"No!” Jordan burst out, speaking for the first time. “Please don't do that, Aunt Justine."
Justine gave him a reassuring smile. “I won't unless I absolutely have no choice.” Her smile faded. “But if he turns out to be vicious, I'll have to call them. I can't afford a lawsuit."
"Well,” Bea said, darting a worried glance from Justine to Jordan, then back again. “I hate to leave all of this excitement, but I've got a million errands to run today. I'll pick Jordan up at closing."
When Bea had gone, Justine tilted her head to study the monkey, conscious of Jordan standing beside her. Obviously, the monkey couldn't remain attached to the light fixture, as secure as he seemed to feel. She glanced at Chris, then Jordan, and finally Melissa. “Anyone have any ideas about how to get him down?” she asked hopefully.
Before anyone could answer, the door opened again, sweeping the room with a chilling blast of cold air. Four pairs of eyes swerved to look at the newcomer.
Justine sucked in a sharp breath as Zack's broad-shouldered, handsome form filled the doorway. Her heart began to trip-hammer against her chest. Her forbidden delight at seeing Zack quickly turned to dismay as she remembered Jordan standing beside her. As Zack's gaze met Jordan's, she could literally feel the tension leap and sizzle between the two.
The capuchin monkey was momentarily forgotten as the drama unfolded before her. She braced herself, more than ready to defend her nephew against a man who had ruthlessly trampled her heart—and seemed determined to do it again.
Zack allowed himself to pause no more than a heartbeat when he realized the identity of the tall, lanky teenager standing beside Justine. His jaw hardened; his resolve to stand firm miraculously overrode his unruly libido. “Justine, Jordan.” Briefly, his glance fell on the dark-haired woman, then the young man standing behind Justine.
The young man stepped forward, his boyish face crinkling in a hesitant smile. “You're Zachary Wayne! I recognized you from your pictures."
Zack automatically took the hand extended.
"Chris Nolen, Justine's assistant.” He jabbed a finger at the dark-haired woman Zack hadn't recognized. “That's Melissa, she's the vet here in town. I guess you know Jordan and Justine."
Melissa gave his hand a brief shake, regarding him curiously. Chris shook his head, grinning. “Man, I can't believe I'm meeting you in person! You were a great...quarterback.” His grin faltered, his face turning crimson. “I heard about your injury. Tough luck, huh?"
"Yeah, tough luck.” For once, Zack didn't feel the usual twist of the knife similar comments normally produced. Maybe he was accepting his fate.
"Heard you were coaching Cannon Bay's team,” Chris continued, obviously unaware of the heightened tension—and Jordan's expulsion from the team.
When Chris poked Jordan with his elbow, Zack winced. He looked at Justine and saw that she, too, had blanched at the painful reminder. But she recovered quickly, her chin lifting, her gaze faintly accusing as she stared at him. Great. She was mad and he'd only just arrived.
"Say, Jordan. How does it feel having a pro coaching your team? Must be something, huh? Coach Abernathy's good, but he doesn't have Mr. Wayne's expertise. I mean, you've got a real pro teaching you the ropes!"
It wasn't going to get better, Zack realized, as long as the assistant kept talking. Jordan looked as if he would blow any second.
Zack opened his mouth to interrupt him, but instead of words, a screeching sound emerged. Only it wasn't him, he realized, tilting his face to the ceiling where the sound had originated. His gaze widened at the sight of a monkey hanging from the overhead light fixture.
Of all of the things he expected to see, a monkey wasn't one of them. And why should it surprise him? he asked himself. He'd been stalked by an overgrown iguana, attacked by an overweight cat, and taunted by a slithering snake.
A monkey shouldn't shock him in the least.
"Well,” Zack drawled with a casualness he didn't exactly feel. “I don't think he's a happy camper."
"No, he's not,” Justine said, taking his arm and moving him closer to the door. “And I have no idea what he's going to do next, so if you'd just stand by the door while we figure out—"
Zack had been watching the motion of her cherry-red lips, but when her words stopped abruptly, he followed her gaze to the monkey just as it uncurled its tail and leaped in his direction.
He didn't have much time to think; he just reacted, catching the flying monkey as it landed in his arms. Yes, he had to admit—at least to himself—that his heart literally stopped beating for a moment or two, but when the monkey did nothing more than wind his long, hairy arms around his neck and press tightly against him Zack relaxed.
"Don't move,” Justine ordered softly, her voice edged with anxiety. “I'll call the Animal Control Center. It shouldn't take them long to—"
"Aunt Justine, no!"
Zack held himself very still, watching over the monkey's shoulder as Jordan grabbed the sleeve of Justine's sweater, the boy's expression a mixture of anxiety and anger. He could feel the monkey trembling, long fingers gripping his neck in a desperate hold that made Zack experience a surge of protectiveness that was totally foreign to him.
And very probably misplaced.
"He's not hurting Coach Wayne, can't you see?” Jordan pleaded. “He's just scared."
Justine brushed his hand aside, her face set in stern lines Zack had never seen before. Just another facet of her personality. He suspected there were many, and God willing, he would discover each and every one of them. That is, if he didn't die of strangulation first.
"Jordan, I sympathize with your concern, but he might—"
"Don't,” Zack heard himself say in a low, croaking voice that made the monkey stir restlessly against him. To his continued amazement, the monkey pressed a wet nose against his neck as if seeking comfort. Zack swallowed hard, hoping he was doing the right thing. Sometimes instincts were wrong, and if this was one of those times, the results could be ugly. “He's not hurting me."
Justine looked uncertain, stretching her hand out as if to touch the monkey's back. Another odd instinct kicked in, and Zack quickly shook his head in warning.
She pulled her hand back. He sighed his relief, catching and holding her confused gaze. “Do you have a cage I can put him in?” he asked softly, unconsciously rocking the monkey. When she nodded and turned, he followed her, carrying the monkey. Not that he had a choice, he mused wryly. The monkey was plastered to him like a coat of paint.
When she opened the door of an empty cage, Zack gingerly grabbed the monkey around the waist and pulled. The poor little critter was frightened, but Zack was ready to unburden himself; he'd come for a turtle, or perhaps a kitten, not a monkey!
It was like trying to remove bubble gum from the bottom of a rubber shoe. The more he pulled, the harder the monkey gripped him. In danger of choking from the tight squeeze of the long arms circling his neck, Zack finally relented. The moment he did, the monkey relaxed against him.
"I guess maybe we should give him a few moments,” he suggested, dropping his arms to his sides. The monkey, wrapped around him as he was, didn't need assistance in staying put. He hated to admit he was at a loss, especially when he'd come here with the express purpose of showing her that he didn't dislike—or fear—animals.
"Maybe I could try to take him?” Justine offered.
Melissa came into sight, followed by the mouthy assistant. “You want me to tranquilize him?"
The monkey, apparently feeling crowded, tightened his hold.
"No, no. I'm fine,” Zack assured them hastily. “If you could just...back away a little.” When they did as he asked, the monkey once again relaxed its hold so that Zack could breath. He could feel the mad beating of its little heart against his chest. The poor thing was scared to death.
Justine stood back and folded her arms, her slim face creased in a perplexed frown. No doubt trying to figure out what the monkey saw in him, Zack thought, wondering what
in the hell he was going to do now. Obviously he couldn't hold the monkey indefinitely.
"Jordan, why don't you go to the library and see what you can find on monkey behavior?” Justine suggested. “Maybe we can get some idea of what to do next."
"I still think we should tranquilize him,” Melissa repeated, looking concerned. “I've heard monkey bites can be—” Her words ended in an “oof” as Justine poked her in the ribs.
Zack silently thanked Justine. His gaze landed briefly on Jordan's sullen, slump-shouldered figure as he left the store. Obviously the boy hadn't taken his advice yet, Zack thought with an inward sigh. Only time would tell... Meanwhile, Justine still blamed him for Jordan's unhappy state.
"If you don't need me, Justine, I'll be getting back to the clinic. I've got a Saint Bernard just out of surgery that should be coming around, and he's going to be a handful."
"Thanks for coming,” Justine said, throwing her a grateful smile.
"That's my job. If you need me, you know where to reach me.” She gave Zack and the monkey one last, worried glance before shrugging into her coat.
When the door shut behind her, leaving Chris, Justine, Zack, and the monkey, Justine found Zack a chair and urged him to sit. Zack didn't argue. The monkey probably didn't weigh more than four or five pounds, but the entire incident had left his legs shaky.
"Do you want a cup of coffee or something?” Justine asked.
Zack carefully shook his head. Was he imagining the sparkle of admiration in her eyes when she looked at him? And did her voice actually sound warmer, or was that also wishful thinking? All because he wasn't freaking out that a monkey jumped from a light fixture into his arms? Actually, it had scared the hell out of him, but she didn't have to know, right? He decided to test his theory, keeping his voice soft as he managed a rueful grin. “When I came in to buy a pet, this wasn't exactly what I had in mind."
"You came in to buy a pet?” She pulled up a chair and sat across from him, folding her hands over her knees. Chris went to help a customer, leaving them alone in a room full of puppies and kittens.
Definitely warmer. Zack decided to see how warm she could get. He nodded. “I was thinking maybe a turtle, or a kitten. Something that wouldn't need around-the-clock attention.” Unlike an insecure monkey.
She propped her elbow on her knee, and her chin in her hand. Her gaze lingered for a moment on his mouth, then jerked upward to his eyes as if she realized she'd been staring. “What made you decide to get a pet?"
A tricky question, and one he couldn't answer truthfully, not unless he wanted the temperature to drop to subzero. And he liked it the way it was just fine. Now, if only Motormouth would stay away, maybe he'd recover some lost ground.
The lie came easier than he expected. “I had a dog when I was kid.” Okay, so it had belonged to his brother, but he'd played with it once in a while and he'd lived in the same house. “I figured I could use some company, now that I'm home more.” When she smiled, the temperature of his blood moved up several degrees. Fast. As Thomas would say, he had it bad. Of course, he'd known that the moment he decided to take up stalking as his new hobby.
"And you think a turtle would keep you company?” she asked in a soft, teasing voice that had Zack slumping in his chair.
The monkey whimpered a protest. Zack straightened, absently patting the monkey on the back. He'd begun to sweat in his heavy coat with the monkey lying against him, but he wasn't complaining. He and Justine were having a nice, normal, non-combative conversation for a change, and that was worth any discomfort.
"Maybe a kitten would be better.” Anything but a monkey. Or a toe-eating iguana. As a matter of fact, Squeeze wasn't his type, either. A cat like Rogue he might learn to tolerate—minus the claws. “What do you suggest?"
"I suggest,” Justine said slowly, “That you start carrying a change of clothing around with you."
Her gaze dropped to stare pointedly at his crotch area, but Zack realized right away that there wasn't anything sexual in her look. He groaned, as the warmth and the wetness finally seeped through his jeans.
His newest fan, apparently, was not potty trained.
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Chapter Ten
"Reuben, you're a genius!” Mini pulled him close and clicked her beak against his. Oh, for a set of real lips so that she could give him a proper kiss!
Her instincts had been right; this assignment was the best decision she'd made in a long time. Not only was Reuben participating, he was beginning to enjoy it.
Reuben preened like a peacock at her praise, swaggering back and forth on the narrow perch. “Just a little love spell, dear. Nothing death-defying."
She heard the tiny note of disappointment in his voice, but chose to ignore it. “But to think to cast the spell on the monkey! It was brilliant, just brilliant. What do you think will happen next? Will Zack take the monkey home?"
With a wicked chuckle, Reuben said, “I don't think he'll have a choice. The monkey is totally enamored of Zack, and he won't let anyone else come near him."
"What if Melissa returns with a tranquilizer?"
"If she does, we'll take care of it."
Mini felt like dancing a jig. Because of Reuben and his spell casting, Justine might now question her harsh judgment of Zack. Mini knew Justine's heart had already softened just watching Zack and the monkey together—she didn't need magic or her crystal ball to decipher the expression on Justine's face; the mortal woman had been thinking of mortal babies—hers and Zack's.
If Zack actually took the monkey home—Mini snapped her beak closed on an excited squeal, mindful of the mortals close by—Justine would further be reminded of the strong, tender man she fell in love with on the cruise ship.
"Maybe now these two hard-headed mortals will talk about that blasted cruise,” Reuben muttered as if to himself, striding arrogantly along the perch.
But Mini wasn't listening; she was staring at the eye peeping between the cage covering. A mortal eye. Large and brown—Jordan's, to be exact. He'd returned without them being aware of it.
"Reuben,” she whispered urgently, not daring to take her gaze from the eye. After her frightening experience with the policeman last night, she should have been more careful!
"...and work things out. I'm ready to leave this smelly place, get out of this cage, shed these feathers, and get back to some real action.” Reuben, oblivious to his wife's frozen state, pivoted on the perch and marched back to her. “What do you think, darling? How does exploring the pyramids sound to you? It's been years..."
Mini's heart sank at his words, but right now she had bigger problems. Very big, with a black pupil dilated with shock. “Reuben, please shut up,” she ordered, trying to speak without moving her beak. “We have company."
"Company?” Surprised, Reuben finally stopped pacing. “You say we have company? Who is it? Someone from the witches’ council, here to check on us?"
He craned his head around the cage, his gaze passing over the eye peeking through the covering. His head jerked back to the eye. His beak fell open, then slammed shut. Gathering himself, he began to whistle and fluff his feathers.
Mini might have laughed at his sudden transformation from cocky warlock to happy lovebird if the circumstances hadn't been so dire—and he hadn't been whistling “Dixie."
She remained frozen, undecided. How much had Jordan heard of their conversation? Did he know about the love spell Reuben cast on the monkey? Did he actually believe, as only a few mortals would, that they really had been talking?
The eye blinked, then disappeared. Mini let out a long, shaky sigh. Oh, dear. What would they do? Was her magic powerful enough to make Jordan forget the last few minutes? Before she could recall the spell of Forgetfulness, one side of the cage covering lifted, revealing Jordan's stunned face.
Beyond the amazement, beyond the fear, Mini found what she was looking for: doubt.
Jordan didn't believe...at least not fully.
She stif
led a pang of disappointment, knowing it was for the best. Moving closer to Reuben, she rubbed her breast against his, ignoring the young mortal as she joined her husband in reversing the damage their carelessness had wrought.
In the blink of an eye, they were once again just two ordinary—well, maybe peculiar—lovebirds.
After a few tension-fraught moments, Jordan let the cover drop. Mini's skinny legs nearly buckled with relief. She swiped a trembling wing over her brow and let out a low whistle. What a close call!
"I think he's asleep,” Justine whispered, swallowing a silly lump in her throat as she watched Zack rock the monkey gently back and forth. He was a natural. If things had gone differently...no, don't think like that! Justine put a brake on her dangerous thoughts, surging to her feet. She opened the door to the cage she had shown him earlier. “Do you want to try to put him in here?"
Zack hesitated, then nodded, easing slowly to his feet. She watched him as he pulled the monkey's arms from around his neck and cradled him like a baby. Gently, he laid the sleeping monkey in the cage. As she closed the door and turned the latch, she noticed his eyes lingered on the monkey.
That curious lump returned to her throat. To distract herself, she dropped her gaze to the wet patch on his jeans, and she had to bite her lip to keep from smiling. “Um, we'd better get a hair dryer on that before you leave or you'll freeze your...butt off."
He arched a dark brow. “Very funny."
Justine laughed and led the way through the door leading into the main store. Chris was nowhere to be seen. Probably checking inventory, she mused. Jordan, however, was standing near the bird cage on the counter. When he saw them he gave a guilty start and moved away.
Her steps faltered. “Jordan? Are you all right?” His brown eyes, so like his father's, looked huge against his pale face, as if something or someone had given him a nasty fright.
Justine gave herself a mental shake. The Jordan she knew feared nothing. She was just being overly protective.
"Of course I'm all right,” Jordan scoffed, but his Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and his voice came out squeaky and high. The glance he threw Zack's way was full of resentment and something else she couldn't define.
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