how was a grown man supposed to put that in words?
I never thought she was bad, Josh, Ariel said gently. In fact, I can remember shoplifting a pack of gum when I was that age.
Shoplifting a quarter pack of gum is a little different than taking off with something that costwhat was that dragon thing worth, anyway?
Around sixty dollars. But I doubt she had any understanding of its dollar value. It looked like a little thing to her. Just something pretty. And shes of the age where shed know about dragons from fairy tales. You know, you wont break that chair if you sit back in it, she murmured with amusement.
Josh wasnt worried about breaking the chair. He was worried about him. When she didnt immediately hustle to some back room for a robe or cover-up, it finally registered that the scarlet outfit wasnt pajamas. Apparently it was just one of those gummy-silk things that women walked around in these days. The shirtish top was loose, oversize. Not even suggestive of bedrooms or bedroom attire, if a guy didnt have a dirty mind.
Josh was trying to keep his mind clean. He was trying, in fact, to think like a celibate monk. Only, hed never been a monk, and a full bottle of bleach wasnt likely to wash the X-rated thoughts racing through his mind.
She was really something. And so was her place.
The building was a good hundred years old, he guessed. The tall-pitched ceiling had to be hell on her heating bills. The old-fashioned windows were draft suckers. A white marblecracked marblefireplace stood in the far corner, another drafty nightmare if it wasnt regularly maintenanced and cared for. She probably had to worry about blinking lights with wiring this old. Josh told himself he was judging the whole thing from an objective masculine perspective, but the truth was, he wasnt thinking about her fireplace flue.
The carpet was a pale water blue and as plushy as a sponge. The couch and chairs had sink-deep cushions, the fabric soft and that same muted blue color. One lamp had a fringed shade, and the otherthe one behind her headwas Tiffany-style, with roses against a blue sky background. Piles of candles sat on her coffee table. Not unused candles, like in any normal place, but vanilla-and spice-scented candles that she obviously lit and enjoyed, because the wax had swirled and pooled in the holders. She had a crystal ball on the mantel. An honest-to-Pete crystal ball, like witches used, and it picked up all the soft colors from everywhere and reflected them right back.
Nothing was bright. Nothing was noisy. There wasnt a football in sight, no doll carriages to trip over, no dirty dishes, no video game screeching. Every scent, texture and sound was distinctly sensualhedonistically, worrisomely sensualand so was she.
It wasnt her fault, Josh kept telling himself, that she looked like a guys seductive fantasy of a dream lover. The long legs were probably genetic. Blond hair probably ran in her family, too. It wasnt as if shed done anything to sell the package. Her hair had no special style, not full of gunky hairspray. It was just so silky, so long, that any man was naturally going to imagine his hands wrapped in it. And she was wearing a gold pendantnothing big or gaudy, but the little chunk was trapped in the shadow of her plump breasts, drawing his eyes there. Forcing his eyes to the dip of ivory flesh in the vee of her shirt...especially when she was bending right over him.
Would you like some more?
Belatedly he realized she was holding the coffeepot, trying to offer him a refill. Maybe one more quick one, he said, then abruptly wiped a hand over his face. He wished he hadnt said Quick one.
A little more brandy, too?
No brandy for me this time, but thanks. If that splash of brandy was responsible for this abrupt surge of hormones, he wanted no more of it. He wanted to kick himself. Maybe it had been a month of Sundays since hed been alone with a woman, but he knew how to behave around one. He was also a practical, grounded, blue-collar kind of guy. He knew damn well when a lady was way, way out of his realm.
She poured them both more coffee, and carried her cup back to the couch, tucking her legs under her. Killer never told me what you did for a living....
Im an electrical contractor. He almost chuckled. She cocked her head, expressing interest, but he couldnt fathom a woman who was into crystal balls wanting to hear anything about wiring and electric circuits. It was past time he acted like a grown man who could handle a conversation without stuttering. Have you owned your shop long?
Treasures? About four years now. She grinned. I think you met my partner the other day...the six-foot-tall black woman with the bifocals and the gorgeous mocha skin? Her real name is Dorothy, but her nicknames always been Dot.
He remembered the Amazon. When he walked in the shop, shed treated him like handling lost-soul construction workers was the most fun shed had all day. She has quite a sense of humor.
Shes wonderful. We met at an antique jewelry auction a million years ago, and clicked right away. I used to work with silver, designing pieces, but I was never good enough to make a living at it. But I know jewelry, and she knows about the business end of running a shop. When the building came up for sale about four years ago, we decided to give it a go together.
You do okay?
Better than most gift stores, I suspect. The locations great, and weve kept the payroll down to just the two of us and a part-time guy. Unique jewelry is our main thing. Even in recession times, most women cant resist a new bangle or pair of earrings. Me, either. In fact, thats what I try and stockwhat I cant resist, she admitted humorously. Anyway, were hardly banking millions, but were keeping afloat.
You seem to like kids.... Jeez. Talking with her wasnt coming half as hard as hed expected, but there were clearly some subjects that made her light up like a Christmas tree. She darn near bounced with enthusiasm, her smile turned up a thousand wattage.
Im crazy about kids. Wish I had a dozen of my own, but I make do, borrowing nieces and nephews and any relatives kids I can beg, borrow or kidnap whenever I have the chance.
Come from a big family?
If I told you how big, you probably wouldnt believe it. My mothers been divorced four timesat last countand my dads on his third wife. My background hasnt given me much faith in the institution of marriage, but Ive collected whole clans of relatives along the way. In fact, I developed this theory, growing up.
Yeah? He hadnt a clue where she was leading, but if it was going to make her eyes sparkle and dance like that, he was willing to hear anything.
Yeah. As a kid, I couldnt see a reason on earth why I had to lose all my relatives because of divorce. I mean they were getting divorces. I wasnt. So I decided to keep the relatives I was fond of. My aunt Betty, for instance, was a blood relative, but she was always a pistol. When she divorced my uncle Henry, I kept him. And my moms second husbands parentsIve kept them as honorary grandparents. And then there are people like Jeanneshes a writershe was my dads first wifes niece...your eyes are crossing, Josh, are you getting a little confused?
Damned if she wasnt teasing him. Im just trying to picture who you have over for dinner on the holidays, he said dryly. The idea that you can keep or throw out the relatives you want is a little...unusual.
Families dont seem to exist like they used to. If thats the way its going to be, I figure well have to create our nuclear-age families out of a new mold. And youre divorced, so you already know how complicated it can get for the kids around birthdays and holidayswhich ex-aunts and uncles get invited for which occasions
Yeah, it gets complicated. But his mind, for the first time in a millennium, wasnt on his children. It was on her.
Vaguely he recalled that his sole reason for coming here had been to talk about Killer. Vaguely he recalled the madhouse of chores and noise and kids that he needed to go home tosoon. Yet hed stretched out his legs. He couldnt remember when. Her place, the warmth of lamplight and quiet and soft blues, gave him the strange feeling of being in a spellbound cocoon. When was the last time hed shared a basic conversation with a woman? When was the last time a woman had curled up across from him, and focused her attention on his face as if nothing else mattered in the world except the conversation between the two of them?