Page 10 of Rock Hard
Johnny pushed the cart out onto the balcony then proceeded to serveherbreakfast, as if she were the celebrity. Not for the first time, she wished the two of them could be something more than great friends. It would certainly make her life simpler.
“Hm, what is that look, I wonder?” he mused, fixing his own plate and settling down beside her. “Either you were thinking of that time you saw me naked, or you are thinking ofhimagain.”
Alice blushed, embarrassed that she was so easy to read. “Get over yourself, Johnny. We were six, and you had just shifted back from scaring the bejesus out of poor Mrs. Applebaum.”
“Poor Mrs. Applebaum!” he snorted. “We’re talking about the same woman who wore a cross the size of her fist and splashed us with holy water every time she saw us because she thought we were possessed, right?”
The memory didn’t hurt as much, now funnier than it was painful. It hadn’t been entirely their housemother’s fault. The older woman hadn’t known about shifters, so shining a flashlight into the glowing eyes of two hungry kids caught raiding the kitchen had been a terrifying moment for her. Mrs. Applebaum had been absolutely convinced they were demon spawn.
Ironically enough, it had been Johnny who had advised Alice against working for Rex in the first place. Having crossed paths with him many times over the years, Johnny knew what he was like. Even then, Alice had had stars in her eyes when it came to Rex Løve, and she hadn’t listened.
Johnny was watching her closely now, his unique blue eyes hypnotic. “So, itishim you’re thinking about.”
“Just a little,” she admitted. “Carly said things aren’t going well. I’m worried about her.”
Johnny’s eyes darkened. He, like Alice, was especially sensitive when it came to shifter kids. “Has something happened?”
“No, no, nothing like that. It’s just ... well, she’s such a smart, special girl, and now that I’m not there, she doesn’t have anyone.”
“She has her father.”
Alice smiled sadly. “Rex is too selfish to think about anyone besides himself.”
“I won’t say I told you so,” he said softly. “What about her mother?”
“One of Rex’s groupies. Died of an overdose when Carly was ten. He didn’t even know. Rex was listed as her father on the birth certificate, so Social Services tracked him down. DNA testing confirmed it. She’s been with him ever since, but it hasn’t been smooth sailing. They’re so different, yet so alike. Neither one understands the other, but they’re both too pig-headed to do anything about it.”
“Makes one wonder why he even keeps her around,” Johnny said thoughtfully. “It would be easy enough to send her off to boarding school.”
“I often wondered that myself,” Alice admitted, though she would never have allowed it to happen. “I think, deep down, he likes having her with him. She’s the one constant in his life. But he doesn’t know how to relate to her. He’s a big kid himself and in some ways, she’s more mature than him.”
“Is she in danger, Alice?”
“No. Rex would never hurt her physically. Emotionally, though, he’s not giving her the support she needs. He thinks five-star hotels, million-dollar tour buses, designer clothes, and gourmet meals make him a responsible parent.”
“It’s more than we had,” Johnny pointed out.
“True”—she frowned—“but none of that compares to having someone care about you.”
“She has you.”
“Yes, but I’m notthere,” she said, frustrated. Alice pushed her plate away, her appetite gone.
“Do you want to go back?” he asked quietly.
Alice shook her head adamantly. “No. I think me being there actually caused her more stress.”
“Why?”
“Because she worried about me,” Alice admitted. “Carly’s the one who told me I should leave.”
“Smart kid,” Johnny murmured.
“Very smart.” Alice sipped her coffee. “Actually, I was thinking that, while we are at Animals, I could take her out for the day.”
“Sounds like a great idea. Aren’t you worried about running into Rex, though?”
“No. He’ll be busy all day.”
