Page 86 of Big Bad Wolfe

“No thanks, Champ. Out with you. I’ve had about as much of your hands as I can manage for now.” Grinning, she waggled mischievous fingers at him. “However, later, maybe you could …”

Zane hurriedly followed Casey outside, where the boy decided to show Zane everything he’d collected in his bucket.

Zane sat with thighs spread, feet planted on opposite sides of a lounge chair while the kid stood in front of him and lined up agates and shells and broken sand dollars on the cushion, chatting about each item with surprising detail.

“And look, Zane!” Casey reverently handed him a chunk of shiny cobalt. “Sea glass! Aunt Jelly has a collection in her exercise room. She says she likes it because the pieces start out all broken and sharp, and just plain old regular glass, and then the waves tumble it around for a long time … and then it comes out all smooth and pretty and clean, and won’t cut you anymore. Isn’t itamazingthat soft squishy stuff likewatercan polish hard sharp stuff like glass?”

“It’s amazing all right.”

“You can have that piece if you want. Aunt Jelly haslotsand she says sharing is important.”

“Thanks.” He pocketed the treasure, wondering how something so ordinary could seem priceless. “Hey, kid, let’s play some catch.”

Sometime later after the game of catch, Zane found himself lying on his back on the beach while Casey diligently attempted to bury him. He still wasn’t quite sure how he’d gotten finagled into that deal.

Dallas’ shout of laughter brought Zane’s head up to see his friends strolling toward them.

“Jillian said we’d find you here,” Dallas said. “But looks like we’ve stumbled on one of the Sand People.”

Zane sat up, scattering sand in every direction. “Hi guys.”

“Zane.” Casey planted small hands on his slender hips. “I told yanotto move!”

“Sorry, pal, but we have company. Casey, this is Mr. Dallas and Miss Mia, and they’re my best friends.”

Casey gave Dallas the once-over. “Hi.”

“Hi yourself. How’s it goin’?”

“You talk just like Miss Loucinda.” Casey studied Mia. “Hi.”

“Hi.” Sentimental tears glistened in her amber eyes. “He looks so much—” She gulped. Sniffled.

“You have a baby in your tummy,” Casey announced.

Mia and Dallas grinned in unison. “Yes, I do,” she replied.

Dallas glanced from Zane to Casey in amusement. “Don’t miss a trick do you, tadpole? I know someone exactly like that.”

Casey scrunched his nose. “Tala at the Center has a baby in her tummy, too. How do them babies get in there? I keep asking and asking, and Aunt Jelly says they grow in there like when we plant seeds in our garden. But I don’t get it. Did you swallow a watermelon seed, Miss Mia? Because I swallowed a whole lot of ‘em and I never had a baby.”

Mia blinked. “Um …”

Zane had never seen the incomparable attorney at a loss for words before. He covered his laugh with a cough. “Casey, why don’t you run on ahead and ask Aunt Jillian if she’ll let you help put the whipped cream on the coconut pie? I bet you can even lick the spoon.”

“Oh, boy!” The child streaked toward the house.

Dallas turned to Zane as they followed the child’s path more slowly. “Lord Almighty, Wolfe, you’ve got yourself a perfect Mini-Me right there.”

Zane shoved his hands in his pockets because they wanted to shake. “Listen, Jillian and I’ve talked about this … and we wanted to ask you if you’d be willing to be Casey’s godparents. When I …”

He cleared his throat and forged ahead. “After I leave, maybe you could still visit and bring Lucas to play with Casey. Jillian’s dad is getting up there and raising another kid would be too much for him—so if God forbid something happens to both Jillian and me, we’d like you to become his legal guardians. You may have to fight Richard for custody again. That’s if we win it in the first place.” He cleared his throat again. “I … I’d like our sons to be friends.”

Dallas and Mia exchanged a long look while silent communication pinged between them.

Dallas’s broad hand squeezed Zane’s shoulder, and he nodded. “Whatever you and Jillian need, whatever that little boy needs … you’ve got it.”

“No matter what happens, Zane,” Mia quavered. “Our sons are going to grow up to be good friends. Just like you and Dallas.”

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