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Authors: Fern Michaels
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Hate might not be a strong enough word. Just let me say I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes for the coming year. You got any other housekeeping chores you want me to take care of before I leave? Just bear in mind that you called me; I didn’t call you.”
“Bite me!” Jake growled.
“Oh dear, don’t do that, Mr. Rosario. Human bites are worse than animal bites,” Elroy said, or maybe it was Estes.
Jake grinned. “Thanks. Now what?”
“Now you wait for every shitty work assignment those two women can come up with, and it’s yours. Do a good job now. Make me proud of you.” Alex guffawed as he made his way to his car.
Estes and Elroy patted him on the back. “Don’t worry, Jacob. The year will go by on winged feet.”
Jake slapped at a mosquito bent on sucking out his blood. He slouched back against one of the porch pillars and waited. And waited. And then waited some more.
Finally, Fancy Dancer came out to the porch. In her hand she had a glass of frosty iced tea. She handed it over and somehow managed to spill it down the front of Jake’s sweat-stained T-shirt. “Ooh, how clumsy of me. If nothing else, it should cool you off a bit. If you follow me, I’ll show you to your room. I’m sorry it took so long and you had to wait, but we had to get it ready for you,” Fancy said oh-so sweetly.
Jake wisely refrained from uttering a word as he followed her down a short hall, around a corner, then down a long hallway. Her face totally blank, Fancy opened the door. “I think you’ll be more than comfortable here, Mr. St. Cloud.” Then she turned and left.
Jake gaped. It was a huge room, with a big four-poster that was something short of regular height. The floor was bare. There wasn’t a lot of clutter; in fact, there was no clutter. Other than a rocking chair and a large armoire, nothing else was in the room. The adjoining bathroom had a claw-foot tub with a shower curtain. Everything was old but clean. Thin yellow towels hung on a rack near the tub. He’d need at least three of them to dry off. There were no electrical outlets to be seen.
Jake was transferring his clothes to the closet and dresser when he stopped and sniffed. The faint scent of roses wafted from the drawers where he was putting his underwear and shirts. “Oh crap!” This must be either the mother or the daughter’s room. He stopped what he was doing and ran out to the hall, shouting to Fancy.
Fancy appeared out of nowhere. “What? Doesn’t the room suit you, Mr. St. Cloud?”
“Whose room is it? Yours? Your mother’s? I can’t take your rooms. This wasn’t what I wanted. Don’t you have an oversize closet or storage room I can bunk in? All I want is a real bed with four walls around me. I can’t take your room.”
“You’re too late. The law says you get this room, so enjoy it. I hope you have nightmares every night you sleep in that bed. And for the record, it’s my mother’s room. She gave it up because I refused to give you my room. I was prepared for the contempt charge, but my mother wasn’t. That’s the bottom line. Now, you have five minutes to get down to the kitchen, so I can give you your assignment for the day.”
If ever there was a time when Jake St. Cloud felt like an out-and-out shit, it was then. He watched Fancy limp her way down the long hall. He watched as twice she had to reach out to steady herself by slapping her hand against the wall.
Damn, talk about being between a rock and a hard place.
Five minutes. He hustled.
Down in the kitchen, which looked like it was getting back to normal, Jake looked around, then leaned up against the stove and waited.
Once more, Fancy Dancer appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. She must have a light step , he thought. He supposed that, what with being a dancer and all, she was light on her feet. There was no sign of her mother.
Fancy got right to it. “Do you know anything at all about kids, Mr. St. Cloud?”
“No, other than I was a kid once. Call me
“Bite me!” Jake growled.
“Oh dear, don’t do that, Mr. Rosario. Human bites are worse than animal bites,” Elroy said, or maybe it was Estes.
Jake grinned. “Thanks. Now what?”
“Now you wait for every shitty work assignment those two women can come up with, and it’s yours. Do a good job now. Make me proud of you.” Alex guffawed as he made his way to his car.
Estes and Elroy patted him on the back. “Don’t worry, Jacob. The year will go by on winged feet.”
Jake slapped at a mosquito bent on sucking out his blood. He slouched back against one of the porch pillars and waited. And waited. And then waited some more.
Finally, Fancy Dancer came out to the porch. In her hand she had a glass of frosty iced tea. She handed it over and somehow managed to spill it down the front of Jake’s sweat-stained T-shirt. “Ooh, how clumsy of me. If nothing else, it should cool you off a bit. If you follow me, I’ll show you to your room. I’m sorry it took so long and you had to wait, but we had to get it ready for you,” Fancy said oh-so sweetly.
Jake wisely refrained from uttering a word as he followed her down a short hall, around a corner, then down a long hallway. Her face totally blank, Fancy opened the door. “I think you’ll be more than comfortable here, Mr. St. Cloud.” Then she turned and left.
Jake gaped. It was a huge room, with a big four-poster that was something short of regular height. The floor was bare. There wasn’t a lot of clutter; in fact, there was no clutter. Other than a rocking chair and a large armoire, nothing else was in the room. The adjoining bathroom had a claw-foot tub with a shower curtain. Everything was old but clean. Thin yellow towels hung on a rack near the tub. He’d need at least three of them to dry off. There were no electrical outlets to be seen.
Jake was transferring his clothes to the closet and dresser when he stopped and sniffed. The faint scent of roses wafted from the drawers where he was putting his underwear and shirts. “Oh crap!” This must be either the mother or the daughter’s room. He stopped what he was doing and ran out to the hall, shouting to Fancy.
Fancy appeared out of nowhere. “What? Doesn’t the room suit you, Mr. St. Cloud?”
“Whose room is it? Yours? Your mother’s? I can’t take your rooms. This wasn’t what I wanted. Don’t you have an oversize closet or storage room I can bunk in? All I want is a real bed with four walls around me. I can’t take your room.”
“You’re too late. The law says you get this room, so enjoy it. I hope you have nightmares every night you sleep in that bed. And for the record, it’s my mother’s room. She gave it up because I refused to give you my room. I was prepared for the contempt charge, but my mother wasn’t. That’s the bottom line. Now, you have five minutes to get down to the kitchen, so I can give you your assignment for the day.”
If ever there was a time when Jake St. Cloud felt like an out-and-out shit, it was then. He watched Fancy limp her way down the long hall. He watched as twice she had to reach out to steady herself by slapping her hand against the wall.
Damn, talk about being between a rock and a hard place.
Five minutes. He hustled.
Down in the kitchen, which looked like it was getting back to normal, Jake looked around, then leaned up against the stove and waited.
Once more, Fancy Dancer appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. She must have a light step , he thought. He supposed that, what with being a dancer and all, she was light on her feet. There was no sign of her mother.
Fancy got right to it. “Do you know anything at all about kids, Mr. St. Cloud?”
“No, other than I was a kid once. Call me
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