Part 6 (2/2)
”Sick, h.e.l.l. He just tossed his cookies. I used to do it all the time when Igot nervous.”
”He's still just a child. You're upsetting him.”
”The h.e.l.l I am.” Grady's eyes heated. ”Look at this place. I sure a.s.sh-shooting didn't make this mess.”
”He started it,” her son declared hotly, drawing his legs into a tight ballagainst his chest. Outraged male modesty in a six-year-old. She wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. She'd diapered his bottom about a milliontimes in the past-and kissed it every single time. Right next to the tinydimple just above the swell of his b.u.t.tocks. Grady had a similar dimple-and atight, hard b.u.t.t that was anything but boyish.
She scowled, stunned at the rush of desire the image had evoked. Ignoringthem both, she jerked another towel from the rod and tossed it at Grady'shead.
”I expect this place to be spotless-and dry-before you leave it.”
Grady's mouth slanted. ”Yes, ma'am.”
”That goes for you, too, James,” she declared hotly before backing out andslamming the door.
Water sloshed against the sides of the tub as Jimmy uncoiled, then sat up.”Your wife was really mad,” he said in an awed tone that had Grady swallowinga chuckle.
”Yeah she was that, all right,” he said, more than a little awed himself.Rianever yelled. Foster kids who made scenes got booted out, she'd told him once.”Only the thing is, son, she's-” Grady broke off, reluctant to load Jimmy downwith news of his parent's split while the boy was still so raw.
”She's what?” Jimmy demanded, back to the sullen tone that made Grady's teethache.
”She's going to skin both of us if we don't hop to it.”
The boy crossed his skinny arms and glared. ”Not me, dude. Cleaning and c.r.a.plike that is for chicks.”
Grady sighed. ”We're definitely going to have that talk about your languagereal soon, son. In the meantime, we have work to do.”
Tough love, he reminded himself, as he dunked the boy's head under the soapywater.
Jimmy came up sputtering and spitting, looking a lot like his mom when he'ddunked her in the lake that first time. Grinning at the memory, one of many hetook out and polished up to keep him from diving into a bottle during theblackest of the black nights, Grady pulled the plug and turned to grab foranother towel.
When he turned around, he took a soap-slimy washcloth full in the face.
Chapter 5.
Itwasn't in Grady's nature to pace. It reminded him too much of a hamsterhe'd had as a kid, running endless circles in a little wheel until the littlebeggar went psycho from sheer boredom.
When he had energy to burn, he used it productively. Like tearing into anailing V-8 and making it purr for him the way a woman's finely tuned bodypurred under a slow hand. Or sanding the sleek curve of a fender until it was as smooth as the inside of a lady's thigh.
When he was p.i.s.sed off, he went looking for something-or someone-to hit.Preferably someone bigger and younger and sneakier, like Flynn or one of thetwins. But when he was wired on adrenaline, like now, he went completelystill, inside and out.
It was a trick he'd learned from an old-line flatfoot named O'Sullivan who'd been his first partner after he'd pinned on his detective's s.h.i.+eld. A guy gothigh, a guy made mistakes, Sully had drummed into him until he'd heard it inhis sleep. It didn't matter what kind of chemical pulsed through his system.Adrenaline, rage, booze, they were all the same-pure poison to a man whoneeded a cool head and a clear eye.
Because he was short on sleep and long on nerves, he propped a shoulderagainst the wall opposite the fridge and watched his brother work his waythrough an entire bag of oatmeal cookies, washed down with enough coffee tofloat a decent-size s.h.i.+p.
The sanctimonious joker who claimed that denial was good for the soulprobably drank herbal tea, he decided as he rubbed absently at the bonfire inhis gut.
”What the h.e.l.l is she reading the kid,War and Peace?” Grady grumbled,s.h.i.+fting only his eyes toward the far end of the town house where the murmurof voices was faintly audible.
He heard the thud of Flynn's coffee mug hitting the counter. ”Don't know,Bro, but after she stopped dancing around the kitchen and hugging thebejabbers out of this old boy, she spent a good half hour rummaging throughboxes in the storeroom downstairs before she hauled up a stash of books andtoys.” Flynn chuckled. ”Made a big fuss over this ratty old bear that lookedin need of fumigation. Started crying all over again.”
”Jimmy forgot and left it out in the rain one time,” Grady muttered, then hewhipped around to face his brother. ”What the h.e.l.l do you mean, she huggedyou?”
The glint in Flynn's eyes looked like a ”gotcha,” one brother ragging anotherjust for the sheer fun of it. Just in case, Grady narrowed his gaze. ”I mighthave slowed down a step or two, but I can still take you, Little Brother.”
”Don't doubt that for a minute, Big Brother.” Flynn's grin was just a shadetoo innocent for Grady's peace of mind.
”Justso's you know.”
”Wouldn't mind going a few rounds, though. Just for the h.e.l.l of it.” Flynn'sgrin faded. ”You figuring on angling for a second shot at winning the lady?”
d.a.m.n, Grady thought, grinding his teeth. Was he really that easy to read?”It's been on my mind some, yeah. You got any opinion of my chances?”
Flynn lifted his mug and sipped, his brow furrowed in thought. Behind thelady-killer charm and the easy laughter, his brother had a way of seeingthrough the thickest armor into the heart of a person. Grady had come to trustFlynn's judgment more than his own admittedly flawed perceptions of humannature.
”Three hours ago I would have said they weren't worth a d.a.m.n,” Flynn said at last. ”But since she didn't boot you out on yourkeister when you hit her withthat three-day bombsh.e.l.l, I figure you for an outside shot.”
Grady let out the breath he'd been holding. ”I've beaten worse.”
”Guess you have at that.” Flynn drained his cup, then rose to stow it in thedishwasher. ”You gonna call the folks first thing in the morning?” he askedwhen he'd finished.
”Yeah, no reason to wake 'em up now.”
”Mom will be steamed you didn't.”
”Dad would be steamed if I did. Of the two I'd rather handle Mom.”
”Not me, Bro. I'd rather go toe-to-toe with the old man any day of the week than explain myself to Mom.”
”Wimp.”
”Hotshot.”
Drop twenty years and the two of them would have been pus.h.i.+ng and shovingtheir way through a list of favorite insults. It took Grady a few beats torealize why he suddenly felt young again. Jimmy was home safe and sound. Theproblems that lay ahead could wait until tomorrow. Tonight he wanted to savorthe sheer joy of having his son back.
”Thanks for hanging around,” he said when he realized he was close to makinga d.a.m.n fool out of himself. ”I owe you one.”
Flynn cleared his throat. ”Don't think I won't collect,” he said as the twoof them walked through the living room to the front door. ”Call if you needme.”
Grady nodded, then frowned at a sudden niggling thought. ”You never said whyyou happened to be here when I phoned.”
”You never asked.”
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