GNELFS (5 page)

Sometimes it became frustrating, seeing relationships that seemed to work for other people.

"Scared aren't you?" Katrina guessed.

"As always."

"It'll work out. Just give him a chance."

"Oh, I will. I always do that. And they always cause me pain."

~*~

Rows and rows of brightly colored boxes lined the shelves in the Best Buy family section. Tanner browsed carefully as Jamie Hyatt stood over his shoulder.

"It's easier helping you pick out
film noir
titles," she said. "Sure you don't want something with Bogart?”

“Not tonight." He picked up a tape entitled
Gnelf
Voyages
. The artwork depicted a crew of little green
Gnelfs
tying off lines on a sailing ship. "Is this good?”

“They’re insanely popular and that’s the newest one, where they go sailing to everywhere and encounter pirates and sea monsters.”

“Release the Kraken?"

"In a kid sort of way. Everybody's renting these things, so I guess they're not too bad."

"Okay. I'll take this one. What else is good?”

“You're in luck.
Noble
Gnelfs
is back in stock. And there's
Journey with the
Gnelfs
."

He studied the artwork on the covers. In each the little creatures with their scrolls and swords wandered about.

"
Gnelfs
travel a lot I take it."

"They're nomads."

"Why are these things so popular?"

Jamie shook her head. "They're like
The Hobbit
and everything I guess. They're just in right now. In two months it'll be something else."

"Guess you're right. Wrap these up. I don't want to eat them here."

~*~

After debating what to wear, Gabrielle opted for jeans and a simple blue blouse with a sweater and scarf. Tanner had been dressed casually for his reading, so he would probably not be in tie and tails for a quiet evening at home.

Heaven had napped after returning from Katrina's, but her clothing was still fresh so Gab didn't make her change. After a few brief reminders about behavior, they piled into the car.

Tanner lived in a rustic-looking house made of redwood lumber. It was situated at the end of a street, tucked back behind some thick old pines. With a front porch and shutters, it resembled a mountain cabin, but its appearance seemed to thrill Heaven.

Gab pulled into the driveway and killed the engine before the child had much opportunity to struggle against her safety seat.

The smell of frying vegetables and sesame oil hung in the air when Tanner answered the door. Smiling, he ushered them into his front sitting room.

"This must be Heaven," he said.

"Um-hum."

"Yes, sir," Gabrielle prompted.

"Yes, sir," Heaven echoed.

Her eyes were scanning the room. The interior of the house was a bit rustic also, with dark paneling and various antique lamps and items of furniture.

"This looks like the stuff we saw at the dirty store," Heaven said.

Gabrielle rolled her eyes and tried to keep from blushing. "She's talking about the antique shop," Gabrielle explained.

"No problem," Tanner said. "I've got something I'll bet you'll like Heaven."

He walked over to the television, which sat against one wall and held up the disks.

"They told me at the store these are popular with little girls. Do you like cartoons?"

"Um,
er
,
yessir
."

After glancing at her mother to make sure it was all right, she moved across the room to Tanner.

"I got the three newest
Gnelf
tapes. How does that sound?"

Heaven's mood suddenly became more subdued, but she nodded. "
Gnelfs
are okay," she whispered.

"Does she not like them?" Tanner asked, looking back at Gab.

"She's really a big fan. She just had a little nightmare about them earlier in the week."

"Oh, I can pick 'em, can't I?"

"It's all right," Heaven said, remembering her mother's admonition to be polite.

"Maybe we'll watch a little later," Gab suggested.

"Maybe," Heaven agreed.

"Well, you can both watch me cook, if you want," Tanner suggested.

"Should be fun," Gab said. "You don't see men engaged in that activity very often."

"It was that or starve."

"It smells good."

"It's the only thing I know how to fix."

They moved through an opening into his kitchen, and he pulled up a chair for Heaven before returning to his efforts at dinner.

"You really are reasonably proficient at that," Gab said, leaning against the counter.

"I'm better at mystery writing, but I do my best at cooking."

He dumped something onto the wok, sending a spray of smoke toward the ceiling.

"So what's next for you,
mysterywise
?"

"My series character is going to be a Cajun private eye who works in New Orleans. Agent’s idea. His name is Gaston, and he was raised in the swamp country before he went to study at Loyola."

"You doing much research?"

"A lot of it I'm drawing from Cajun people I've known. I've been making trips to New Orleans now and then to absorb local color."

"I love New Orleans. The French Quarter is so beautiful."

"It really is."

He finished cooking, and set the food on plates rather than setting the table. Then they moved back into the living room for the meal.

Heaven warmed to Tanner quickly, and she began to laugh when he teased her. Gabrielle found herself beginning to relax too. This was just a preliminary outing, and it was too early to tell overall, but he seemed decent enough.

The fact that he'd been willing to have her bring Heaven along won him points. First, it meant he didn't hold the child against her, and secondly it meant he hadn't approached her just to get her into bed. At least she hoped he didn't plan to try that while Heaven was occupied.

That would make her seriously question his character.

Eventually they did offer Heaven the cartoon opportunity again. She thought it over and seemed a bit reluctant, but she finally nodded. "I guess it'd be good," she said. He had managed to buy adventures she'd been wanting to see for a long time, and that seemed to outweigh her fear.

Gab noticed that she seemed a little pale, but thought perhaps it was best to let her get back on the horse, so to speak. Heaven had loved the
Gnelfs
so much, Gab hated to see one nightmare alienate her from them.

They fixed her a seat in front of the television, and Tanner put on
Gnelf
Voyages
. It flickered on with a bright musical tune as the
Good Ship
Gnelfgalley
rolled across the sea. The animation was good, and at the sight of the happy
Gnelf
crew, Heaven seemed to forget her fears.

Gab helped Tanner carry the plates into the kitchen, and she fell right into the routine of clean up:

"So what are you after from me, Tanner?" she asked.

He grinned and looked over at her from his place at the sink, one eyebrow cocked slightly. "Straightforward, aren't you?”

"I'm just very tired of life," she said. "Games and lines, you know. My marriage didn't work out and I followed that with a bad relationship, so I'm scared these days."

He ran a sponge across one of the plates as water poured down on it from the faucet.

"I didn't really have a major agenda," he confessed. "I just thought you were nice, and it seemed you liked me a little."

"Maybe I did. But I'm nosey as hell. How come you haven't married?"

"Haven't met the right girl. The thing is I'm basically boring once you get to know me. Writing looks glamorous and all that, but it isn't really. The girls I fall in love with always seem to be going somewhere else. Besides, I'm shy."

"You didn't seem that shy with me."

"You were nice to me. Sometimes women look at me, and it feels like they've got ice in their souls."

She smiled. "Sometimes I think men are the same way."

"No wonder it's so hard for people to get together. They've always got their signals crossed."

They studied each other's eyes for a long stretch of seconds, but they did not move to each other. She didn't want to make the first step—she'd just met him that morning—and she wasn't sure she wanted him to move either. Kissing, touching, Heaven in the next room. She didn't particularly want that.

Finally she broke eye contact. "It's getting late," she said. "I'd better get Heaven home."

"Wait before you go."

He disappeared for a few moments and returned with one of his books, which he quickly signed: To Gabrielle, best wishes to the girl I met at my reading.

"That's sweet," she said. She closed the cover and moved over to the couch on which Heaven had fallen asleep. Apparently Heaven hadn't been watching the video. She'd probably only allowed it to be put on to be polite. Following orders to make Mommy happy, Gab thought. At least she was trying to give her a fighting chance.

~*~

The next sign of trouble didn't come until Sunday evening.

In the early part of the day, Gabrielle had to report to Katrina, who called after returning from church. She demanded answers and seemed disappointed.

"I thought this was going to be exciting," she said.

"Maybe next time," Gabrielle said. "The last thing I need is to rush into something."

After the conversation, she hung up and realized a knot of anxiety had formed in her stomach. She really didn't want to rush into anything, but now she was afraid he might not call again.

"Screwed-up world," she muttered.

She was fixing supper when she heard Heaven scream. The pot she was holding slipped from her fingers, clanging into the sink as she wheeled around and rushed through the swinging door into the living room.

Heaven was huddled on the couch, her eyes staring into nothingness as she clutched a pillow against her chest, shivering. Sweat dappled her forehead and moistened her bangs, pasting them to her scalp. Her face had gone pale, and tremors ran through her small body, making her shudder as if she were having a seizure. And her breathing was too fast, much too fast.

Gabrielle moved toward her, trying to embrace her, but Heaven began to shake her head in a brisk, jerking motion.

"Baby!"

Heaven pulled away from her, scrambling backward across the couch. She was so frightened, she was in shock and didn't recognize Gab.

Reaching forward, Gab grabbed her daughter and pulled her against her own body. The child twisted and fought violently, displaying a strength Gab had never dreamed she possessed. She was so small, yet she was like an animal, wild and struggling for survival.

"Heaven," Gab shouted, almost screaming due to her own hysteria. "It's all right, honey. It's Mommy. It's all right."

Muffled squeaks escaped Heaven's lips as her struggles continued. Tiny fists pounded into Gab's back, and she continued to twist about. Gabrielle was forced to grip her tighter. She feared Heaven would hurt herself, bump into the hard edge of the coffee table or even charge into the wall.

"Heaven, it's Mommy," she repeated.

"They're after me," Heaven screamed. She drew air deep into her lungs. "They want to hurt me. They want to kill me."

Gabrielle held her tightly. She could feel Heaven's thundering heartbeat, and hot slashes of breath bounced off Gab's neck.

"Nothing is here," Gabrielle shouted. "Nothing is here."

"The
Gnelfs
are after me."

"Honey, it must have been another dream. You must have had another nightmare. You dozed off on the couch."

"They want to hurt me. They want to hurt you, Mommy."

Gab felt her fear subside. At least she was calling her Mommy now. Heaven knew who she was. She'd regained some sense of reality.

"Get hold of yourself," Gab said. "There's nothing to be afraid of, baby. Please."

"The
Gnelfs
. They're after me."

"No, baby." Gab's hands went to Heaven's face. Holding the child's head still, she looked into her eyes. "Listen to me, baby. There's nothing here. You fell asleep and had a bad dream again. The
Gnelfs
aren't going to hurt you."

Heaven's eyes, like marbles now, stood out in their sockets. She drew quick gasps of air in through her lips, unwilling to accept her mother's words. Gabrielle hugged her, pressing her cheek against Heaven's and trying to let the shelter of her arms bring comfort. Heaven clung to her, still trembling, still crying, but slowly she began to calm.