Chasing Adonis

by Gina Ardito

  “It’s pretty,” he said. “Where’d you get it?”

  “My mother. She said as long as I wore this, I would be protected by the gods.”

  He dropped his gaze to the sheet, his fingers still clutching the medallion. “I wish my mommy had one.”

  Adara’s heart cracked and bled, but what could she say? Nothing wise or particularly comforting came to mind so she cuddled the boy close and gave the only response she could. “I do, too, sweetheart.”

  “Adara?”

  “Hmmm?”

  “How come you’re here with us?”

  The question took her by complete surprise. How much should she tell him? Not the entire truth, that was for sure. The child had enough to fear without knowing that a bunch of goons threatened his life to get to her. “Your uncle and I are very good friends,” she finally said. “When I heard you were going to see Prufrock, I was sooooo jealous. Uncle Shane was nice enough to ask me to come along.”

  The boy’s eyes widened in awe. “You like Prufrock, too?”

  She shrugged. “What’s not to like, right? He’s the greatest superhero that ever lived.”

  “He sure is!” Tyler threw a few awkward karate punches into the air above the bed, then turned back to her. “Adara? Could you teach me how to fight off the bad guys today?”

  “Well, I don’t know how much time we’ll have, but I’ll tell you what. How about I teach you one karate move a day for now? Does that sound good to you?”

  His crooked smile lit up the room. “It’s a deal. Can we start right now?”

  Now? Before her coffee? She stared up at the ceiling in consternation. Such hardships could prove the death of her. “It’s a little early, Tyler,” she said. “And there isn’t enough room in here. We’ll wait until Uncle Shane is awake and try something in the living room. Can you wait a while longer?”

  Tyler shook his head. “But Uncle Shane’s already awake.”

  Her attention focused on his bright brown eyes. “He is?”

  “Uh-huh. He always gets up real early. On school days, he lays out my clothes, packs my lunch and my backpack, and makes me breakfast—all before he wakes me up.”

  “Really? What else does he do with you?”

  Tyler shrugged. “Lots of things. We play with my Prufrock action figures, he reads me bedtime stories. Sometimes he takes me to baseball games. Once, we even went to the circus, and Uncle Shane and I rode an elephant around the center ring. That was really cool.”

  “I’ll bet it was.”

  The image of Shane as a domestic contradicted sharply with her personal experience. Funny how a different perspective changed the man’s personality in her mind.

  She saw Shane as her fierce protector, like the griffins in Gigia’s myths. From the moment of their first meeting, Shane was her steadfast champion, about as close to a knight in shining armor as any real man in the real world could get.

  But through Tyler’s eyes, she now saw a new side of the hard-bitten detective. Here was a gentler man. Oh, she knew better than to underestimate him. If anyone attempted to lay a finger on Tyler, she had no doubt Shane would fly to the boy’s defense on eagle’s wings, with sharp talons ready to slice the accoster to ribbons.

  Right now, however, her imagination envisioned a man who read Dr. Seuss and Curious George, who cooked oatmeal and pancakes, and who rode a circus elephant—all to please a five-year-old boy. Although she previously didn’t think it possible, with this new information, her opinion of Detective Shane Griffin skyrocketed to “nearly perfect.”

  So why wasn’t this nearly perfect man married, or engaged, or in some way, taken? Not that she was ungrateful, but…

  “Adara?” Tyler’s voice cut through her reverie. “Can we work on some karate now?”

  “I want to get up and get dressed first. Maybe brush my teeth. You should, too, you know. Didn’t Uncle Shane buy you a brand new Prufrock toothbrush and toothpaste?”

  “Uh-huh. If I brush my teeth real good, will you teach me something? Just a few moves? Maybe a kick or punch?”

  “If you brush your teeth well,” Pauline suddenly interjected, rolling over in her bed, “I’m sure Adara will teach you something. Won’t you, Adara?”

  “Yes. But it won’t be a kick or a punch.” The boy’s face fell. “Not yet, anyway. First, you have to learn to break out of certain holds. Then I’ll teach you kicking and punching. All karate moves, we call them katas by the way, are learned step by step. Before you can fight, you need to know proper stances, proper blocking techniques, all sorts of things. It takes a long time to get to the point where you can beat up bad guys.”

  Tyler’s little face crumpled, and her heart just about broke in half.

  “But here’s what we’re going to do,” she said. “First, I’ll teach you to break away from certain holds a bad guy might try to drag you with him. If you can get away from me while I’m holding you, I’ll teach you one kick as a reward. How does that sound to you?”

  “That sounds great,” the boy exclaimed and leapt from the bed.

  Only his Prufrock-covered rump remained visible to Adara when his head disappeared into the overnight bag while he rustled around for his new toothbrush and toothpaste. Holding the items up in the air in a gesture of victory, he grinned his waiflike smile, then toddled off to the bathroom.

  “You have a natural way with children, Adara,” Pauline said when the bathroom door closed. “That’s a rare gift.”

  At such unworthy praise, she shrugged. “I don’t know about that. He’s sweet, and he’s obviously frightened. Shane told me a little about his parents. And I really do know several moves that could come in handy for him. Even if he never has cause to use them, which I hope is the case, they’ll still give him a sense of power. With any luck at all, he’ll become confident that no bad guys can reach him.”

  “From your mouth to God’s ears,” Pauline said, making the sign of the cross. “I don’t know how much Shane shared with you, but that poor child has suffered so.”

  “I know his father killed his mother then killed himself.”

  “Did he tell you that Tyler witnessed the killings?”

  An involuntary gasp escaped her lips before she could stop it. “No.”

  “He and Shane see a psychiatrist twice a week. It’s hard enough for the child to overcome his fear of the ‘bad guys.’ But can you imagine how devastating it is for him because he equates his father with the ‘bad guys?’”

  “I never realized…”

  Her voice trailed off while her thoughts took flight into the deepest recesses of terror in her subconscious. Everyone had emotional baggage. Heck, she considered herself one of the walking wounded. But Tyler was so small, so frail, and his experience too overwhelming, even for an adult to comprehend.

  A firm resolve rose within her. She’d teach him everything she could about karate. And jiu-jitsu too, if he wanted to know. By the time she was through, Tyler would be capable of kicking Prufrock’s butt.

  Determined now, she rose from the bed and joined him in the bathroom. Tyler was just rinsing the last of the toothpaste from his mouth. Beneath the stark bathroom light, she noted his haunted look, his gaunt cheeks, and the spark of innocence dimly flickering behind the horrible memories etched on his features. Without warning, she scooped him into her arms and clutched him tightly to her chest. “Do you have any idea how special you are?” she asked.

  “Adara, you’re crushing me,” he replied.

  Embarrassed, she released her hold on him. “Sorry. Why don’t you ask Grandma to get you dressed, then wait in the living room for me? We’ll get started in a few minutes, okay?”

  “Uh-huh.” He left the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

  Alone, Adara stared into the mirror. Time to begin her daily ablutions. In just a few minutes, she’d see Shane again. After what had happened between them last night, how would he react? Well, she wouldn’t allow him to give her the old apology speech again; that was for sure. On
ce in a lifetime was quite enough for that.

  He probably thought he was being chivalrous. She thought he was being asinine. While brushing her teeth, she recalled the warmth of his mouth on hers, the gentle whisper of his hand across her fevered flesh. God, it had been too long since she’d felt so feminine, so desired.

  Deep down, she knew why he’d apologized. Their time together was temporary. Eventually, they’d return to New York, she’d testify in Cherry’s trial, and they’d say goodbye to one another. Nothing permanent could come from this escapade.

  But she knew that before she ever kissed him. Her entire life had been spent avoiding those awkward moments when someone said, “I’m sorry, but it’s just not working out.” She never gave any man the opportunity to get close to her, close enough to devastate her when he eventually left, as all men did. Even with Terry, she did the leaving first.

  Inadvertently, her thoughts turned to Ted. Maybe she should have considered his marriage proposal. After all, hadn’t he already told her he knew she didn’t believe in happily ever after? Yet he still insisted they should marry. He still believed they belonged together, despite her misgivings. Or maybe because of them. She didn’t know which.

  It didn’t matter. Either way, Ted was back in New York, and she was stuck here in a roadside motel in North Carolina. The window of opportunity for marrying Ted had slammed shut.

  Finished in the bathroom, she returned to the bedroom. While Pauline tugged a shirt over Tyler’s head, Adara dug out a T-shirt and shorts from the garment bag and laid them across her bed.

  “Come on,” Pauline told the boy as she playfully patted his little behind. “Let’s go find Uncle Shane while Adara gets dressed.”

  Once the door closed behind them, Adara quickly changed her clothes then ran a brush through her hair. After sleeping on a wet head the night before, a riot of waves stuck out in every direction around her face, and she sighed. Why couldn’t she be one of those fortunate women who woke up dewy-eyed with barely a hair out of place? She smoothed the wild mane as best she could and left the bedroom for her first teaching session with her new pupil.

  Shane stood in the hallway, Tyler perched upon his shoulders. Quickly looking away, he mumbled, “Good morning.”

  Oh, no you don’t. I’ll be damned if we’re going to walk on eggshells around each other now.

  The devil in her ear urged her on, and she leaned forward to kiss Shane’s cheek. “Good morning. I hope you slept well.”

  His eyes widened in surprise, but he recovered, buying time by setting Tyler back on the floor. “Go watch a little television before we go out to breakfast.”

  Tyler scampered off, and Shane’s now impassive eyes focused on her. “In the future, I’d prefer you kept some distance between us.”

  Hands on her hips, she offered him an icy glare. “Oh? Why?”

  “Because of Tyler.”

  “Do you think I’d hurt that sweet, innocent boy? Not for anything in the world, Shane.”

  He shook his head. “You don’t understand, Adara. He needs permanence in his life right now. He’s experienced too many goodbyes for someone so young. His heart can’t handle any more.”

  “And because I kiss you good morning, that means I’m fooling Tyler into believing in some kind of permanent relationship between us? Look, Shane, he may be young, but he’s not an idiot. He’s a bright kid. So, how do you plan to explain my presence here to him? Don’t think he won’t question it. He will. He already has.”

  “He has?”

  “Mmm-hmm. Just a little while ago.”

  “What did you tell him?”

  “I told him that you and I are good friends, and I wanted to see Prufrock, too, so you invited me along. What did you expect me to tell him? The truth?”

  The tension lines in his forehead eased. “Thanks, Adara. That was quick thinking.”

  She smiled. “Does that mean we’re square now?”

  “I suppose.”

  “Good.” Appeased, she walked around him, but a quick touch on her arm stopped her. “Is there something else you want to say to me?”

  “As a matter of fact there is. About last night…”

  Oh, thank God. He was going to face up to his idiocy. Salivating with anticipation, she had to clench her hands into fists to keep from rubbing them together in glee.

  “I’m all ears.”

  “It won’t happen again.”

  Thump! The sound of her heart falling to the floor.

  Didn’t we already cover this? Does he still know so little about me? Looks like it’s time for another lesson in Understanding Adara 101. No, wait. On second thought, let him figure it out for himself. After all, he’s a detective. Let him detect.

  “You know what?” She turned her back on him then tossed over her shoulder, “You’re an asshole.”

  ~~~~

  Shane stared after her, mouth agape, her words stinging as if she’d slapped him.

  That’s what you get for being a nice guy. Of course, a nicer guy would have stopped last night’s activities before they occurred.

  His conscience mocked him, but his groin had a quick retort and rose to the occasion to make its presence known. He might as well have tried to stop a runaway train than halt his runaway testosterone. Even now, her smell lingered on his skin, her taste on his tongue. Every inch of her flesh seared his memory. After she’d said goodnight last night, visions of her lying beneath him taunted his dreams, ruining his chances for sleep.

  And this morning, looking tousled and so damned enticing, she had the audacity to sidle up to him and kiss him like they were lovers from long ago. As if beginning a relationship would have no effect on the impressionable five-year-old he held.

  Still, he reconsidered, stealing a glance at her tussling on the floor with a giggling Tyler, she’d charmed his family as easily as she’d charmed him. While Mom’s quick acceptance astounded him, Tyler’s adoration was a complete novelty and a joy to see.

  From the time he knew what a “stranger” was, Tyler had always shied away from anyone unfamiliar. When Shane considered it now, he suspected the boy’s shyness had to do with fears of his angry, overly possessive father. The subsequent loss of his mother at his father’s hand had only intensified his terrors—with good reason.

  A squeal of delight broke his reverie. Curious, Shane glanced over to see Tyler standing alone in the center of the living room area.

  Oh, shit, no! Adara was sneaking up behind the boy. Goddamn it, what was she thinking? Such an action would send him into a screaming fit that would wake the whole state.

  He opened his mouth, but before he could utter a sound, she’d wrapped her arms around Tyler’s waist in a bear hug.

  “Gotcha!” she exclaimed in a deep voice.

  Anger at her shortsightedness simmered in his veins, and with curses forming on his lips, he strode forward to pull the boy away. He never got the chance.

  A childish cry of “Kiai!” rent the air as Tyler bent and grasped Adara’s ankles. One swift jerk had her flat on her back on the carpet, arms outstretched. When Tyler looked up, he wore an expression of victory Shane had never before seen. The child whirled, his feet landing on either side of Adara’s ribcage before he bent at the waist and feigned two punches to her face.

  “How was that?” he squealed. “Did I do it right, Adara?”

  She leaned up on her elbows, her smile bright enough to put the sun to shame. Spotting Shane standing in the hall, she winked at him, then turned her eyes back to Tyler. “That was terrific, Tyler. You are, by far, the best pupil I’ve ever had.”

  Ha, Shane thought to himself, he’s probably the only pupil she’s ever had.

  Yet he couldn’t squelch the feelings of pride and happiness coursing in his veins. Was it his imagination or did Tyler stand a little taller as he held out a hand to assist Adara to her feet?

  Unsettled by the thought that Adara had succeeded where he and six months with a renowned psychotherapist had failed, he focused
his gaze on the couch’s lone occupant. He discerned no qualms about the situation on his mother’s countenance. She sat curled up in the corner, applauding, her face filled with excitement at her grandson’s animation.

  “Hooray for Tyler. Good job, honey.” She glanced at Shane and smiled. “Don’t you think so, Shane?”

  “Did you see me, Uncle Shane?” Tyler burst out, racing toward him. “I pulled Adara on the floor on my very first try.”

  Arms folded over his chest, he nodded. “I saw. You think you could pull me down like that?”

  “I could even pull Prufrock down.”

  Before she ever said a word, Shane knew Adara had glided up beside them. Her honeysuckle scent, still lingering on his skin, grew stronger and filled his nostrils. His mouth watered, and his stomach growled loudly enough to shake the stupid lake pictures off the walls. The rude noise gave him the perfect excuse to avoid speaking to Adara, and he grabbed for it like a drowning man with a piece of driftwood.

  Keeping his gaze on Tyler, he said, “You know what, buddy? Just watching you tossing Adara around gave me a powerful appetite for chocolate chip pancakes and bacon. How about you?”

  Okay, using the kid’s favorite breakfast as a means of diversion was pretty low. But hell, he was desperate. The last thing he wanted to do was admit to Adara that he might have been wrong about her influence on Tyler. If that made him a chicken, well, then point him in the direction of the henhouse. He had a roost to sit on.

  “I guess I’d better get myself into a shower so we can head out of here. The sooner we fill our bellies and get back on the road, the sooner we’ll reach KidLand, right?”

  “Right!” Tyler grabbed Adara’s hand and tugged her back into the living room. “While we’re waiting, can we do that again? And don’t forget. You promised to teach me a kick if I did it right.”