Read Online Whisper of Revenge (A Cape Trouble Novel Book 4) by Janice Kay Johnson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Janice Kay Johnson
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attempting to put on paper what he saw in front of him, and
from his low-to-the-floor perspective. The bookcase in front of him loomed.
Two heads barely appeared above it on the other side. One was a white-haired
woman with a perm, depicted with fluffy lines. He had been carefully adding
straight lines to show the books on the shelves.
Elias flipped pages and continued to be impressed. The
puppy wasn’t half bad. Mischief and energy shone through despite the static
nature of the sketch. Hannah’s smile was as wide as it was in real life.
Apparently frustrated he hadn’t accomplished his objective, Ian had added a sun
right above her head. Good image, even though Elias had been picturing her as
a toasty fire instead.
Flipping back to the current drawing, he handed the pad to
Ian. “I think you’re wrong. For your age, you are a very fine artist. I
couldn’t have done any better when I was five.”
The freckled face lit with endearing hope. “Really?”
“Really.” Elias didn’t touch other people often or easily,
but he squeezed the boy’s thin shoulder.
Ian looked past him, bouncing in his chair. “Mom! Mr.
Burton says I’m a real good artist!”
Only inches from Elias, she bent to kiss the top of her
son’s head. “I keep telling you that. And I know Miss Alvarez does, too.
Isn’t our refrigerator covered with your drawings and paintings?”
“Yeah, but he’s not my mom or my teacher.”
Elias found himself grinning. Kid was smart.
Hannah chuckled, her eyes meeting Elias’s. “Poor Ian is
stuck here all day. Apparently his daycare is having an outbreak—”
“Of lice. So he told me.”
“Mr. Burton says he got lice twice . It made
his mom grumpy.”
She laughed out loud. “Can’t imagine why.”
“She got mad ’cuz she couldn’t get rid of them,” he
continued earnestly. “Even with that special shampoo. So when he got ’em
again, she practically shaved all his hair off.”
Again she smoothed a hand over his head. “That’s a plan.”
“You’re not going to now, are you?” He sounded worried.
“You said I don’t have any.”
“You don’t. And no, I won’t. We’ll just wait a few days
before you go back to daycare. By then, everybody should have been treated,
and Mrs. Voight will have had a chance to do an especially good job of
cleaning.”
“Yeah! So there won’t be any bugs at all.”
“Right.”
Elias said, “It was nice talking to you, Ian, but I need to
get back to work myself,” and stood.
The boy looked crestfallen, but said gamely, “Okay. I liked
talking to you.”
Elias surprised himself with the realization that he’d liked
talking to Ian, too.
Hannah walked Elias to the front door.
“Thank you for visiting with him. I’m sure he’s bored to
death.”
“He’s probably striking up conversations with everyone who
passes by. You’ve raised a good kid, Hannah.” He kissed her cheek, allowing
himself a tiny nuzzle he hoped she didn’t notice, and left.
He paused on the street with his hand on his car door,
looking back at Sweet Ideas. He usually lost himself easily in his painting.
Something told him he’d be counting the hours instead.
*****
Hannah nudged her empty salad plate away as Elias was
finishing his soup. It had taken her a full course at this bistro in Pacific
City to work up the nerve to ask anything personal. She liked knowing what
books and movies he enjoyed, and seeing that he was as curious about her.
But…she wanted to know whether he’d ever been married. Whether he’d had his
heart broken. She assumed he’d have said if he had any children…but the man
was in his late thirties. He must have a history.
She took a sip of water instead of the wine that went to her
head and decided to ask straight out. “Have you ever been married?”
He went momentarily still, his gaze lifting to hers.
“Nope.”
If he minded
from his low-to-the-floor perspective. The bookcase in front of him loomed.
Two heads barely appeared above it on the other side. One was a white-haired
woman with a perm, depicted with fluffy lines. He had been carefully adding
straight lines to show the books on the shelves.
Elias flipped pages and continued to be impressed. The
puppy wasn’t half bad. Mischief and energy shone through despite the static
nature of the sketch. Hannah’s smile was as wide as it was in real life.
Apparently frustrated he hadn’t accomplished his objective, Ian had added a sun
right above her head. Good image, even though Elias had been picturing her as
a toasty fire instead.
Flipping back to the current drawing, he handed the pad to
Ian. “I think you’re wrong. For your age, you are a very fine artist. I
couldn’t have done any better when I was five.”
The freckled face lit with endearing hope. “Really?”
“Really.” Elias didn’t touch other people often or easily,
but he squeezed the boy’s thin shoulder.
Ian looked past him, bouncing in his chair. “Mom! Mr.
Burton says I’m a real good artist!”
Only inches from Elias, she bent to kiss the top of her
son’s head. “I keep telling you that. And I know Miss Alvarez does, too.
Isn’t our refrigerator covered with your drawings and paintings?”
“Yeah, but he’s not my mom or my teacher.”
Elias found himself grinning. Kid was smart.
Hannah chuckled, her eyes meeting Elias’s. “Poor Ian is
stuck here all day. Apparently his daycare is having an outbreak—”
“Of lice. So he told me.”
“Mr. Burton says he got lice twice . It made
his mom grumpy.”
She laughed out loud. “Can’t imagine why.”
“She got mad ’cuz she couldn’t get rid of them,” he
continued earnestly. “Even with that special shampoo. So when he got ’em
again, she practically shaved all his hair off.”
Again she smoothed a hand over his head. “That’s a plan.”
“You’re not going to now, are you?” He sounded worried.
“You said I don’t have any.”
“You don’t. And no, I won’t. We’ll just wait a few days
before you go back to daycare. By then, everybody should have been treated,
and Mrs. Voight will have had a chance to do an especially good job of
cleaning.”
“Yeah! So there won’t be any bugs at all.”
“Right.”
Elias said, “It was nice talking to you, Ian, but I need to
get back to work myself,” and stood.
The boy looked crestfallen, but said gamely, “Okay. I liked
talking to you.”
Elias surprised himself with the realization that he’d liked
talking to Ian, too.
Hannah walked Elias to the front door.
“Thank you for visiting with him. I’m sure he’s bored to
death.”
“He’s probably striking up conversations with everyone who
passes by. You’ve raised a good kid, Hannah.” He kissed her cheek, allowing
himself a tiny nuzzle he hoped she didn’t notice, and left.
He paused on the street with his hand on his car door,
looking back at Sweet Ideas. He usually lost himself easily in his painting.
Something told him he’d be counting the hours instead.
*****
Hannah nudged her empty salad plate away as Elias was
finishing his soup. It had taken her a full course at this bistro in Pacific
City to work up the nerve to ask anything personal. She liked knowing what
books and movies he enjoyed, and seeing that he was as curious about her.
But…she wanted to know whether he’d ever been married. Whether he’d had his
heart broken. She assumed he’d have said if he had any children…but the man
was in his late thirties. He must have a history.
She took a sip of water instead of the wine that went to her
head and decided to ask straight out. “Have you ever been married?”
He went momentarily still, his gaze lifting to hers.
“Nope.”
If he minded
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