Part 6 (1/2)

Wallace? She gave me a description of the car, but...well, could you maybe help me out? I think there might have been a bit of a...language barrier. Plus, I'm not so sure she thinks I'm going to do a d.a.m.ned thing about this.”

”We were stopped at the sign there at the end of the street. The black SUV ran the light and hit us. He probably didn't have insurance or something. I think...Pi was in the back seat or she might have been seriously hurt. I'm sure it's all right, Captain.”

”Well, ma'am, I might believe that if I didn't already have a few questions about the night Mr. Grant here was beat up in the park. I know you said you weren't doing anything illegal, but now this is the second attempt on your life in about a week. Next time you might not be so lucky.”

”This was a simple case of hit and run. I don't know how you'd think it was anything but. Pi didn't say that, did she? I think she watches too many police shows.” Dane looked around, suddenly scared.

The car that had followed her the other night had been a dark SUV. The night that Jamie had been attacked, there had been another one parked next to her car. She swayed slightly and had it not been for Jamie, she would have fallen.

”Wanna start from the top again? What can you tell me about the car, Mrs. Wallace? Did you see a plate number? Anything that might make it stand out to you?” Captain Tucker's voice sounded tense and she was having a hard time focusing on it.

She stood and without looking at either man, she pulled out her phone. ”I'll call us a taxi to take us home.”

When Jamie took the phone from her and closed it, she started to demand it back, but the look in his eyes stopped her. He looked not angry, but very angry. She started to turn away from him and was surprised when he pulled her against his body.

”Tuck, I'm taking the women home to my house. My family is waiting on us. Damon will have a look at her head. If you wouldn't mind stopping out there after you're done here, that'd be great. I don't think she should be out like this much more, do you?” Dane was sure that the cop wanted to disagree, but he too must have seen something in the younger man's eyes and agreed to come by later. Jamie did not so much as lead her to his car, but dragged her behind him in a long stride she had to run to keep up with.

”I really don't think-” He turned back so quickly she ran into him. She backed up as far as she could with him still holding her hand.

”Not a word. I mean it, Dane. You say one word and I will haul you over my lap and beat your a.s.s.” When she opened her mouth, he took a step toward her and she snapped it closed again.

Their groceries were loaded into his car and they were on the way within ten minutes. He still had not said a word and for once, Dane was glad that Pi did not shut up. But as each mile pa.s.sed, Dane got madder herself. By the time they pulled into his driveway, she was boiling over.

The door opened as she walked up the steps and Dane went inside, past the three people sitting in the living room, and straight to the bathroom. She was going to be sick. Nothing churned her belly up like anger, and she had plenty of it.

”Open the d.a.m.ned door. I want to talk to you. Dane, d.a.m.n it, I said to open the f.u.c.king door.”

She threw open the door and right at him. ”Now you want to talk! Now you have something to say to me? You ever treat me like I'm some five-year-old again and I will knock you on your a.s.s. The nerve of you telling me that you will beat my a.s.s like I'm...I'm not a child, do you hear me! Having s.e.x with you does not mean you have the right to act like I'm some...some possession of yours. That man wants me dead. Dead, did you hear me?”

”Were you going to tell me that you were being followed? Did it occur to you that you might be in danger and that I'd, gee, I don't know, maybe might care? Did you even think that...”

”Of course, I forgot to include the great James Andrew Grant in my daily musings. Let me see, today I thought about buying a house and believe it or not, I made the decision to have red sauce instead of white on my pasta, and eight days ago before I had s.e.x with you, a man followed me home. Pardon me all to h.e.l.l and back because I didn't think to let you know then.

Would you also like to know that I plan to take a shower later? In my own home, in my own apartment?”

”You are not going anywhere. That man wants you dead and in the event that you may have missed it, I love you. And it's my right to keep you-” Dane never hit. And she seldom let herself get so angry that she thought about it, but he just set her over the edge. Drawing back her small fist, she hit him right in the nose. When he staggered back and fell against the wall across from her, she turned, went down the hall and out the sliding gla.s.s door into the back yard, and screamed.

Damon helped him up and he started for the sliding door to follow Dane when Nick stepped in front of him. ”I wouldn't if I were you. Let's go into the kitchen and have a beer. Morgan and Taylor can handle it for now.”

”I'm not through talking to her. Move, Nicky, or I swear I'll hurt you. She could have been killed today and-”

”Yeah, we all heard. And I think she knows that more than you. If you actually love this woman like you said, then I'd give her some s.p.a.ce right now. Besides, I think she might have broken your nose. Let Damon look at it. She fights pretty well for a girl. Didn't see that punch coming, did you?”

Jamie looked at the door Dane had gone out and saw his two sisters-in-law out there with her. He knew that if he went out now they'd just argue more and then maybe one or all three of the women would beat up on him too. Jamie went to the kitchen where his brothers were. Pi was at the stove, quiet for once.

His nose was not broken, but he was going to have a black eye. Byron would not stop laughing and as soon as his mother came in the house, he retold the entire story to her- including the curse words. She tsked at him and went out to the back yard too. Captain Tucker and Spencer showed up ten minutes later.

”Cait wants me to ask her some questions too. And I'm supposed to tell you that there had better be leftovers or she's going to make sure you get a ticket every time you leave the house.

What happened to your nose?”

”She's in the back with the other women plotting his demise, I bet. Dane hit him. It was the best thing I've seen in a long time. She just came out of the bathroom and socked him one.” Byron started again.

”Yeah, like the time Taylor knocked your nuts up around your ears? That was good too.

Leave off, a.s.s, or you won't get any dinner either.” Jamie was starting to realize that he might have been just a little too strong with Dane and that maybe, just maybe, he deserved to be hit. Of course he had no plans of telling these idiots that, but he planned to tell Dane. If she let him.

When the women came in a few minutes later, he stood up and met her at the door. She would not look at him and he cupped the back of her head and kissed her. At first, he didn't think she was going to respond, but when she did, he thought he might be all right.

”I'm not your possession, you understand me? And I won't be talked to like I'm five years old. I get followed a lot. Newspaper reporters, other families who think I can help them. They want a story and I like my privacy. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but-” He kissed her again, deeper this time, and when she leaned into him, Jamie wanted to tell his family to go away, but was also glad for their support.

”I'm an a.s.s and I'm sorry. I love you. I know you find that hard to believe right now, but I do. I'll try not to act like an idiot too much when we're together.” They went into the kitchen again just in time to hear his mother talking about the food Pi was serving up.

”...fat as a house if I did. My goodness, Pi. This is delicious. You should open a restaurant.

I'll be there every day. Wait until I tell Cait. h.e.l.lo, Dane, honey. You feeling better? You have color in your cheeks again.” Jamie glared at Byron when he laughed.

”Yes, ma'am. I'm sorry about the outburst. Some people need to learn their boundaries.

When Pi and I went by the house to get her wok, I picked up something for you and something for someone to take to the new baby. I also have a few gifts for the other children as well. Pi and I don't get to shop...I'm not much of a shopper.”

Dane went over to one of the many bags he'd brought in and she began pulling things out.

He was surprised at the amount of things that there were and was just walking over to help when she stood up. She handed his mother a shoe box and then pa.s.sed out things to the other children.

She gave Meggie a hand held game. ”I'm not sure if you have one or not, but the clerk said that you'd have fun with it. Jamie, could you tell her I'm sorry, but I don't know sign language yet?”

”She said that she doesn't have this one here, that her mother wouldn't let her have it when she came to live with Spence and Cait.” Spencer signed his reply to them both for her. ”She said to tell you thanks and she'll be more than glad to teach you sign language. She said she's already teaching Ronnie and you can join in.”

”Oh, that would be great. This is for the boys. I know they aren't children, but I wanted to get them something too. Someone can take them back to the mall so they can spend it, right? I don't listen to music myself so I wasn't sure what to...Jamie?” He went to her, took the bag, and finished handing out the gifts. Morgan and the twins were opening theirs when he finished. When one of the twins hugged her, Jamie nearly went to pull him away when Pi stopped him.

”Babies don't hurt. She say they got no hurts yet and they don't hurt her. I need talk to you, Mister Jamie. Later. I have much to say.”

Jamie nodded and wondered what she could possibly say to him and if he would understand her when she did. Then she announced that dinner would be in ten minutes. He did not know what else she could have. They had all been eating since they got there.

”Now, that's just enough time for me to see what we have here. Come sit beside me, Dane. I want to see what you've brought this old woman.”

Margaret took off the lid and when she drew in a deep breath, Jamie leaned over to see what it was. Pictures. Lots of them too. They were in a filelike order with dates along the tabs and the picture in a neat order.

”They're my grandmother's pictures. I've made you copies of those. I don't know some of the places, but you're in most of them in the front. I think the older man is your husband. There are even a few of your oldest sons. If you don't want them, that's okay. You probably have most of them anyway.”

”Oh Dane, these are wonderful. This is my husband when we were dating. Look, Byron, it's your grandfather here with your dad. And look, the oldest, Spencer. Oh, Spencer, you'll love this for your new son. I'm going to have these framed. Won't they look wonderful with the ones in the den? Dane, honey, this is the best...I don't know what to say.”

”I found them among my grandmother's things when she pa.s.sed away. She had so many pictures that I'm having them put into alb.u.ms. There are quite a few tintypes too. Those are the only ones that I've had a chance to go through. It hurt to...some of them still have...well, I can't touch them anymore. I had to have someone do it for me.” Pi called them to the dinner table with a promise that she would tell them what they were being served. The table was huge, but not near big enough for them all. The adults sat at the table and the children crowed around in chairs from the kitchen.

They'd already eaten some pretty amazing dishes as she went about cooking the main course. There had been egg rolls and dumplings as well as something she called satay chicken.

She said that it was actually a Thai recipe, but she really liked it. As each dish was served around the table, she told them what it was.