the predominate feature on the screen. He touched his nose and shook his head. He bet that his nose was humongous. Although, he suspected that Mia was looking past his schnozzola to Brian, who had opened his eyes really wide and was saying, “Ah am ah am.”
“He’s really talking up a storm now,” Mia observed. “I’ve only been gone a day, and he’s already talking.”
“Minnie Mouse, I hate to burst your bubble, but he makes the same sound when he’s filling his diaper.”
Mia watched as Ted lifted the boy up and smelled his behind. He put him back down, leaning him against his chest. “False alarm, he must have been just talking about pooping.”
Mia laughed.
“Where are you?” she asked, not being able to pinpoint the background behind Ted and Brian.
“At the computer,” Ted said.
“Which computer?”
“The one in the command truck.”
Mia looked at the time and then back at Ted who seemed to be sweating.
“You took our son into the command truck, why?”
“Because leaving him in the van would have been irresponsible.”
Ted winced as Mia’s brows furrowed. She leaned into the phone and wiggled her fingers in a come here motion.
Ted leaned in and smiled weakly.
“Theodore Martin, you have five seconds to tell me why you took our three-month-old, premature child on a ghost hunt.”
“I made sure he’s in a climate-controlled, ghost-proof environment.”
“That’s not an answer,” Mia said, her voice dropping into you-better-tell-me-the-truth-or-else mode.
“I couldn’t leave him with anyone. Yes, they were all available, but I wouldn’t be able to concentrate because I would be thinking, what’s Brian doing and stuff.”
Mia looked at her contrite husband, and hard as she tried, she couldn’t get angry at him. Hell, if she could have gotten it by Gerald, she would have had Brian in a front pack while she crossed over the lost.
“Is Burt okay with this?” she asked.
“He wasn’t pleased but said we could try it out. So far, Brian has behaved himself. I’ll take him home if you insist, but I’d really like for us to get through the investigation together. Please let him stay.”
“Okay, but don’t keep him up too late.”
Ted was flabbergasted. “Mighty Mouse, I didn’t think you’d be so, so, reasonable.”
He saw her roll her eyes and shake her head.
“I’m always reasonable, except when I’m not, but then I’m still reasonable,” she said with a wry look on her face.
“Thank you, so much,” Ted gushed.
“Where’s the hunt at?” Mia asked.
Ted proceeded to tell her the particulars. “I was certain that we could debunk all the librarian’s claims, but then she and Cid found a head in a stack of books.”
“A head?”
Ted told her the tale, embellishing where needed.
Mia watched him talk along with Brian who had become interested in the underside of Ted’s chin. He finished his tale and asked about her day. She gave him a concise picture of the trip there until Ralph arrived.
“Ralph’s there?” he asked to make sure he heard her correctly.
“Oh yes, he came in with a rolling rack full of clothes. I’m wearing one of the dresses,” she said, moving back so he could see more of her.
“Something else arrived with Ralph,” Mia said.
Ted could see the concern on her face, so he settled in and let Mia tell her story in her own time.
“I think I’m going to try to seek out this so-called host tomorrow morning. Since Ralph is insisting on going, it will be late morning. He really enjoyed himself at dinner this evening.”
“The ghost hunter part of me is really jelly at your opportunity to meet the Grand Duke. However, the husband part of me wishes you wouldn’t.”
“I’m not thrilled about doing this either, but I can’t get over the feeling that Alexei is real and needs my help.”
Mia saw Ted hit the keys and look over to the right for a moment. He read
“He’s really talking up a storm now,” Mia observed. “I’ve only been gone a day, and he’s already talking.”
“Minnie Mouse, I hate to burst your bubble, but he makes the same sound when he’s filling his diaper.”
Mia watched as Ted lifted the boy up and smelled his behind. He put him back down, leaning him against his chest. “False alarm, he must have been just talking about pooping.”
Mia laughed.
“Where are you?” she asked, not being able to pinpoint the background behind Ted and Brian.
“At the computer,” Ted said.
“Which computer?”
“The one in the command truck.”
Mia looked at the time and then back at Ted who seemed to be sweating.
“You took our son into the command truck, why?”
“Because leaving him in the van would have been irresponsible.”
Ted winced as Mia’s brows furrowed. She leaned into the phone and wiggled her fingers in a come here motion.
Ted leaned in and smiled weakly.
“Theodore Martin, you have five seconds to tell me why you took our three-month-old, premature child on a ghost hunt.”
“I made sure he’s in a climate-controlled, ghost-proof environment.”
“That’s not an answer,” Mia said, her voice dropping into you-better-tell-me-the-truth-or-else mode.
“I couldn’t leave him with anyone. Yes, they were all available, but I wouldn’t be able to concentrate because I would be thinking, what’s Brian doing and stuff.”
Mia looked at her contrite husband, and hard as she tried, she couldn’t get angry at him. Hell, if she could have gotten it by Gerald, she would have had Brian in a front pack while she crossed over the lost.
“Is Burt okay with this?” she asked.
“He wasn’t pleased but said we could try it out. So far, Brian has behaved himself. I’ll take him home if you insist, but I’d really like for us to get through the investigation together. Please let him stay.”
“Okay, but don’t keep him up too late.”
Ted was flabbergasted. “Mighty Mouse, I didn’t think you’d be so, so, reasonable.”
He saw her roll her eyes and shake her head.
“I’m always reasonable, except when I’m not, but then I’m still reasonable,” she said with a wry look on her face.
“Thank you, so much,” Ted gushed.
“Where’s the hunt at?” Mia asked.
Ted proceeded to tell her the particulars. “I was certain that we could debunk all the librarian’s claims, but then she and Cid found a head in a stack of books.”
“A head?”
Ted told her the tale, embellishing where needed.
Mia watched him talk along with Brian who had become interested in the underside of Ted’s chin. He finished his tale and asked about her day. She gave him a concise picture of the trip there until Ralph arrived.
“Ralph’s there?” he asked to make sure he heard her correctly.
“Oh yes, he came in with a rolling rack full of clothes. I’m wearing one of the dresses,” she said, moving back so he could see more of her.
“Something else arrived with Ralph,” Mia said.
Ted could see the concern on her face, so he settled in and let Mia tell her story in her own time.
“I think I’m going to try to seek out this so-called host tomorrow morning. Since Ralph is insisting on going, it will be late morning. He really enjoyed himself at dinner this evening.”
“The ghost hunter part of me is really jelly at your opportunity to meet the Grand Duke. However, the husband part of me wishes you wouldn’t.”
“I’m not thrilled about doing this either, but I can’t get over the feeling that Alexei is real and needs my help.”
Mia saw Ted hit the keys and look over to the right for a moment. He read
Similar Books
