Read Online Garden of Dreams by Patricia Rice - Free Book Online Page A

tracked me down and called me and asked if he could live with me. I didn’t even know about the kid, but I couldn’t leave him there.”
    The effort of this explanation exhausted him. JD leaned against one of the tables. He wasn’t used to explaining himself, and the half truths made everything more difficult. He still shuddered at the situation he’d found in Tempe. He might never forgive himself for not knowing about Jackie. And his anger at himself had led to still another reckless decision. He should never have run off with Jackie without telling Nancy.
    â€œI tried persuading Jackie’s mother to come with us, but she refused,” he said carefully. “Nancy thinks the creep will come around now that he’s working a steady job. She agreed that the situation would be healthier if Jackie isn’t around so much. But she didn’t agree to let me take him across the country. She doesn’t know where he is, and she’s probably called the police on us. I don’t want him back in the situation he just left, but if the police find me, that’s what will happen. Do you understand?”
    She held her arms crossed in front of her as if to ward off a blow. “I understand that you’re running from something, most likely the law, and you have an innocent child mixed up in it. Your intentions may be perfectly honorable, but you can’t leave the boy’s mother scared to death. That’s a criminal act in itself.”
    His little spiel could have raised a dozen questions, but she zeroed in on the gist of it, undistracted by all the other clouds he’d thrown in her way. JD picked up the watering can again. “You have a laser for a brain, you know that, don’t you?”
    â€œI work with kids. It’s my job. You learn to see through the dust they kick up. Are you going to call Jackie’s mother?”
    Tenacious, too. Uncomfortable, JD twisted his shoulders inside the tight shirt. The humidity in here made him itch. Or maybe her razor-sharp gaze had cut invisible gashes in his hide. He didn’t want to call Nancy. He couldn’t trust her any more than he did Harry and his cohorts. But Nina was right. Nancy had enough problems without worrying about Jackie, too.
    â€œI can’t call her. She could have the call traced. But I’ll get word to her. Will that suffice?”
    â€œWhat can you possibly tell her that will make her feel easy again?” she asked, watching him with those wide cat eyes.
    â€œI’ll tell her we’re at the beach and having a great time. I’ll give her my friend’s number in case she wants to reach us. She thinks I’m an irresponsible idiot, so she’ll buy that.”
    â€œWhat about your friend? Won’t Jackie’s mother send the police to question him? I would.”
    â€œIt won’t do any good. He’ll just tell her that I’m sending messages through the computer. By the time the police figure out how to trace me, if they even bother, I’ll be back home.”
    Nina wanted to believe him. Something rebellious inside her fought the caution her aunt had taught her and clamored to invite this dark-eyed man and his battered brother into her big empty house. Surely a man who worked on computers and troubled himself to take care of his young brother couldn’t be dangerous. She wanted to say yes. Thirty years of experience told her she was insane if she did.
    â€œMr. Smith, I just don’t think this is a wise idea,” she answered slowly, avoiding looking at the way his muscles rippled when he stretched to reach the higher plants. Why couldn’t the man wear decent shirts like anyone else?
    He set the empty watering can down. His biceps bulged even more than Hoyt’s. Nina had the strange notion that all her hormones had shot straight to her brain. They’d never done that once in her entire lifetime. Maybe she was one of those insane women who fell