“Why can’t I? You two always play.” Tommy struggled for a PS2 controller against one of the twins. On second glance, it was David. The boy who had fallen from the balcony.
Alex looked at the open doorway to the dining room and winced. Elizabeth wouldn’t be able to hear anything with them fighting.
“It’s only a two-player game. You can’t play.” David sided with his sister.
“So give it back!” Danielle made a grab for the controller in Tommy’s hand and Tommy looked ready to rumble. He’d be a great grappler, considering how he set his shoulders.
“Where are all the others?” Alex looked at them, his voice purposefully pitched low and even.
Danielle glanced briefly at him. “Upstairs or outside.”
The question answered, she faced down Tommy. “Now, give it.”
Alex moved in between them. “Let’s calm down. Think we can get everyone outside in two minutes?”
The three kids gave him identical yeah-right looks.
“Nope. Don’t like it outside. We like it in here fine,” Tommy said. All three turned to the TV and wouldn’t even look at him.
“There’s something I wanted to show you, but we have to be outside so we don’t disturb your aunt while she’s on the phone.” Alex purposefully injected a mysterious note in his voice.
They didn’t look away from the TV. It was time to make his stand as an adult or they’d walk all over him forever. Alex bit back a grin, bent over, and pulled the plug from the TV and PS2, leaving the TV screen blank and grey. Turning it off, Alex wound up the cord and spotted the perfect high spot to store it in.
“What are you doing?” one twin shrieked.
“You just killed our guys!” said the other.
Tommy started laughing in a way guaranteed to bug the hell out of both of them.
Stashing the cord on top of a bookcase, Alex grinned at them and spoke in a you-can’t-fool-me tone. “You weren’t that far past the last save point. I’ve played this game before.”
The twins crossed their arms stubbornly. “Why do you want us outside?”
“You’ll see.” He waited. When no more explanation came, they actually looked at him. He gave them an even, patient expression. The staredown lasted a few moments. They looked at each other, then back to him.
David rolled up his controller and put it in the cabinet under the TV. “Fine, But I’m coming back for that cord if whatever you want is lame.”
They ran through the house, feet pounding against the oak floors, yelling names at the top of their voices. He just prayed Elizabeth would last on the phone until he finally got them outside.
They’d overwhelmed him with names when he first arrived yesterday, then hadn’t repeated them since, instead swarming around him, then disappearing as if challenging him. Or maybe Alex only imagined the challenge. If he were their age and men kept coming and leaving, he’d start playing games with them just to piss ’em off too.
Shelly was the oldest and Veronica the youngest. They were easy to remember. So was Tommy, the blond boy with an unholy gleam in his eye. Teddy, with his glasses, was a young, blond Harry Potter. David and Danielle were the twins. That left four to get to know better.
Years of memorizing new faces and names from his classes came to his aid. The little girls were Jessie, Abby, and Sarah, though he didn’t know which was which. Then there was the boy with the spider, Kevin.
Alex headed to the back door, glancing around for Geoffrey. When he reached the back without any sign of the man, Alex grunted. The kids were already running toward him, so he just continued outside. By the time eight kids and a baby in a walker assembled, Alex felt like he’d accomplished world peace.
“Kevin’s in bed since he’s feeling sick,” Shelly said, lining up toys on the baby’s tray.
Alex nodded his thanks, then looked at the nine kids in front of him, and nearly fell back a step. En mass, the vivid blue eyes he’d always admired in Elizabeth were a shocking, unsettling family trait.
Chapter Eight
“Okay, what do you want?” The older twins struck identical poses. They knew the power of being twins and were prepared to use it.
Alex couldn’t help but wonder what they would do if they realized the power they wielded as a family, despite the hair and attitude differences. Like a football team wearing the same uniform, this family was awe-inspiring to behold.
Alex raised a brow at the expressions facing him now. None of these kids looked ready to cut him any slack, but that was okay. He didn’t mind having to earn respect. “Okay, let’s line up, three rows of three.”
The three toddlers spread out, laughing and seeing who could stand with their legs the farthest apart. The baby banged a toy on her tray with a toothless grin.
“Oh, yuck, he just wants us to exercise,” David whispered.
David and Danielle started to walk away, but Shelly grabbed their shoulders and turned them back around. “You two demons probably need it.”
It surprised him that the oft-sullen teen was supporting him, but he knew she wanted something. Whatever it was, he’d clearly have to wait until she was good and ready to tell him.
Alex quickly scrambled for something to hold them all in thrall. “Not exercise. Karate. Judo. Wanna learn?”
Teddy gave Alex the most searching glance he had ever received. No doubt the boy could sniff out BS from fifty paces.
Alex took a deep breath and looked around for Geoffrey again, but the man had disappeared. Alex would kill him for his defection later.
There were several exchanged looks and whispered comments toward the back of the group. He barely caught some of the words, though he couldn’t tell who spoke them.
“This is lame.”
“At least he’s trying.”
“Yeah, but what’s he trying?”
“He wants us tired so we’ll be good.”
“And to show Aunt Liz he can help. Impress her.”
No doubt they’d all developed their own screening procedures for strangers who suddenly appeared in their lives. Alex winked at the giggling toddlers. Whatever the older kids decided, he’d abide by. From what Elizabeth said, they’d earned their right to be distrustful.
Apparently they finally decided to give him a chance because they lined up in rows and copied Alex and the toddlers. Alex raised his arms and began a few simple stretches.
Teddy pushed back his glasses. “So, which kind of martial arts do you teach?”
“Actually, quite a few of them.”
Teddy snorted.
Alex grinned. “When I was little, I wanted to do Karate. So, my dad signed me up. I bought the gee and worked my way through a few levels over a couple of years.”
Alex could practically sense every single word being carefully examined. But their bodies were moving with his.
“When I got a little older, I started noticing other styles I’d like to try. I wanted to see which one fit me best. I mean, Steven Seagal had a good style that could kick butt. Van Damme was more aggressive, but just as deadly.”
They stared blankly at the actors’ names, so Alex hurriedly continued.
“Places sprang up all over, teaching Judo here and Kenpo there and Tae Kwon Do across the street. I wanted to learn them all enough to know the one that really fit me the most.”
“But you didn’t settle on one?” Tommy asked, his interest truly caught.
Alex shook his head. “I loved them all. I convinced my dad to let me try every one I wanted.”
From the back, Shelly warned softly, “Don’t even think about it, you guys. No way Aunt Beth could afford that.”
Alex winced and forcibly held in promises he may not be allowed to keep. Would they believe them even if he did offer? “Eventually it was six months to a year of classes at one place, then I’d move on. So when my friend Kalyss and I decided to go into business, we purposefully chose to keep it generalized.”
“People like that?” David asked.
“
Well, yeah. Mom can do Pilates and self-defense. Kalyss teaches most of those classes. At the same time, Dad can do weight lifting or take one of the martial arts classes, and the kids can learn the basics to most of the styles.”
“But how can you be good enough to teach all of them? You’re too young to have that kind of experience.”
“Which is why I don’t teach them all.” Alex raised his arms, palms together over his head and watched as they copied him. “Each month we focus on one style—the history, spirituality, and basic moves. We have an expert teach a class for more advanced moves in that style, on top of our usual classes for self-defense and aerobics.”
“Like some kind of martial arts mall.” Definitely Teddy again.
“It sounds pretty cool. We could all go to just one place even if we all wanted to learn something different,” Tommy added.
Teddy adjusted his glasses and looked down. “I didn’t think of it that way.”
Alex smiled at him. These were the things Kalyss and he had discussed before opening the business. “Well, it’s good for us that mixed martial arts has turned into such a sought-after business. With competitions like the Ultimate Fighting Championships our dojo has really been able to take off.”
Teddy saved him with another question. “Why do you call it a dojo? Why not just a gym?”
“You can call it that. I guess Kalyss and I stuck with dojo since we were Highlander fans.”
“What’s that?” Danielle asked.
“Okay, now I know you’re kidding. You have to know Duncan MacLeod.”
Shelly chuckled with genuine pity. “We were all still little when it went off the air. And some of us weren’t even born yet.”
“But there are reruns,” Alex tried.
“Not on the Disney channel.”
Alex grumbled good-naturedly. “I’m not that freakin’ old.”
“I only remember it because of the Duncan posters in Aunt Beth’s room. She went wild for the long-haired, kick-butt type in high school.” Shelly raked her eyes over him, one brow raised.
Alex waggled his brows. “Really?”
Danielle gave him a sassy smile. “Give it up, dude. The Highlander, you ain’t.”
Alex fake pouted, not one whit deflated. It took a bit of work to keep up with them, but for an hour, Alex led them in move after move, teaching them beginning block patterns and how to keep their knees bent and hold their hands.
A bit of movement in the kitchen window caught Alex’s eye. He barely saw a glimpse of Elizabeth before she moved away, but he could have sworn she’d been smiling.
Elizabeth set a stack of plastic cups on the backyard picnic table, next to the plate of PB&J sandwiches and the bowl of seedless grapes. Gatorade and ice filled a small cooler with a spigot so the kids could serve themselves. They loved eating outside and today that fit her purposes perfectly. To bribe them a bit more, she added a basket full of individually bagged chips.
After talking with Chuck, it was important that she carefully consider Geoffrey’s catalog project. The company didn’t have anything more for her to work on off-site. Her medical coverage was secure for a few more months, but it was time to seriously consider her options.
Returning to the kitchen, she made some coffee and carried it to the dining room. Paper and pens were stacked in front of her chair and her laptop sat off to the side. It wasn’t exactly a desk in a professional office, but it would do.
Geoffrey and Alex stood at one end of the room, examining her grandmother’s china hutch. The cherry hutch, table, and sideboard were all a matching set created by her grandfather’s tough hands. Scarred from thirty years of hard use and thoughtless neglect, it still stood strong, willing to hold together for decades to come.
“Your grandfather was an amazing craftsman,” Alex commented.
Elizabeth eyed the furniture, a smile tugging at her lips. “He had a wood shop out back when I was little. I loved watching him. He could make anything beautiful.”
Alex sat in one of the chairs to her right. “My dad was the same. I miss helping him with his projects.”
“I’m sorry. Did he pass away?”
His gaze jerked up, his eyes wide and surprised. “Oh, no. He just closed the shop and went on the road. Now he likes to carve driftwood.”
She grinned and settled into her chair. “Sounds like a wonderful retirement.”
“Nah, they aren’t retired. They just refuse to come home until I give ’em grandkids to spoil.”
She laughed. They sounded so normal. It was endearing.
Geoffrey settled into the seat closest to her and placed a hard drive the size of a truck key on the table. Sliding the hard drive into the USB slot, Elizabeth clicked open the program.
With a few clicks of her mouse, a window opened showing rows of folders labeled with different religions. Inside each were more folders, labeled with ever more specific categories until they opened to individual books with files separated by chapter. This was not your average home library. In fact, she doubted the Library of Congress was this well sorted.
“Wow. There must be hundreds of books on this drive.”
“This represents a fraction of my library.”
Elizabeth stared at Geoffrey. “They must have taken decades to acquire.”
“You could say it’s been a family project, developed over many generations. The Internet and modern storage devices have allowed for major growth over the last two decades, though.”
Elizabeth sat back in her chair. This wasn’t the simple, quick project she’d been picturing. The sheer amount of information he was talking about would require a major undertaking. “There’s a vast amount of information here, but this seems as organized as possible. What do you want me to do?”
Geoffrey sat back in his chair, looking at her thoughtfully. “I’m old-fashioned, Elizabeth.”
Knowing the technical skill he must have to acquire and organize a library like this, Elizabeth couldn’t imagine Geoffrey being old-fashioned. Her skepticism must have shown because Alex snorted.
“He’s so old, he helped Duke William invade England.”
She smiled helplessly. “Yeah, okay.”
“No, seriously. He’s so old, he hand-wrote the first Bible.”
This time she laughed outright. Until she met Geoffrey’s analytical gaze. In a dry tone, he said, “Alex can do this all night.”
She looked at Alex.
He nodded. “It’s one of my greatest joys in life.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “Okay, so you’re old-fashioned. How can I help?”
Geoffrey pointed at the screen. “This is all black-and-white, nice even columns of similarly sized files. I grew up with a different type of library. Manuscripts and books of different sizes and shapes and textures. Covers with different colors. Scrolls with specialized casings, some in silver, some in gold, and some in a simple, soft leather. The paper had different thicknesses and the writing was in different styles.
“I could wander through entire rooms filled with writing from floor to ceiling. I wouldn’t have to read a spine to know which book it was. The thickness and height would tell me. And sometimes, if I was asked a question, I only needed to run my eye over the shelves to see a book that held the answer. Our library was a beautiful, peaceful place.”
“Like a monastery,” Alex interjected.
She grinned and shook her head at him, then returned her gaze to Geoffrey. “But you still need to search through more texts at a faster pace.”
Geoffrey nodded. “Correct. However, the more technology advances, the more uniform information becomes. There’s not enough color. No texture. Humanity was created in such a way that we can use sense memory for information. Touch, smell, sound, taste. But modern searches only allow for sight.”
Elizabeth tilted her head, looking at the rows of information and listening to Geoffrey’s words. Thoughts and ideas poured through her mind. How would she create the ideal digital library?
“Ther
e is no time limit. I want this done right, not necessarily quickly. Most of all, be creative.”
Elizabeth met Geoffrey’s gaze again, surprised.
Geoffrey nodded. “I require a specialized service and I understand the price tag that goes with it. I am prepared to pay what we agree to. I will also provide any equipment and supplies necessary. Your schedule is your choice, as is the location you choose to work from. All my files will be made available when you are ready for them.”
Elizabeth blinked at the rows of folders on her monitor. Free rein. He was giving her the freedom to create the ultimate searchable library using more than just sight or the occasional sound. Her heart pumped faster and her fingers tingled. Excitement burst inside her chest. Not the typical beginning-project jitters, but all-out mind-swirling fantasy.
Google, eat your heart out. Elizabeth Ann Raines was ready to conquer the search-engine world. Granted, hers wouldn’t be for millions of users. But it was the most ambitious project she’d ever headed.
“You really think I can do this?” She looked at Geoffrey.
“I did my research before approaching you about this. I’ve seen your work. I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t think you could.”
She looked to Alex, still uncertain, needing confirmation. He grinned, his eyes sparkling with pride. He believed in her.
Alex watched Elizabeth move her mouse, clicking at the speed of light. “I think I’m jealous.”
“Just focus on the big picture.”
“Right now the big picture is the size of a laptop monitor. You might have to zoom it in for me.”
Geoffrey pulled him away from the doorway. “Don’t disturb her.”
Alex turned back to the dinner he’d started throwing together when Elizabeth and Geoffrey’s haggling had reached the one-hour point. They’d nailed down specifics for everything. Even worse, he suspected they’d enjoyed the whole process.
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