be able to take her.”
“Funny.” Ryder gave his wet clothes a kick. “I got coffee and a muffin out of it.”
“What kind of muffin?”
“Mine. I’m putting the painters up on the manlift. It’s supposed to stay dry the next couple days, so they can start the next exterior coat.”
“Good. We’ve already had a morning shower. What am I supposed to do?” Beckett spread his hands as his eyes danced with humor. “It’s right there.”
“Next time there’s a call from the inn, I’m sending Deke to handle it. He can kiss her.”
Beckett thought of the laborer—good worker, sunny disposition. And a face only a myopic mother could love. “Harsh, man.”
“If your ghost wants to play games, she can play them with somebody else.”
“She’s not my ghost. And I doubt Lizzy’s interested in hooking Hope up with Deke.”
“Nobody hooks me up, and if I wanted to be hooked up with the perfect Hope, I would be.”
“If you say so.”
They heard young voices carry back, and the scramble of feet. Ryder watched his brother’s face light up as three boys piled into the big kitchen.
Murphy, the youngest at six, scooted around his brothers and zeroed in on Beckett. He held up a decapitated Captain America action figure. “His head came off. You can fix it. Okay? ’Cause he needs it.”
“Let’s see.” Beckett crouched down. “How’d this happen?”
“I was checking if he could see behind his back, ’cause bad guys sneak up behind you. And his head came off.” He offered the head to Beckett. “But you can fix him.”
“We can bury him.” Liam, the middle boy, grinned. “We have the coffins you made. You can make another, just for his head.” He turned that wicked grin up to Ryder. “If your head comes off, you’re dead.”
“You ever see a chicken after its head’s cut off? The rest of it keeps running around, like it’s looking for it.”
“No way!” The eldest, Harry, cackled and his voice pitched with disgusted delight as Liam gaped.
“Oh, way, young Jedi. In fact, it’s—Hey, it’s Clare the fair.”
“Sorry. We had checkups—all good. They really wanted to stop by and see everything before we go to the bookstore.”
“I can stay and work.” Harry shot Beckett a pleading look. “I can help.”
“If Harry gets to stay, me, too.” Liam tugged on Ryder’s jeans. “Me, too.”
“Me, too,” Murphy echoed, and lifted his arms to Beckett. “Okay?”
“We had a deal,” Clare began.
“We’re just asking.” Knowing his targets, Harry changed the pleading look to one of innocent reason. “They can say no.”
“We could use some slaves,” Ryder considered, and was gifted with Harry’s angel smile.
“Ryder, I don’t want to saddle you with—”
“This one’s a little stringy.” He lifted Liam’s arm, pinched the biceps. “But he’s got potential.”
“We’ll need to split them up.” Beckett handed Murphy the repaired superhero.
“I knew you could fix it.” After giving Beckett a fierce hug, Murphy smiled at his mother. “Please, can we be slaves?”
“Who am I against five handsome men? I promised them Vesta for lunch, but—”
“We’ll meet you there.” Setting Murphy down, Beckett crossed to her. He brushed a hand over her cheek, then his lips over hers. “Around noon?”
“That’s fine. Call if you need reinforcements. Boys.” Maternal warning vibrated in the single word. “Do what you’re told. I’ll know if you misbehave—even if they don’t tell me. I’m right down the street,” she said to Beckett.
“How come she knows even when she’s not there?” Murphy demanded when Clare left. “’Cause she does.”
“The mysterious power of mother,” Beckett told him.
“Anyway, if you screw around we’ll just drill you to the wall by your shoes. Upside down,” Ryder added. “You got the runt?”
“Yeah.” Beckett laid a hand on Murphy’s head.
“I’ll take pb and j over to the apartments. He can help with
“Funny.” Ryder gave his wet clothes a kick. “I got coffee and a muffin out of it.”
“What kind of muffin?”
“Mine. I’m putting the painters up on the manlift. It’s supposed to stay dry the next couple days, so they can start the next exterior coat.”
“Good. We’ve already had a morning shower. What am I supposed to do?” Beckett spread his hands as his eyes danced with humor. “It’s right there.”
“Next time there’s a call from the inn, I’m sending Deke to handle it. He can kiss her.”
Beckett thought of the laborer—good worker, sunny disposition. And a face only a myopic mother could love. “Harsh, man.”
“If your ghost wants to play games, she can play them with somebody else.”
“She’s not my ghost. And I doubt Lizzy’s interested in hooking Hope up with Deke.”
“Nobody hooks me up, and if I wanted to be hooked up with the perfect Hope, I would be.”
“If you say so.”
They heard young voices carry back, and the scramble of feet. Ryder watched his brother’s face light up as three boys piled into the big kitchen.
Murphy, the youngest at six, scooted around his brothers and zeroed in on Beckett. He held up a decapitated Captain America action figure. “His head came off. You can fix it. Okay? ’Cause he needs it.”
“Let’s see.” Beckett crouched down. “How’d this happen?”
“I was checking if he could see behind his back, ’cause bad guys sneak up behind you. And his head came off.” He offered the head to Beckett. “But you can fix him.”
“We can bury him.” Liam, the middle boy, grinned. “We have the coffins you made. You can make another, just for his head.” He turned that wicked grin up to Ryder. “If your head comes off, you’re dead.”
“You ever see a chicken after its head’s cut off? The rest of it keeps running around, like it’s looking for it.”
“No way!” The eldest, Harry, cackled and his voice pitched with disgusted delight as Liam gaped.
“Oh, way, young Jedi. In fact, it’s—Hey, it’s Clare the fair.”
“Sorry. We had checkups—all good. They really wanted to stop by and see everything before we go to the bookstore.”
“I can stay and work.” Harry shot Beckett a pleading look. “I can help.”
“If Harry gets to stay, me, too.” Liam tugged on Ryder’s jeans. “Me, too.”
“Me, too,” Murphy echoed, and lifted his arms to Beckett. “Okay?”
“We had a deal,” Clare began.
“We’re just asking.” Knowing his targets, Harry changed the pleading look to one of innocent reason. “They can say no.”
“We could use some slaves,” Ryder considered, and was gifted with Harry’s angel smile.
“Ryder, I don’t want to saddle you with—”
“This one’s a little stringy.” He lifted Liam’s arm, pinched the biceps. “But he’s got potential.”
“We’ll need to split them up.” Beckett handed Murphy the repaired superhero.
“I knew you could fix it.” After giving Beckett a fierce hug, Murphy smiled at his mother. “Please, can we be slaves?”
“Who am I against five handsome men? I promised them Vesta for lunch, but—”
“We’ll meet you there.” Setting Murphy down, Beckett crossed to her. He brushed a hand over her cheek, then his lips over hers. “Around noon?”
“That’s fine. Call if you need reinforcements. Boys.” Maternal warning vibrated in the single word. “Do what you’re told. I’ll know if you misbehave—even if they don’t tell me. I’m right down the street,” she said to Beckett.
“How come she knows even when she’s not there?” Murphy demanded when Clare left. “’Cause she does.”
“The mysterious power of mother,” Beckett told him.
“Anyway, if you screw around we’ll just drill you to the wall by your shoes. Upside down,” Ryder added. “You got the runt?”
“Yeah.” Beckett laid a hand on Murphy’s head.
“I’ll take pb and j over to the apartments. He can help with
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