by Barbara Lohr
Her face crumpled and then flared. “I’m hungry. No breakfast.”
“I told you, cereal in the cupboard.” So he was responsible for this too?
“I like Sugar Crispy Pops.”
“They’ll rot your teeth.”
Her mouth trembled. Old ladies? He knew how to talk to them. Teenagers were a whole different story. “Sorry, Maisy. I’m...” More women had pushed into the shop, bringing a wintry blast with them. This wasn’t the time or the place for a heart-to-heart with his niece. “Give me a minute, and I’ll take you to Rosie’s for breakfast.”
He must have struck a chord. Her face cleared. Nodding to a few people who had relatives at the care center, he made his way toward Diana and waited until she was through with a customer. Pushing her hair back, she exhaled. For the first time since October, she didn’t pull her hair over the scar. “I’m going to take Maisy to Rosie’s. She’s hungry.”
“Good idea. Do you believe this?” Her eyes darted around the packed shop.
“I’ll be back in about an hour.” He escaped, taking Maisy with him. Ten minutes later they were seated in a booth, looking over the menu.
“So, what are you studying in school?” he asked once they’d given their order.
When Maisy blinked, the purple eye shadow was even more noticeable. “The usual stuff.”
He searched his mind. “You’re in high school?”
“Of course. After all, I’m fifteen.” Okay, she’d gotten that tone from her mother.
He was going to be patient if it killed him. “I’m sorry, Maisy. I haven’t got a clue what kids study in high school.”
She shrugged. Why didn’t she take off that bulky coat? “Algebra, English, social studies. A bunch of crap if you ask me.”
He stiffened. “What makes it crap?”
She slid lower in the booth and started picking at her nails. “When am I ever going to use algebra? I have a calculator.”
“Good point.” He thought back. “I think they told us algebra helped form logical thinking.”
“That’s stupid.”
“You might be right.” Her scathing glance froze the chuckle in his throat. “So, what’s your favorite subject?”
“Computer science.”
What a relief to see her eyes sparkle. “What goes on in that class?”
“We’re making our own website.”
Things were looking up. “Sounds fascinating. You enjoy that?”
“You bet. Well, sort of.” Had she realized enthusiasm wasn’t cool? The waitress arrived and Maisy’s eyes brightened. She’d ordered something called Waffle Sunrise. The waffle was heaped with eggs. Dousing the concoction with butter and syrup, she dug in. His scrambled eggs and toast looked boring compared to her plate.
“Coffee?” asked a waitress, sweeping past with a pot.
“Yeah.” Maisy shoved her empty mug to the edge of the table.
“Yes, please.” Will spoke slowly. Maisy seemed to get the message.
“Thank you very much,” she said, with an exaggerated drawl.
His parents would be aggravated no end to hear their only grandchild being this rude.
“So you’ll probably be glad to get back to your computer class. Finish up that website, right?”
“But I have to change schools again.”
“Why?” His own heart squeezed at the dismay on her face.
“Mom’s got that new boyfriend, and he lives in Florida. Bye bye, Kentucky and my class.” She was trying to be flippant and failing.
“Florida. The guy she’s with right now?”
“Yeah.” Halfway through the waffles, she’d stopped eating.
Will hated to pump Maisy about his lame sister, so he stopped there.
“I could work on my website now if I had a computer. I have the login and everything. Most of the kids worked on theirs at home. I used to stay late and use the school computer.” All this came rushing out in starts and stops that clearly expected a no. “I saw some in the library. Do you think they’d mind if I stopped in and used one?”
“Well, of course you can. In fact, you can use my laptop at the condo.”
Her lips fell open in amazement. “Really? I could?”
Her gratitude was so pathetic. You’d think he’d given her a car. And it made him very sad.
Her appetite restored, Maisy took up her fork and cleaned her plate. He glanced at his watch. “Let’s go back to the shop. Maybe things will have slowed down.”
“Does Diana only have that one girl to help her?”
“Yep. It’s a small town. Usually she doesn’t have that much business.”
“Maybe I’ll come over and go through the shops some day.”
“Great idea.” Maybe this visit wouldn’t be so bad after all. Somehow, he’d fill her time. She’d probably hate the care center, but he couldn’t leave her at his place. If she was anything like her mother, she’d have a party going in no time.
But she didn’t know anyone in Gull Harbor. Christmas and she was with total strangers. Damn, he wished his folks were up here. They might be mad at Delinda, but they loved their granddaughter.
“How was Rosie’s?” Diana asked when they returned to Hippy Chick.
“Jammed. The whole town has benefited from this Holiday Walk.”
“They have the best waffles ever.” To his surprise, Maisy jumped right in.
Diana turned to Rachel. “Can you handle this? It’s almost closing time.”
“You bet. I’ll spend the time straightening the stock.”
She turned back to Will. “Let me just get my jacket.”
Maisy was busy studying the tops. Looked like she preferred dark colors. Will followed Diana into the dimly lit stock room. Okay, he felt like a stalker but he was dying. She was reaching for her jacket when he closed the door. “Will? Whatever...”
Wrapping his arms around her, Will settled his lips over hers. He liked her eager response. Loved it when she gave him a light shove and the shelving bit into his back. This was getting better. “I’d trade eggs and waffles for you anytime,” he murmured between kisses that quickly turned wet and heated.
“I know just how that feels. Oh, Will,” she moaned and he had to clap a hand over her lips. A slight nip of her teeth only made the situation worse.
“You’re a vixen.”
“Vixen?” Her low, suppressed laugh was music to his ears.
When she eased back a little, he could still feel her luscious curves. His body sat up and begged. This room had possibilities. Dark and dim, the storeroom had a faint smell of dust, now mixed with their heat and the rustle of jackets. He wished he had more time, and that his niece wasn’t waiting. Running his hands down the sides of her body, he tried to commit it to memory. “Looks like we won’t have much opportunity for this in the coming weeks.”
“Hope we find some. Can’t we?” He loved the disappointment in her voice. “But the visit won’t be long. Well worth it, to help your sister. And more important, Maisy.” Pulling away, she studied him, suddenly businesslike. Her stern look brought him back to the present and their situation.
“You know she really is a sad, little thing,” Diana said.
“She’s not little but she is sad. And no wonder.” Why had he let Delinda get away with dumping Maisy on him...especially during the holidays? All he wanted was to curl up with Diana. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with her. She wants to spend time at the library. She’s creating a website in her class and can use the computer. I’m sure Mildred won’t mind.”
“Are you kidding? She’ll be thrilled.”
He kissed her cheek, her left cheek. His lips just landed there, not intentionally. For the first time since the accident, she didn’t cringe. Her eyes were distant as she chewed on the corner of her lip. “Maybe she could come with me tomorrow to the dance.”
He choked. “Really?”
She squeezed his shoulder. “Well, of course. What are you going to do? Plunk her in front of T
he Grinch Who Stole Christmas?”
“That’s thoughtful of you to help with Maisy, Diana.”
Shrugging into her white jacket, she smiled. “Not a problem.”
Casting a glance toward the closed door, Diana planted a kiss on him that could last a while. Oh, yeah. How he wished they could go to his place and take this to a new level. “This is frustrating,” he moaned when she finally pulled away. The smoking hot kiss left him panting while she laughed and reapplied her lipstick.
“This is life.”
~.~
The following day, Diana met Will and Maisy at the facility. Her breath billowed into frozen clouds when she climbed out of her car. With his coat collar turned up, Harold sat at the door.
“Hi, Harold. Aren’t you cold out here?”
“Nope. Just waiting for you.”
Now, that was so sweet. She was always surprised that he remembered her name. Bundled in a heavy coat with mittens, he had a scarf wrapped around his lower face, the earflaps firmly in place. “It’s real pretty, the snow. Don’t you think it’s pretty, Diana?”
“Yes, yes it is. But if you get too cold, you come inside now, you hear?”
“Yep. That’s what Kelsey tells me. She brings me hot chocolate,” he said, obviously pleased by the attention. “We gonna dance today?”
“Yes, we are.” It felt so good to be back on schedule. Why had she ever backed away from something that had made her feel good about coming to Gull Harbor?
“Will you dance with me, Diana. Will you, huh?’
“You know I will. See you inside.”
The hot, dry air of the facility met her when she pushed through the glass doors. She’d stopped worrying about it. Too much other stuff on her mind. After seeing Maisy’s heavy hand with her makeup, Diana had pulled way back. Will mentioned he liked her without eye shadow. Yep, Maisy had definitely left her mark.
Kelsey nodded at her from the front desk. “Hey, Kelsey. Are Will and his niece here?”
“In his office.” She jerked a thumb down the hallways before leaning over. “That girl took half my fresh baked cookies with her.”
Diana’s eyes dropped to the plate, now almost empty. “Growing girl.”
The receptionist rolled her eyes. “I’ll say.”
One thing at a time. Maisy needed so much. The cookies were just an emotional filler. At least, that’s how Diana saw it. After the breakup with Bryce, she’d gorged herself on pastries, cookies and ice cream. But the emptiness inside lingered for a long, long time.
Hurrying down the brightly lit corridor, she wondered what she would find in Will’s office. How was he doing with his niece? When Diana poked her head in, her heart fell. Will and Maisy faced each other across the desk, and it wasn’t a cozy scene. “Ready, Maisy?”
The girl turned to her. “Yep.” Her eyes were heavily lined in black with deep purple eyelids. Will looked like he hadn’t slept.
“Let’s go then.” Casting a worried glance at Will, Diana headed out. “My hair’s so staticy here. Such dry heat.” Her hair crackled with static electricity when she raked her fingers through it. “How about you?”
Maisy’s hair was piled on top of her head. “Uncle Will uses guy shampoo. No conditioner. I didn’t even try.”
“We’ll pick some up. Anything else?”
The poor girl looked like she wanted to say more but couldn’t.
“Why don’t you make a list?” Diana suggested. “We can stop at Dressel’s Drugstore.” What had Delinda been thinking? She’d dropped her daughter off with nothing more than a backpack. Her abandonment bordered on criminal.
They’d reached the activity room. Swing jazz poured through the sound system, and Bev was urging couples to dance. Maisy sank into a chair. Diana would let her watch for a while. “Just jump in when you’re ready,” Diana sang out, drifting over to Harold, who had followed her inside.
The good thing about dancing with seniors was that anything was fine. They just wanted to move. After Harold, Diana chose one of the women and another woman after that. From the sidelines, Maisy watched cautiously.
“Ready?” she asked Maisy when she stopped for a breather. She pulled at her green turtleneck. A t-shirt might have been a better choice.
“Nah, not me.” Maisy looked away. Maybe she was just shy.
When Will appeared in the doorway, Diana’s heart turned over. He still did that to her. Dressed in his red V-neck and khaki slacks, he looked mighty fine and he came straight for her. “Want to dance?”
Want to breathe? She nodded.
When Will took the floor, the residents drew back. Diana wished they wouldn’t do that. But from their pleased expressions, they liked Will and they enjoyed seeing him dance. Who wouldn’t? The man was a bundle of energy with his pivots and swings. She had a hard time keeping up with him.
“Missed you last night,” he murmured, passing her under one arm.
“I know the feeling.” She had to be honest. But Diana hesitated to stay at the condo while Maisy was a guest.
Her back against Will’s stomach, she felt an extra tight squeeze before he released her. By the time the number ended, she was breathing hard.
Will drifted over to ask Maisy if she wanted to dance. Diana watched with cautious optimism. Ducking her head, his niece shook her head. What teenager wanted to dance with older people? At least Will had the good sense not to press her. In time, the teen would come around. Diana had complete confidence in him. After all, who could resist his charm? With the Christmas tree in the corner, and blue and silver stars spangling the walls, the room felt so festive. But one look at the miserable teen was enough to dampen anyone’s spirits. Still no word from Delinda. Wasn’t she concerned about how her daughter was getting on with the uncle she really didn’t know? How would that feel if your mother seemed to have no interest in you? Diana knew the answer to that question.
“What are your plans for Maisy this week?” she asked Will when they drifted over to the refreshment table where Bev had set out eggnog and cookies.
“She mentioned the library. I’ll drop her off and then come back for her when she calls. Bring her back here.”
“The library’s a great idea.” He looked so helpless. “Do you think she’d like to spend time with me at the store?”
Relief eased the strain on his face. “You can ask her. She looked pretty happy there yesterday. You don’t mind?”
“Not if she’s willing. Spring stock came in yesterday. Maisy could help me open the boxes and display the new merchandise.”
When they broached the subject with Maisy, she quickly nodded. “Sure. Why not?”
The store was closed on Monday, and Diana was looking forward to having time alone with Maisy. Midmorning when a cold sun was sparkling on the heaps of snow, she picked Maisy up at Will’s and off they went to Hippy Chick. As they hung up their coats in the stock room, Diana couldn’t help but notice the tattoos on her arms. A lot going on there. These weren’t butterflies and hearts. “Have you had them long?” Reaching for scissors, she slit the first box open.
“The thorns was the first one.” Maisy fingered the ring around her upper arm with her purple nails.
“What makes you choose the design?” She handed the girl a hanger.
“Stuff just happens. Or Mom will give me a little money. I saved up.”
For a while, they stripped plastic bags from the filmy tops and hung them up on a rack. “I like your tattoo, Diana.”
“What?” Diana glanced down at her arms. She’d pushed up her sleeves to work and had forgotten the light tracing of the burn on her arm. “Oh, Maisy. That’s a burn. An accident.”
Maisy’s shoulders lifted. “I meant the one on your face. I'd like a little half moon like that.”
Diana’s fingers flew to the scar that had made her so uncomfortable not that long ago. “This is my battle scar. Me against a huge bag of frozen french fries.” Amazing that she could joke about it now.
“Guess it is lighter th
an a tattoo.” Maisy flushed. “Sorry, I can be so stupid.”
“Trust me, I was the stupid one. Threw a bunch of french fries into boiling oil and got splattered.” She handed Maisy another hanger. “I was really upset about it. Ballistic was more like it. As time passes, though, it seems to get smaller.”
“You’re so beautiful. Just makes you look hotter, if you know what I mean.”
“Does, huh?” She pulled out the ticket gun.
Hanging up the pink top, Maisy studied it. “That’s what my mom always says. It’s not enough to be pretty. You have to be hot.”
Diana cringed. She certainly didn’t want to be lumped in with Delinda. “Being kind is probably more important, don’t you think?” Was she sounding like her grandparents or what?
Suddenly shy, Maisy worked her lower lip. “I guess so. Sometimes that’s hard when people aren’t nice to you.”
So that’s how it was. The back bell rang. Since this was Monday, Diana figured it was UPS, which tied her up for a while and gave Maisy more to do. But Maisy’s words stayed with her...and so did the hurt look on the teenager’s face.
“You’re getting a look at spring,” she told Maisy when she rejoined her later. The girl had become an expert with the pricing gun.
“Spring? Man, it’s freezing outside.”
Diana laughed. “That’s the whole idea. After Christmas, people become desperate for spring.”
“So do you put these on your website.” She held up a peasant blouse.
Diana stared at her blankly. “I don’t have a website for Hippy Chick. Never got around to it.”
Maisy looked at her as if she couldn’t believe it. “My teacher says every business has to have a website to be incredible.”
“You mean credible?”
“Right. Anyway, that’s what Miss Franklin says.”
“And she’s probably right. It’s just that I never have time.” Or money. Every time she turned around, there was still so much to do. Diana slumped onto a stool.
“Do you mind if I try to build a site for you? I mean, you don’t have to use it or anything. But I could use your site for my homework project.”