Page 74 of Big Bad Wolfe

“Hi guys, having a good time?”

“The bestever,Aunt Jelly!”

Zane sucked in oxygen. Weird, breathing had never been difficult before. “Everything go all right?”

“You know what they say …” She smiled, but the shadows beneath her eyes revealed growing fatigue. He knew she hadn’t slept much last night, because he hadn’t slept at all. “Rocky rehearsal, good opening night.”

“I have no doubt it’ll be great. Did you hear from your dad about Loucinda?”

“Yes, one of the small bones in her ankleisbroken, and she’ll be out of commission for at least six weeks. They’re going to hang out and have a movie marathon tonight.” She laughed. “Little does Pop know, Loucinda has an ongoing love affair with all things Keanu Reeves.”

Zane grinned. “Oh, isn’t Pop in for a treat.”

“Don’t diss Keanu, Champ. He’s one of the nicest, most generous guys in Hollywood and he’s survived a number of tragedies in his life … including a rough childhood.”

Damn, not only had she neatly put him in his place, she’d piqued his interest, and guaranteed he’d be spending some time on Google later.

Casey skipped over to give Jillian a hug. “Can we go watch the kite dancing? Huh? Can we?”

Jillian bent and kissed the top of Casey’s head. “You bet we can. It’s my favorite event.”

They headed to the far end of the beach. The kid really got into the kite dancing, where the competitors maneuvered their kites in time to songs played over a set of loudspeakers. Casey twirled and spun along with the changing music, the exuberant child and graceful kites dancing side-by-side in the salty breeze, vivid splashes of color against the deepening blue horizon.

Jillian smiled up at Zane, and his pulse stuttered. Casey’s innocent delight and Jillian’s open-armed embrace of life had shown him the world through fresh, eager eyes, unclouded by cynicism.

And he admitted, he liked the new view.

Twilight descended, cloaking the sand in sapphire and frosting the murmuring ocean with silver. The trio stopped at a canopied booth to order steaming hot dogs with the works.

Watching Jillian, Zane ate his hot dogs, while a whole different kind of hunger gnawed at him.

“It’s getting late,” she said. “We’d better head out. I managed to find a parking spot close to where you parked Pink Cooper. You’ll have to drive Casey home, though, because the ‘Vette doesn’t have a backseat and small children shouldn’t ride in the front with airbags.”

She slipped her hand beneath Zane’s arm as they walked to the street above the beach. Feeling unnervingly like part of the family, Zane slowed his stride to accommodate the child’s slowing pace. “You getting tired, Casey?”

“Nah. My teacher always makes us take a nap after lunch.” The scorn in his voice indicated how he felt about that indignity.

Zane laughed as he opened the back passenger door of Jillian’s Cooper. “When you grow up, you’ll appreciate those naps, pal.”

Jillian sauntered toward Loucinda’s lipstick red Corvette two cars behind them. “Loucinda gave me the loan of her car for the duration, since she can’t drive it and we might need more than one vehicle while you’re around. See you two at home.”

The little blonde girl from the school skipped between the parked cars, accompanied by an older look-alike teenager. “Hi Casey.” Amused, Zane watched the little girl bat her lashes at Casey in flirtatious adoration.

“Hi Jen,” Casey answered with a lack of enthusiasm that put flirting on a par with creamed spinach.

“I saw you with your kite. You didsuper-duper.Is this your daddy?”

Jillian pivoted, her stricken gaze colliding with Zane’s.

The air jammed in Zane’s lungs as cold, jagged fear ripped through him.

Casey slipped his hand into Zane’s. “Zane is my friend.”

A flood of emotion weakened Zane’s knees … followed by the startling recognition of the tiny warm hand enfolded within his much larger one.

He looked down at the slender fingers cradled in his palm, gilded by the glow of the Cooper’s dome light. So small. So fragile. So precious.

A chance meeting, an hour of pleasure had created this child.

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