Page 70 of Big Bad Wolfe

She held the phone to her ear. “Another two mouth-breathing hang-up calls. Damn, I’m going to phone Pop.” She pressed a speed-dial number. “Pop? How’s Loucinda?” Frowning, she listened in silence. “Okay. Ohno,in all the confusion I forgot about that. No, don’t worry, I’ll deal with it. Just take care of Loucinda, and give her my love.” Biting her lip, she hung up and pocketed her phone.

“Loucinda okay?”

“She’s still in a lot of pain. They’re stuck in emergency, waiting for someone to take her down for x-rays. Then they’ll have to wait for a radiologist to read them, so they won’t know for a while if her ankle is broken. Dad’s planning to stay and take her home afterward.” She heaved a weary sigh and dropped her head into her hands. “But that creates a whole new problem.”

Her unhappiness stung Zane. He rose and rounded the desk. “Which is...?”

“Dress rehearsal for the musical is right after school. Since Loucinda doubles as our theater director and she’s down for the count, I’ll have to stay to supervise it.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “Nowaycan we cancel. The debut performance istomorrow,and it matters so much to the kids and the community.”

He wrapped his arms around her, massaged the tight muscles at her nape. “How can I help?”

“I don’t suppose I could talk you into wrangling a stage full of teenagers while they’re singing and dancing in a contemporary urban production of ‘Les Miserables?’”

“Not in this lifetime.”

“I didn’t think so.” She leaned into him. “Pop and Casey made the amateur primary-age finals of the battling kites competition at the festival yesterday. The playoff for the championship is tonight, but since Pop is at the hospital and I’ll be tied up here, Casey doesn’t have anyone to take him.”

Uh uh.

He couldn’t entertain a little boy for an entire evening. Other than Stoneheart’s despicable example, he had no flight plan. “No.”

“It won’t be more than a couple hours, three at the most. Once I finish with the rehearsal I’ll meet you on the beach. Please, Zane.”

What if he lost his temper and yelled at the kid? Or worse, said something cruel—something permanently damaging? The thought made him want to puke. “No.”

“I’ll be too busy to watch him during rehearsal and he won’t be safe around all the stage equipment. The Ray family, my usual babysitters, will be at the festival, as will practically everyone else in town. I can’t send Casey with them, Danielle will be hanging with her own friends, Officer Ray will be working, and believe me, Mrs. Ray will have her hands full with Donnie and Robbie in the crowd. Tala’s my backup sitter but she’ll be here.” She drew away slightly and anxious eyes silently pleaded with him. “There’s no one else.”

“I don’t—” He shook his head.

Jillian sighed again. “Okay. It’s okay. If you can’t do it, you can’t do it.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “God, I hate it, but I guess there’s no choice but to call Richard and Brooke.”

Zane swallowed a hot ball of denial.

He swallowed again, so hard it hurt all the way down.

But no way was he letting Dickwad and Psycho Bitch get their hands on the kid. “I … I’ll do it.”

Jillian stood on tiptoe and petal-soft lips caressed his cheek. “Thank you! Aragorn can stay at Pop’s until tomorrow, so you won’t have to worry about him.”

Intoxicated by her sensual curves pressed against him, her bewitching fragrance swirling around him, he gripped her upper arms and captured her mouth in a hot, fast kiss that tilted the world upside down.

Then he quickly let her go before he was unable to. “Tell me what …” His voice emerged graveled and he cleared his throat. “What exactly do I do with him?”

She blinked. “Who?”

He grinned. “The kid. Casey.”

“Oh. Right. Um, take him home and feed him first. The kite is on the back patio. Bring his light jacket, too, because even though the sun came out, the beach can get breezy at night.” She fished in her purse and handed him her keys. “Take Pink Cooper. Loucinda didn’t have time to retrieve her purse with her car keys before Pop swept her off to the hospital. She told Pop to ask me to drive her Corvette to my place, she doesn’t want it sitting here overnight.”

She glanced at the wall clock. “You’d better get a move on. Casey’s last class is over in two minutes.”

Woo-fucking-hoo.He reluctantly headed for the door.

“Zane?”

He turned back, and she smiled. “It’s good to have someone I can depend on.”

Her radiant confidence kicked him in the gut. “Only until the custody hearing is over.”

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