“What exactly are you and Gus going to do this morning during the school pilgrimage?”
Nick took her hand in his. “I’m going to get a look at the janitor. He may be just a guy looking for an extra buck, but there’s no use taking chances. This has already gotten more complicated than my recent excursion into the sand pit. What was it you expected me to do?”
“Let the delectable Dimah show her gratitude would be my guess.”
Nick drew Rachel to him. “I thought we covered the gratitude part when I joined you in bed last night. I was grateful. You were grateful. Why mention a young Marine’s fiancé in a rather disappointing display of wifely concern?”
Rachel moaned slightly as Nick’s hands moved over her body while he watched and listened for Jean’s return. “Come right back… after you drop off Jean at school. I need more comforting for my wifely concern.”
“You have to be at work, hon. Besides, I’ll have Gus with me this morning to hold Deke while I walk Jean in, and look for the janitor.”
Rachel pushed away with reluctance, her waking by Nick earlier in the morning stoking the familiar threads of desire pulsing through her. “You’re right… I have to find Joe a replacement, at least so I can go part time. If it’s slow today, I’ll play the pregnant card, and meet you back here for the rest of the day.”
“That sounds more tempting each time you mention it. We can play around, watch the ocean from our balcony, and I’ll grind out another couple thousand words to appease Diego’s demands for attention. We’ll walk over with Deke to collect Jean from school together later.”
Rachel leaned in again to kiss Nick with a tantalizing sweetness of promise, before spinning away. “Don’t be late from your date with Dimah. I’ll make it worth your while.”
Nick watched her sway down the hall in the thin, black silk robe he had brought back from his overseas trip. The usual questioning thoughts he allowed to plague his life in general concerning his emotionless feelings dealing with nearly everything else other than Rachel and Jean, settled again into his mind. He grinned. I’m not getting any better, he thought ruefully. Maybe loyalty and a remote fondness will have to do in place of caring for anyone outside the small circle of friends and family in my goofy life. Deke returned to his side and sat down, having grown bored waiting outside the bathroom door for Jean to finish showering. Nick knelt next to the dog, scratching behind Deke’s ears.
“You don’t care if I write off the rest of humanity, right Deke?”
In answer Deke licked his face.
“That settles it. We’re in agreement. C’mon, I’ll get you your breakfast. You’ve been working hard this morning, Deke. I bet it stirred up your appetite.” Deke paced along with Nick. “I think I need to give that dastardly Diego character of mine a few more caring thoughts. He was too cold blooded in the last novel, Deke. Maybe I should give him a dog.”
Chapter Four
Road Trip
“What’s bothering you this morning, partner?”
“He’s having trouble with his feelings, Gus,” Jean replied before Nick could answer. “Dad doesn’t have any, and thinks it shows.”
She yelped, dancing ahead with Deke before Nick could latch onto her blonde ponytail. “That girl is like my own human tuning fork. Where the hell does she get this stuff? I need to get her writing stories. With the imagination Jean has, her future as a writer will surpass mine. All I have is my one note wonder, Diego. Jean could create works of art in all different genres.”
Gus eyed his friend with knowing certainty. “Danger called it right. You’re battling the regretful killer syndrome this morning. How’s that working out for you?”
“I’d need a conscience to feel regret, bozo. Don’t play Dr. Phil with me. You won’t like it. Danger tried to ninja me when I got back from our excursion. She’s beginning to worry me with her sudden interest in following in my insane footsteps. At nine years old, I don’t see that as a good thing. Do you?”
“You answered your own hot topic in that goofy mind of yours. You love Jean. A year ago, you wouldn’t have cared what happened to Jean and Rachel. Hell, I doubt you could have endured being around me for more than a couple days. Something’s changed in you, Nick. Think about someone else for a change, you unfeeling zombie.”
“You’re wrong, Gus. You still annoy the hell out of me.”