didn’t have it in him to squash an ant, let alone harm another human being. Still, he seemed to enjoy his little threat. Quiet laughter simmered in them, bubbled up and spilled softly out—proof of what they both knew.
For a minute or two, father and daughter sat in companionable silence. Then Gus reached out and patted her hand. “Better get to bed, Treecie. Didn’t you say there’s some kind of multiward party at Child Services tomorrow?”
She nodded. “Yep. Child Health Week starts this weekend.”
“And let’s not forget what tomorrow night is….”
Merriment twinkled in his eyes. She got up andcrouched beside him. “What’re you dressing up as this year?”
“Molly helped me build a box for this baby.” He slapped the armrests. “It’s the spittin’ image of an Indy 500 car!”
“Cool beans.” She got to her feet. “But I think you ought to heed your own advice and get some shut-eye. Takes a lot of strength, setting up the stuff that’ll scare the willickers outta unsuspecting trick-or-treaters.”
He chuckled.
“Well, I’m off to Sandman Land. Need anything before I turn in?”
He shook his head. When she bent to get her mug, he grabbed her hand. “You sure you’re all right, Treecie? This guy…this doctor …he was nice to you, right?”
The image of Wade—sparkling hazel eyes, patrician nose, boyish grin—flitted through her mind. “Yeah.” She sighed. “He was nice.” She remembered the kiss. “Very nice.”
“Good,” Gus said, popping a wheelie in his chair, “’cause I’d hate to—”
“—mow him down,” they said in unison, laughing.
He rolled out of the room.
“G’night, Dad.”
“Sweet dreams,” he called before closing his door.
She licked her lips, remembering the cookie-sweetness of Wade’s kiss.
Maybe, for a change, her dreams would be “sweet” too.
Patrice parked in the multistoried garage adjacent to Ellicott General and yawned. The night had been one gruesome nightmare after another about the tragedies that had befallen her family.
Thankfully, Molly had arrived a few minutes early, and Patrice had been able to sneak out of the house before her dad came down for breakfast. He’d know the instant he looked into her face that her dreams had been anything but sweet. And you’ve already put him through enough, she’d thought as she grabbed her briefcase and purse.
Patrice locked up her car and headed for the elevator. But thinking maybe the walk would clear her head, she took the stairs, instead. On the first landing, head down and deep in thought, she plowed into a white-haired man and nearly sent him headfirst into the iron railing.
“Oh, my goodness,” she said, one hand on his arm, “I’m so sorry. Are you all right?”
He jerked free of her grasp. “No thanks to you!” he bellowed. “Are you crazy?”
Patrice hadn’t expected a pat on the back for her blunder, but she hadn’t expected this, either. “I—I—”
“Don’t you watch where you’re going, you stuttering idiot?”
Heart pounding and cheeks burning, she repeated, “I’m sorry, sir, really. I didn’t see y—”
He eyed her warily. “Let me guess—you’ve done this before, haven’t you. And one of your victims hauled off and clobbered you, right?”
She had no idea what he was talking about.
He pointed. “Is that where you got that ugly scar?”
She tried to escape his verbal abuse but couldn’t seem to make her legs move.
“Young people today,” he continued, forefinger inches from her nose. “You think you own the entire universe and everything in it, don’t you? Well, I’m here to tell you—”
“What’s going on here?”
Wade. She’d recognize that voice anywhere. Great, she thought, bowing her head, all I need is for him to witness my humiliation. “I’m fine,” she told him. “I wasn’t paying attention where I was going, and I ran into this—” it pained her to say it “—gentleman.”
“I’m so-o-o-o glad to
For a minute or two, father and daughter sat in companionable silence. Then Gus reached out and patted her hand. “Better get to bed, Treecie. Didn’t you say there’s some kind of multiward party at Child Services tomorrow?”
She nodded. “Yep. Child Health Week starts this weekend.”
“And let’s not forget what tomorrow night is….”
Merriment twinkled in his eyes. She got up andcrouched beside him. “What’re you dressing up as this year?”
“Molly helped me build a box for this baby.” He slapped the armrests. “It’s the spittin’ image of an Indy 500 car!”
“Cool beans.” She got to her feet. “But I think you ought to heed your own advice and get some shut-eye. Takes a lot of strength, setting up the stuff that’ll scare the willickers outta unsuspecting trick-or-treaters.”
He chuckled.
“Well, I’m off to Sandman Land. Need anything before I turn in?”
He shook his head. When she bent to get her mug, he grabbed her hand. “You sure you’re all right, Treecie? This guy…this doctor …he was nice to you, right?”
The image of Wade—sparkling hazel eyes, patrician nose, boyish grin—flitted through her mind. “Yeah.” She sighed. “He was nice.” She remembered the kiss. “Very nice.”
“Good,” Gus said, popping a wheelie in his chair, “’cause I’d hate to—”
“—mow him down,” they said in unison, laughing.
He rolled out of the room.
“G’night, Dad.”
“Sweet dreams,” he called before closing his door.
She licked her lips, remembering the cookie-sweetness of Wade’s kiss.
Maybe, for a change, her dreams would be “sweet” too.
Patrice parked in the multistoried garage adjacent to Ellicott General and yawned. The night had been one gruesome nightmare after another about the tragedies that had befallen her family.
Thankfully, Molly had arrived a few minutes early, and Patrice had been able to sneak out of the house before her dad came down for breakfast. He’d know the instant he looked into her face that her dreams had been anything but sweet. And you’ve already put him through enough, she’d thought as she grabbed her briefcase and purse.
Patrice locked up her car and headed for the elevator. But thinking maybe the walk would clear her head, she took the stairs, instead. On the first landing, head down and deep in thought, she plowed into a white-haired man and nearly sent him headfirst into the iron railing.
“Oh, my goodness,” she said, one hand on his arm, “I’m so sorry. Are you all right?”
He jerked free of her grasp. “No thanks to you!” he bellowed. “Are you crazy?”
Patrice hadn’t expected a pat on the back for her blunder, but she hadn’t expected this, either. “I—I—”
“Don’t you watch where you’re going, you stuttering idiot?”
Heart pounding and cheeks burning, she repeated, “I’m sorry, sir, really. I didn’t see y—”
He eyed her warily. “Let me guess—you’ve done this before, haven’t you. And one of your victims hauled off and clobbered you, right?”
She had no idea what he was talking about.
He pointed. “Is that where you got that ugly scar?”
She tried to escape his verbal abuse but couldn’t seem to make her legs move.
“Young people today,” he continued, forefinger inches from her nose. “You think you own the entire universe and everything in it, don’t you? Well, I’m here to tell you—”
“What’s going on here?”
Wade. She’d recognize that voice anywhere. Great, she thought, bowing her head, all I need is for him to witness my humiliation. “I’m fine,” she told him. “I wasn’t paying attention where I was going, and I ran into this—” it pained her to say it “—gentleman.”
“I’m so-o-o-o glad to
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