Heat Wave

by Jill Marie Landis

  July crowds jammed the street. Sunny took a deep breath and reveled in her newfound freedom. Pulling the scrunchy out of her hair, she shook it free, and when she glanced up, noticed a halfway decent-looking guy window-shopping two stores down.

  It was too early to go back to Chandler’s, though she was missing French Fry like crazy. Working all these hours at Mermaids meant she’d been away from her baby more than ever before, but if Chandler and Alice were going to bond, they needed time alone together.

  The guy looking in the shop window wasn’t her type, but she started toward him. When he looked up, he immediately spotted her. He was young and tan, somewhere close to her age, but maybe a bit younger. He smiled shyly.

  She shoved her hands in her back pockets. The move drew her tank top tight across her breasts.

  He was drawn to her like a fly to sticky paper. Men were so easy.

  “Hi.” He had a quick, open smile. “You here on vacation?”

  “Just moved here. How about you?”

  “I live in Canyon Club, the new development.”

  “The one on the golf course? Behind the gates?” She’d passed by it on the way to the mall with Kat.

  “That’s the one.”

  “Sweet.” She couldn’t care less where he was from. She was so tired of hanging around Chandler’s watching him watch French Fry do her amazing baby tricks or sitting through old kung fu movies that she was willing to put up with this kid for a couple hours of freedom.

  He was so mesmerized by her breasts that he couldn’t speak.

  “Got plans?” she asked.

  “I’ve got some beer. I was gonna take it down to the cove. You thirsty?”

  “That depends on what kind of beer.”

  “Pacifico?”

  Perfecto. A couple hours of freedom and a couple of free beers was just what she needed.

  Chapter 19

  KAT WATCHED TY walk to his front door and stare through the screen as a Volvo cruised past the house. It stopped at the end of the point, made a U-turn, and headed back toward the highway.

  “The pizza’s getting cold.” He paced across the room. “Where in the hell is she? She’s an hour late.”

  “Good thing you missed her formative years,” Kat teased.

  He tried to smile. His gaze found Alice, safe and sound on a comforter spread out on the floor. She was rolling around with Stinko in her hands, chewing on the skunk’s tail.

  “I should let her drive my car to work instead of taking the shuttle. She’d be home sooner.”

  Even Kat took the shuttle around town whenever she found a good parking space and wasn’t willing to vie for another. The Twilight Cove shuttle was efficient, inexpensive, and usually packed with tourists. It stopped at the end of Ty’s road and then went on, all the way to nearby Gull Harbor.

  “Ty, relax. Why don’t we go ahead and eat? Maybe she went to the diner with someone after work.”

  “She should have called.”

  Kat got up from the sofa, walked to his side, and rubbed his shoulder. “She’s not a child. Besides, she’s been on her own for years. She probably has no idea you’re worried about her. Why don’t we just go ahead and eat and save her some pizza?”

  They ate, then curled up on the couch together to watch television. At least, Kat watched and Ty pretended to. At ten, when there was still no word from Sunny, Kat wrapped the extra pizza in Saran Wrap and stuck it in the refrigerator. Ty changed Alice and got her settled on the comforter, where she promptly fell asleep.

  When Kat walked back into the living room and sat down beside Ty again, she reached for his hand, wondering if he even knew she was there.

  After a few minutes, he let go a frustrated sigh, glanced at his watch, and then got to his feet.

  “Would you mind staying with Alice for a few minutes while I go into town and look for Sunny?”

  Alice was still asleep on her stomach on the comforter, sucking her thumb, her fist curled against her lips.

  “How about I go look?”

  “I don’t want to sit here worrying about both of you.”

  His concern made her uncomfortable. She wasn’t used to anyone caring this much outside of her family.

  “I spend a lot of late nights out on surveillance.”

  “Don’t remind me. I’d rather go myself, if you’ll stay with Alice.”

  It was obvious how badly he wanted to go himself. There was nothing she could do outside of flat-out refusing to stay. Besides, she couldn’t ignore the worry in his eyes.

  She glanced over at Alice, who was blissfully asleep. “Okay, I’ll stay.” He grabbed his keys and was out the door before she could change her mind. Kat got off the sofa and began to pace. It was ten-thirty, not too late for a nineteen-year-old to be out, but very late for someone due home at seven-twenty.

  Kat went into the kitchen, got herself a glass of water, walked back out, flexing her injured hand. Therapy was going well. Her bandage was off, and though not as bad as she’d expected, the scar was definitely noticeable.

  A constant reminder to keep her wits about her.

  Standing over the coffee table, she reached for one of Ty’s baby books, flipped through the pages, and quickly set it back down after it fell open to a series of photographs depicting all the stages of fetal development.

  Alice’s toys were scattered over the living room floor. Kat started picking them up and dumping them into a plastic toy bin. She gathered up a tiny knit shirt with enamel snaps and eyelet trim, one that Sunny chose on their shopping trip. She folded it carefully, and then pulled a little pink tennis shoe out from under a side table.

  She was cool, calm, in control—until she glanced down at the sweet shoe cupped in the palm of her hand. A little yellow duck decorated the toe. The shoe was so little, so precious and feminine. When her eyes unexpectedly smarted with tears, she dropped the shoe like a hot rock.

  This is exactly why you’re better off alone.

  First you feel a little niggle here and there, then you start to care. You open up some more, give away a little more of yourself and pretty soon, you’re up to your ass in heartache.

  She picked up the remote. Before she could hit the mute button, sound rattled around the room.

  Kat held her breath when Alice stirred and let out a fussy, mewling sound. The child raised her head, pushed up, and peered around, blinking sleepy-eyed.

  Alice’s gaze went straight to the couch were Ty had been sitting, then quickly traveled around the room and locked on Kat.

  Kat set the remote down on the coffee table, edged toward Alice, and whispered, “Go back to sleep.”

  Alice rubbed her eyes, looked right at Kat, and said something that sounded like “Blah.”

  “My thoughts exactly.”

  Alice struggled to her feet, got her bearings, and shot toward the kitchen.

  “Hey! Come back here.” Kat went after her, but Alice beat her to the refrigerator and started banging on the door, yelling, “Ju! Ju! Ju!”

  Kat knew enough baby-ese to understand.

  “Hold on a minute. You have to move back.” Kat put her hand on Alice’s shoulder, lightly just the slightest touch, so she could gently guide her away from the door.

  She opened the refrigerator, found a bottle of apple juice. There were plastic sippy cups on the counter. She filled one with juice as Alice pressed against her leg chanting the juju chant and nodding her head.

  Kat handed her the sippy cup, put the juice away, and headed for the living room, hoping Alice would follow. When she looked back, she saw that the baby hadn’t budged.

  Alice was in front of the sink, her delicate little fingers wrapped around the cup, her lower lip trembling.

  “What? You’ve got your juice. Now come back to the living room. Sti
nko’s in here.” Kat cajoled, then she bartered, but Alice didn’t budge.

  The toddler’s lower lip quivered a little more. One big alligator tear slipped down Alice’s cheek. Then she held both arms out to Kat in a silent appeal.

  “You’re killing me, you know,” Kat whispered.

  “Up.” The arms stayed up. The sippy cup swayed, threatening to dribble all over the floor. “Up.”

  Kat sighed, took a deep breath, and walked back over to Alice. “You’re as stubborn as your grandpa.”

  “Up.”

  Kat leaned down and hooked her hands under Alice’s arms and picked her up. The toddler triumphantly giggled and waved in glee as Kat settled her on her hip.

  For a few seconds Kat didn’t dare breathe, let alone move or think. Slowly her arms tightened around Alice. She swayed back and forth with her eyes closed, inhaling the sweet baby scent. The child was warm, her skin soft as pink satin ribbon, pale and perfect.

  Alice stuck the lip of the sippy cup in her mouth and sucked down some juice. Finally content, she nestled her head in the hollow of Kat’s shoulder. When Alice’s curls brushed Kat’s neck and cheek, Kat shuddered but held on tight.

  She could hang on until Ty got back.

  Surely he’ll be home soon.

  It wasn’t Ty who arrived a few minutes later, but Sunny. When Kat heard a car pull up out front, she walked to the door in time to watch Sunny step out of a low-slung, red convertible Corvette and wave goodbye. The driver gunned the engine before he drove away.

  Alice began to bob up and down in Kat’s arms, reaching out for Sunny as soon as she came through the door.

  “Where’s Chandler?” Sunny took Alice and looked around.

  Though the odor of beer and cigarette smoke clung to her, she was clear-eyed and steady on her feet.

  “Out searching for you.”

  “Hi, French Fry. Mama’s home. Did you have a good time tonight, baby?”

  When Sunny rubbed noses with Alice and pretended to take a sip of juice, Kat grabbed her own sweater off a nearby chair and threw it around her shoulders.

  Sunny finally looked up. There was no misunderstanding her expression.

  “I can’t believe he left her with you. You always act like she’s got the cooties or something.”

  Nothing was further from the truth. Sunny would never believe it without an explanation, though, and Kat would rather be boiled in oil than open up.

  Sunny walked over to the comforter on the floor, picked up Stinko, and handed the skunk to Alice.

  “Ty had no idea where you were and he was worried.”

  “What’s the big deal?”

  “Other than the fact you’re over three hours late? The polite thing would have been to call and let him know that you weren’t coming right home.”

  “It’s only ten-thirty—”

  “It’s ten fifty-five.”

  “What is this? One of your private investigations?” She bounced Alice up and down a couple of times and tried to shrug it off. “I met a guy. We had a couple of beers. So what?”

  Kat took a deep breath and tried to remember where Sunny was coming from.

  “So I care about Ty—” Kat immediately pressed her fingers to her lips but it was too late.

  “I care about Ty.”

  She hadn’t allowed herself to really care about a man for so long that the admission tasted as dangerous as razor blades on her tongue. She lowered her hands and her voice.

  “Ty’s welcomed you into his home. He’s trying to help you get your life turned around.”

  “What makes you think my life needs turning around?”

  “Look, Sunny, Ty was upset, and that upset me. Next time you’re going to be late, you should call, at least to check on Alice and let him know when you’ll be home.”

  Sunny’s eyes narrowed. “You have no idea what I feel for Alice or . . .”—her voice broke—“. . . or what I’d do for her.”

  She turned her back and sat down on the comforter on the floor and started teasing the baby with the plush skunk.

  “Want Stinko? You love your little Stinko, don’t you, babe?”

  Sunny looked up and caught Kat watching them.

  “Give me a freaking break here, okay? You are not my mother. You are not a Chandler.”

  “My concern is for Ty.”

  “I’d appreciate it if you’d butt out of my life.”

  Kat held up both hands. “Fine. I’ll be happy to.” She grabbed her purse.

  “I don’t want him leaving you alone with Alice anymore. Ever.”

  Kat paused with her hand on the screen door. Unfortunately, her gaze was drawn to Alice, who was smiling and waving bye-bye.

  “Don’t worry. That’s the last thing I want, too.”

  Chapter 20

  TY CRUISED DOWN Cabrillo, past shops and storefronts, to see if he could spot Sunny in Twilight. Most places were closed or closing. Foot traffic had dwindled to a few couples strolling along the sidewalk. He left his car in the parking lot off the Plaza and walked to Mermaids, in the middle of the block.

  When he came back out, he thought about calling Kat, then realized he’d left his cell phone on the coffee table. He’d almost reached the parking lot again when Kat pulled her car up next to the curb. He waited as she rolled down the passenger-side window.

  She leaned across the center console toward him. The mellow sound of a CD playing Hawaiian guitar music filled the air.

  “She’s home, Ty.”

  He let go a sigh of relief and hunkered down on the curb beside her car.

  “She just got back.” Kat turned the stereo down.

  “Did she say where she was?”

  “She met someone and . . . forgot the time.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “She’d prefer you didn’t leave Alice with me anymore.”

  “Why not?”

  She was quiet for a moment, as if going over how to explain. “She thinks I’m a little . . . hesitant around Alice.” She shrugged. “I guess I am.”

  Kat killed the engine when he opened the door and got into the car. He glanced down the street, where the clerk at Sweeties was taking the chairs in off the sidewalk.

  “She got fired today,” he told her.

  “Oh, Ty.”

  “I went by Mermaids. Earl was still inside tallying up receipts and told me Sunny left just before five, right after he fired her.”

  “What happened?”

  He explained, and then wondered aloud, “How in the hell is she going to find another job in Twilight after pulling a stunt like that?”

  “Someone else will be willing to take a chance on her. It’ll work out.”

  “I hope so.”

  Kat touched his thigh, drew him back. “It’s late, and I need to get back up the hill. Do you need a ride to your car?”

  “I’m right over there.” He nodded to the lot a few feet away.

  He noticed she seemed edgy and unsure of herself. As if she’d lost her footing tonight. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that she did act uncertain around Alice, but unlike Sunny, he realized that Kat worked hard on not letting her feelings show.

  He reached for her, kissed her, wished he could go home with her tonight, but he was just as anxious to settle things at home.

  “I’m sorry about what happened. I’ll talk to Sunny.”

  “I wish you wouldn’t.” She shrugged but didn’t smile. “You’ve both got enough on your plates right now.” Kat ran her hands around the steering wheel. When she finally spoke, he had to strain to hear her.

  “I think she’s trying, Ty but it’s got to be tough on someone so young. Things will work out or they won’t. Just don’t invest too much of yourself
. Don’t invest any more than you can stand to lose.”

  “I’m already way over my head.” Tonight had shaken him and made him all too aware of how much a part of his life Sunny had already become.

  “I’ll follow you home,” he offered.

  “I’ll be fine. You ought to get back.”

  He kissed her good-bye and stepped out of the car. After she pulled away from the curb, he watched until her taillights disappeared around the south end of the cove.

  WHEN HE WALKED in the front door, the living room was empty, the house completely silent. Stinko was missing, but the comforter was still in the middle of the floor. The television was off.

  He locked up, turned off all the lights, and headed upstairs. All was quiet in the room Sunny shared with Alice. He paused outside the door, listened for a second, then silently pushed the door open.

  Sunny was in bed, sound asleep in a long tank top and pajama bottoms he’d loaned her, with the bedsheet tangled around her hips and legs. In sleep she looked years younger, as innocent and vulnerable as Alice. He had an urge to straighten the sheet, to make certain she was protected from the damp night air.

  He was afraid to wake her, so he just looked, wishing he’d known her as a child, wishing he’d been there to kiss her boo-boos when she fell, to hold her when she cried, to tell her how proud he was of her every step of the way.

  Would she have turned out any different? He didn’t know, couldn’t know, but he was no less determined to help her now.

  When he’d walked into Mermaids looking for her earlier, the crowded store had given him claustrophobia. The place hadn’t changed in years, nor had Earl Stanley. He was as out-of-date as vinyl records.

  He wouldn’t have lasted more than a couple hours in the cluttered little store and gave Sunny credit for making it as long as she had. But he’d have quit before he got fired for letting anyone get away with shoplifting.

  He took another look at his daughter, wondered if he’d ever really know or understand her, then he turned toward the crib across the room.

  Alice lay on her stomach just like her mother, but with her legs drawn up beneath her so that her rear end was sticking in the air. Stinko stood guard in one corner.