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Authors: Susan Andersen
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the kid groused.
“Because she has her first physical therapy session in twenty minutes and when a girl’s facing something difficult it gives her a lift to look her best.” She flapped a go-away hand at him. “Besides, by the time you two’ve dried off, so will the polish.”
“Whatta we have to dry off for?” Ty demanded indignantly. “We’re just gonna get wet again at the pool.”
“That’s true,” Janna said, extending her good foot to admire her paint job as Macy gathered nail stuff together and threw it in a little case. “But you’re not climbing into my car like that.”
“We wanna go in Aunt Macy’s car!”
“Not going to happen, Ty,” Macy said, climbing to her feet and brushing off her butt. “My car’s a two seater and there are four of us.”
“That sucks,” he muttered.
“Well, I suppose your mom and I could always take my car and you and Charlie could stay home with Grandma.”
Janna nodded. “That would work.”
“Nuh-uh!”
Macy observed him with a stillness Gabe had never seen from her, since she was usually electricity in motion. “Then quit your whining,” she commanded in a tone that didn’t resemble her usual easy-breezy way of speaking. “Contrary to what you seem to believe today, it’s not all about you. Now, go dry off and don’t forget to ask Grandma for a couple of dry towels to take to the pool.”
“Aw, man! ” But he headed for the back door of the boardinghouse, passing Gabe without acknowledging him.
As the screen door slapped shut behind the boys, Gabe watched Macy bend to lift her cousin out of the chair.
He went to help. “Kind of rough on the kid, weren’t you?” he said as he hipped her aside and reached to gently raise Janna onto her feet. Okay, so he actually thought she’d handled Ty dead right. Yet somehow words he never intended to say seemed to come out of his mouth whenever he was around her. He narrowed his eyes at her for once again putting him in that position. “I had drill instructors in the army weren’t as tough as you.”
“Gee, why aren’t I surprised you were a big, bad soldier?” she shot back. “The only shocker here isthat you weren’t the D.I. I can see you getting nose-to-nose with some poor, hapless recruit to yell in his face until his ego is paste beneath your boot.”
I’ll show you nose-to-nose. He took a hot step forward, then, catching himself, executed a bigger one in reverse.
Jesus. The woman turned him into someone he didn’t recognize faster than you could clock a cheetah going from zero to seventy. But this was it. He was through falling into that trap. He was getting his Zen back and from now on keeping his mouth shut.
He shot a glance at his watch. What the hell was he doing hanging around here, anyhow, when he’d scheduled a meeting with his volunteer firemen in fifteen minutes?
But his good intentions went up in flames when they all stepped out into the blazing sunshine and he took his first real good look at her outfit. “What the hell are you supposed to be today?” he demanded. “A belly dancer?” Okay, it wasn’t quite that overt. But holy shit.
“I’m pretty sure it was her Wonder Woman Underoos back in the fourth grade that set her on the path to all things dress-up,” Janna said with a fond smile at her cousin’s animal-print bikini top and the crocheted bronze scarf tied low on her hips, its long, silky fringe shimmying with every breath she took.
“Hey,” Macy said. “Do not mock my Wonder Woman underwear. I’ll have you know I have fond memories of the white stars on those little blue pantsand that great winged W on my chest.” Her lips curled upward. “I totally rocked those undies.”
Then she turned and pinned him in place with a level gaze. “As for what I’m wearing today, Donovan, it’s called a bathing suit and cover-up. Women in the new millennium wear them when they go to the pool. Deal with it.”
“Or an almost-cover-up, anyway,” he murmured,
“Because she has her first physical therapy session in twenty minutes and when a girl’s facing something difficult it gives her a lift to look her best.” She flapped a go-away hand at him. “Besides, by the time you two’ve dried off, so will the polish.”
“Whatta we have to dry off for?” Ty demanded indignantly. “We’re just gonna get wet again at the pool.”
“That’s true,” Janna said, extending her good foot to admire her paint job as Macy gathered nail stuff together and threw it in a little case. “But you’re not climbing into my car like that.”
“We wanna go in Aunt Macy’s car!”
“Not going to happen, Ty,” Macy said, climbing to her feet and brushing off her butt. “My car’s a two seater and there are four of us.”
“That sucks,” he muttered.
“Well, I suppose your mom and I could always take my car and you and Charlie could stay home with Grandma.”
Janna nodded. “That would work.”
“Nuh-uh!”
Macy observed him with a stillness Gabe had never seen from her, since she was usually electricity in motion. “Then quit your whining,” she commanded in a tone that didn’t resemble her usual easy-breezy way of speaking. “Contrary to what you seem to believe today, it’s not all about you. Now, go dry off and don’t forget to ask Grandma for a couple of dry towels to take to the pool.”
“Aw, man! ” But he headed for the back door of the boardinghouse, passing Gabe without acknowledging him.
As the screen door slapped shut behind the boys, Gabe watched Macy bend to lift her cousin out of the chair.
He went to help. “Kind of rough on the kid, weren’t you?” he said as he hipped her aside and reached to gently raise Janna onto her feet. Okay, so he actually thought she’d handled Ty dead right. Yet somehow words he never intended to say seemed to come out of his mouth whenever he was around her. He narrowed his eyes at her for once again putting him in that position. “I had drill instructors in the army weren’t as tough as you.”
“Gee, why aren’t I surprised you were a big, bad soldier?” she shot back. “The only shocker here isthat you weren’t the D.I. I can see you getting nose-to-nose with some poor, hapless recruit to yell in his face until his ego is paste beneath your boot.”
I’ll show you nose-to-nose. He took a hot step forward, then, catching himself, executed a bigger one in reverse.
Jesus. The woman turned him into someone he didn’t recognize faster than you could clock a cheetah going from zero to seventy. But this was it. He was through falling into that trap. He was getting his Zen back and from now on keeping his mouth shut.
He shot a glance at his watch. What the hell was he doing hanging around here, anyhow, when he’d scheduled a meeting with his volunteer firemen in fifteen minutes?
But his good intentions went up in flames when they all stepped out into the blazing sunshine and he took his first real good look at her outfit. “What the hell are you supposed to be today?” he demanded. “A belly dancer?” Okay, it wasn’t quite that overt. But holy shit.
“I’m pretty sure it was her Wonder Woman Underoos back in the fourth grade that set her on the path to all things dress-up,” Janna said with a fond smile at her cousin’s animal-print bikini top and the crocheted bronze scarf tied low on her hips, its long, silky fringe shimmying with every breath she took.
“Hey,” Macy said. “Do not mock my Wonder Woman underwear. I’ll have you know I have fond memories of the white stars on those little blue pantsand that great winged W on my chest.” Her lips curled upward. “I totally rocked those undies.”
Then she turned and pinned him in place with a level gaze. “As for what I’m wearing today, Donovan, it’s called a bathing suit and cover-up. Women in the new millennium wear them when they go to the pool. Deal with it.”
“Or an almost-cover-up, anyway,” he murmured,
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