“She hasn’t slept well in a long time, despite therapy and prescriptions. This gaming might actually solve a few problems for her.”
“You think?”
“We can wait and see, at least.” He glanced at his watch, the numbers glowing in the darkness. “I have some paperwork to get through. You coming in?”
“In just a minute. I do love meteor showers.”
“So do I. If you like astronomy, we’ll have to buy a telescope.”
“Could we?” she asked enthusiastically.
“Of course. I’ll see about it.”
“I would love to look at Mars!”
“So would I.”
“I would love to go there,” she ventured.
He shrugged. “Not going to happen.”
“It was worth a try.”
He chuckled, ruffled her hair and went back inside.
* * *
Graduation day was going to be long and exciting. Michelle had gone to the rehearsal, which had to be held inside because it was pouring rain that day. She had hoped it wouldn’t rain on graduation day.
Her gown and cap fit perfectly. She wasn’t going to graduate with honors, but she was at least in the top 10 percent of her class. Her grades had earned her a small scholarship, which would pay for textbooks. She didn’t want Gabriel and Sara to be out of pocket on her account, regardless of their financial worth.
Her gown was white. It made her look almost angelic, with her long blond hair down to her waist, her peaches-and-cream complexion delicately colored, her gray eyes glittering with excitement.
She didn’t see Gabriel and Sara in the audience, but that wasn’t surprising. There was a huge crowd. They were able to graduate outside because the skies cleared up. They held the graduation ceremonies on the football field, with faculty and students and families gathered for the occasion.
Michelle accepted her diploma from the principal, grinned at some of her fellow students and walked off the platform. On the way down, she remembered what a terrifying future she was stepping into. For twelve years, she’d gone to school every day—well, thirteen years if you counted kindergarten. Now, she was free. But with freedom came responsibility. She had to support herself. She had to manage an apartment. She had to pay bills....
Maybe not the bills part, totally. She would have to force Gabriel and Sara to let her pay rent. That would help her pride. She’d go off to college, to strangers, to a dormitory that might actually be unisex. That was a scary thought.
She ran to Gabriel and Sara, to be hugged and congratulated.
“You are now a free woman.” Sara chuckled. “Well, mostly. Except for your job, and college upcoming.”
“If it’s going to be a unisex dorm,” Michelle began worriedly.
“It’s not,” Gabriel assured her. “Didn’t you notice? It’s a Protestant college. They even have a chaplain.”
“Oh. Oh!” She burst out laughing, and flushed. “No, I didn’t really notice, until I thought about having to share my floor with men who are total strangers.”
“No way would that happen,” Gabriel said solemnly, and his dark eyes flashed. “I’d have you driven back and forth first.”
“So would I,” Sara agreed. “Or I’d move up to San Antonio, get an apartment and you could room with me.”
Tears stung Michelle’s cheeks. She was remembering how proud her father had been of her grades and her ambitions, how he’d looked forward to seeing her graduate. He should have been here.
“Now, now,” Gabriel said gently, as if he could see the thoughts in her mind. He brushed the tears away and kissed her eyelids closed. “It’s a happy occasion,” he whispered.
She was tingling all over from the unexpectedly intimate contact. Her heart went wild. When he drew back, everything she felt and thought was right there, in her eyes. His own narrowed, and his tall, muscular body tensed.
Sara coughed. She coughed again, to make sure they heard her.
“Lunch,” Gabriel said at once, snapping out of it. “We have reservations.”
“At one of the finest restaurants in the country, and we still have to get to the airport.”
“Restaurant? Airport?” Michelle was all at sea.
Gabriel grinned. “It’s a surprise. Someone’s motioning to you.” He indicated a female student who was waving like crazy.
“It’s Yvonne,” Michelle told them. “I promised to have my picture taken with her and Gerrie. They were in my geography class. Be right back!”
They watched her go, her face alive with pleasure.
“Close call, masked man,” Sara said under her breath.
He stuffed his hands into his slacks and his expression hardened.
“You have to be patient,” Sara added gently, and touched his chest with a small hand. “Just for a little while.”
“Just for years,” he said curtly. “While she meets men and falls in love....”
“Fat chance.”
He turned and looked down at her, his face guarded but full of hope.
“You know how she feels,” Sara said softly. “That isn’t going to change. But she has to have time to grow up, to see something of the world. The time will pass.”
He grimaced and then drew in a breath. “Yes. I suppose so.” He laughed hollowly. “Maybe in the meantime, I can work up to how I’m going to explain my line of work to her. Another hurdle.”
“By that time, she’ll be more likely to understand.”
He nodded. “Yes.”
She hugged him impulsively. “You’re a great guy. She already knows it.”
He hugged her back. “I’ll be her best friend.”
“You already are.” She drew back, smiling. The smile faded and her eyes sparked with temper as she looked past him.
“My, my, did you lose your broom?” came a deep, drawling voice from behind Gabriel.
“The flying monkeys are using it right now,” Sara snarled at the tall man. “Are you just graduating from high school, too?” she added. “And I didn’t get you a present.”
He shrugged. “My foreman’s daughter graduated. I’m her godfather.”
“So many responses come to mind. But choosing just one,” she pondered for a minute. She pursed her full lips. “Do you employ a full-time hit man, or do you have to manage with pickups?”
He raised his thick eyebrows. “Oh, full-time, definitely,” he said easily, hands deep in his jean pockets. He cocked his head. “But he doesn’t do women. Pity.”
Sara was searching for a comeback when Michelle came running back.
“Oh, hi, Mr. Patterson!” she said with a grin. “How’s that bull doing?”
“Eating all he can get and looking better by the day, Miss Godfrey,” he replied, smiling. “That was a good piece you wrote on the ranch.”
“Thanks. I had good material to work with.”
Sara made a sound deep in her throat.
“What was that? Calling the flying monkeys in some strange guttural language?” Wolf asked Sara with wide, innocent eyes.
She burst out in Farsi, things that would have made Michelle blush if she understood them.
“Oh, my, what a thing to say to someone!” Wolf said with mock surprise. He looked around. “Where’s a police officer when you need one?”
“By all means, find one who speaks Farsi,” Sara said with a sarcastic smile.
“Farsi?” Jacobsville police chief Cash Grier strolled up with his wife, Tippy. “I speak Farsi.”
“Great. Arrest her,” Wolf said, pointing at Sara. “She just said terrible things about my mother. Not to mention several of my ancestors.”
Cash glanced at Sara, who was glowering at Wolf, and totally unrepentant.
“He started it,” Sara
said angrily. “I do not ride a broom, and I have never seen a flying monkey!”
“I did, once,” Cash said, nodding. “Of course, a man threw it at me...”
“Are you going to arrest her?” Wolf interrupted.
“You’d have to prove that she said it,” Cash began.
“Gabriel heard her say it,” Wolf persisted.
Cash looked at Gabriel. So did Sara and Michelle and Tippy.
“I’ll burn the pasta for a week,” Sara said under her breath.
Gabriel cleared his throat. “Gosh, I’m sorry,” he said. “I wasn’t paying attention. Would you like to say it again, and this time I’ll listen?” he asked his sister.
“Collusion,” Wolf muttered. He glowered at Sara. “I still have my handcuffs from my FBI days...”
“How very kinky,” Sara said haughtily.
Cash turned away quickly. His shoulders were shaking.
Tippy hit him.
He composed himself and turned back. “I’m sorry, but I really can’t be of any assistance in this particular matter. Congratulations, Michelle,” he added.
“Thanks, Chief Grier,” she replied.
“Why are you here?” Wolf asked the chief.
“One of my young brother-in-law’s older gaming friends is graduating,” he replied with a smile. “We came to watch him graduate.” He shook his head. “He’s awesome at the Halo series on Xbox 360.”
“So am I,” Wolf said with a grin. He glanced at Gabriel. “Do you play?”
Gabriel shook his head. “I don’t really have time.”
“It’s fun. I like console games. But I also like...” Wolf began.
“The reservations!” Gabriel interrupted, checking his watch. “Sorry, but we’ve got a flight to catch. Graduation present,” he added with a grin and a glance at Michelle. “See you all later.”
“Sure,” Wolf replied. He glanced at Sara and his eyes twinkled. “An airplane, huh? Having mechanical problems with the broom...?”
“We have to go, right now,” Gabriel said, catching Sara before she could move toward Wolf.
He half dragged her away, to the amusement of the others.
* * *
“You should have let me hit him,” Sara fumed as they sat comfortably in the business-class section of an aircraft bound for New Orleans. “Just one little slap...”
“In front of the police chief, who would have been obliged to arrest you,” Gabriel pointed out. “Not a good thing on Michelle’s graduation day.”
“No.” She smiled at Michelle, who looked as amused as Gabriel did. “Sorry. That man just rubs me the wrong way.”
“It’s okay,” Michelle said. “I can’t believe we’re flying to New Orleans for lunch.” She laughed, shaking her head. “I’ve never been on a plane before in my life. The takeoff was so cool!” she recalled, remembering the burst of speed, the clouds coming closer, the land falling away under the plane as she looked out the window. They’d given her the window seat, so that she had a better view.
“It was fun, seeing it through your eyes,” Sara replied, smiling. “I tend to take it for granted. So does he.” She indicated Gabriel, who laughed.
“I spend most of my life on airplanes, of one type or another,” Gabriel confessed. “I must admit, my flights aren’t usually this relaxed.”
“You never did tell me what you do,” Michelle said.
“I’m sort of a government contractor,” he said easily. “An advisor. I go lots of places in that capacity. I deal with foreign governments.” He made it sound conventional. It really wasn’t.
“Oh. Like businessmen do.”
“Something like that,” he lied. He smiled. “You have your first driving lesson tomorrow,” he reminded her.
“Sure you wouldn’t like to do it instead?” she asked. “I could try really hard to avoid ditches.”
He shook his head. “You need somebody better qualified than I am.”
“I hope he’s got a good heart.”
“I’m sure he’ll be personable...”
“I hope he’s in very good health,” she amended.
Gabriel just chuckled.
* * *
They ate at a five-star restaurant downtown. The food was the most exquisite Michelle had ever tasted, with a Cajun spiced fare that teased the tongue, and desserts that almost made her cry they were so delicious.
“This is one of the best restaurants I’ve ever frequented,” Gabriel said as they finished second cups of coffee. “I always stop by when I’m in the area.” He looked around at the elegant decor. “They had some problems during Hurricane Katrina, but they’ve remodeled and regrouped. It’s better than ever.”
“It was delicious,” Michelle said, smiling. “You guys are spoiling me rotten.”
“We’re enjoying it,” Sara replied. “And there’s an even bigger surprise waiting when we get home,” she added.
“Another one? But this was the best present I’ve ever had! You didn’t need to...”
“Oh, but we did,” Gabriel replied. He leaned back in his chair, elegant in a navy blue jacket with a black turtleneck and dark slacks. Sara was wearing a simple black dress with pearls that made her look both expensive and beautiful. Michelle, in contrast, was wearing the only good dress she had, a simple sheath of off-white, with her mother’s pearls. She felt dowdy compared to her companions, but they didn’t even seem to notice that the dress was old. They made her feel beautiful.
“What is it?” Michelle asked suddenly.
She was met with bland smiles.
“Wait and see,” Gabriel said with twinkling black eyes.
Eight
It was very late when they got back to the ranch. There, sitting in the driveway, was a beautiful little white car with a big red ribbon tied around it.
Michelle gaped at it. Her companions urged her closer.
She touched the trunk, where a sleek silver Jaguar emblem sat above the keyhole.
“It’s a Jag,” she stammered.
“It’s not the most expensive one,” Sara said quickly when Michelle gave them accusing glances. “In fact, it’s a midrange automobile. But it’s one of the safest cars on the road. Which is why we got it for you. Happy Graduation!”
She hugged Michelle.
“It’s too much,” Michelle stammered, touching the body with awe. She fought tears. “I never dreamed... Oh, it’s so...beautiful!” She turned and threw herself into Sara’s arms, hugging her close. “I’ll take such good care of it! I’ll polish it by the inch, with my own hands...!”
“Don’t I get a hug, too? It was my idea,” Gabriel said.
She laughed, turned and hugged him close. “Of course you do. Thank you! Gosh, I never dreamed you’d get me a car as a present!”
“You needed one,” Gabriel said at the top of her head. “You have to be able to drive to work for Minette in the summer. And you’ll need one to commute from college to home on weekends. If you want to come home that often,” he added.
“Why would I want to stay in the city when I can come down here and ride horses?” she asked, smiling up at him. He was such a dish, she thought dreamily.
Gabriel looked back at her with dark, intent eyes. She was beautiful. Men would want her. Other men.
“Well, try it out,” Sara said, interrupting tactfully. “I’ll help you untie the ribbon.”
“I’m never throwing the ribbon away!” Michelle laughed. “Oh. Wait!” She pulled out her cell phone and took a picture of the car in its bow.
“Stand beside it. We’ll get one of you, too,” Gabriel said, pulling out his own cell phone. He took several shots, smiling all the time. “Okay. Now get inside and try it out.”
“Who’s riding shotgun?” Michelle asked.
“It’s too late to take it out of the driveway,” Gabriel said finally. “Just start it up.”
Michelle stood at the door. It wouldn’t open.
“The key,” Sara prompted Gabriel.
“The key. Duh.” He chuckled. He dug it out of his pants pocket and handed it to Michelle. It was still warm from his body.
She looked at the fob in the light from the porch. “There’s no key.”
“You don’t need one.”
She unlocked the car and got inside. “There’s no gearshift!”
“See the start button?” Gabriel prompted. “Press it.”
She did. Nothing happened.
“Hold down the brake with your foot and then press it,” he added.
She did. The car roared to life. She caught her breath as the vents opened and the gearshift rose up out of the console. “Oh!” she exclaimed. She looked at the controls, at the instrument panel, at the leather seats. “Oh!” she said again.
Gabriel squatted by the door, on the driveway. “Its creator said something like, ‘we will never come closer to building something that is alive.’ Each Jaguar is unique. Each has its own little idiosyncrasies. I’ve been driving them for years, and I still learn new things about them. They purr when they’re happy, they growl when they want the open road.” He laughed self-consciously. “Well, you’ll see.”
She leaned over and brushed her soft mouth against his cheek, very shyly. “Thanks.”
He chuckled and got to his feet. “You’re welcome.”
“Thanks, Sara,” she called to the other woman.
“It was truly our pleasure.” Sara yawned. “And now we really should get to bed, don’t you think? Michelle has an early morning, and I’m quite tired.” She hesitated. “Perhaps we should check to make sure the flying monkeys are locked up securely...?”
They both laughed.
* * *
The driving instructor’s name was Mr. Moore. He had a small white round patch of hair at the base of his skull. Michelle wondered if his hair loss was from close calls by students.
He was very patient. She had a couple of near-misses, but was able to correct in time and avoid an accident. He told her that it was something that much practice would fix. She only needed to drive, and remember her lessons.
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