His Garden of Bones (Skye Cree Book 4) (14 page)

T
he next morning, Josh caught up with Hank at the motel busting up rotten drywall in what used to be designated as room number eighteen.

“You’re making great strides,” Josh called out at the younger man from the doorway.

Balancing a to-go carrier filled with two paper cups—one latte and one cappuccino—and a sack with hot cinnamon rolls he’d stopped to get from a Pike Place coffeehouse down the street, Josh stared at his contractor slash handyman.

Hank hesitated in mid-whack, looked up at him through a pair of protective goggles and stared back, obviously surprised to see the boss here so early in the a.m.

Josh grinned at the guy’s nonplussed expression, watched as Hank slung the sledgehammer to his shoulder, rested it there, pushed up his glasses, and moved the bandana from around his mouth.

“Please tell me you brought coffee and doughnuts. Man, you read my mind.”

Josh held out the hot drinks, listed the two choices of coffee and jiggled the bag. “Sweet rolls from McCarron’s Bakery.”

“As long as it’s pastry and caffeine I’m not picky,” Hank said, grabbing the one with a big C marked on the top. Hank leaned the hammer up against the wall and snatched the bag out of Josh’s hand like a hungry child. “I’m starving. Plus, I was in such a hurry this morning that I ran out the door without my Thermos.”

Josh sipped the latte, rubbed his fingers into his temple.

Over the rim of his cup, Hank eyed Josh. “What’s the matter? You got a headache?”

“Woke up with it. It’s as if your sledgehammer met up with my skull and the hammer won.”

“Bummer. I have aspirin in the truck.”

“Thanks, but I already washed down four. You look better than you did the other day.”

Hank laughed. “That’s because I’m getting a decent night’s sleep now that we’re not living in the car. Crawling into an actual bed at night is huge.”

Josh winced at the notion of sleeping in such cramped space—with Hank’s height it had to be a tight fit, not to mention the difficulty in staying warm, especially with the cold night air whipping in off the Sound.

“You guys settling in okay? How are your wife and baby doing?”

“They’re great. That studio is amazing. Thanks again for cutting us a deal on the rent. We appreciate it. Melina loves the apartment. I don’t know how to thank you enough for letting us move in there, have a roof over our heads. And the fact that it’s furnished is a godsend. Alec slept through the night last night for the first time.”

Josh grinned at hearing another round of gratitude. It was only the fifth or sixth time Hank had echoed that same sentiment. “I hear that’s a milestone. You just keep taking care of your family and you guys will be fine.”

“The medicine’s kicked in for both Melina and Alec. It makes a big difference in the nighttime coughing.”

Noticing that Hank didn’t exactly have a gift for gab, Josh added, “I’m working on getting you some help.”

“What made you decide to take on such a huge undertaking when you’re obviously such a busy guy?”

Josh rubbed the back of his neck. “Lately, I’ve been asking myself that same question.”

“It’s a good plan. I know when you hired me you mentioned that families could eventually move in here to get off the street. That’s what appealed to me right off. I’m pretty sure that’s why Tate sent me your way.”

“Didn’t you say you were a gamer at one time?”

“Used to be. Had to hock my console about six months back though. These days my wife and son’s well-being is far more important to me than playing video games.”

“That’s as it should be. Are you interested in a job at Ander All Games? I start everyone out in testing and they move up from there. It would get you out of the cold.”

“Man, if you’d asked me that two years ago I would’ve probably jumped at the chance. But honestly, I like being outside. Out here, I get to hammer away on things and go at my own pace. I’m no good up against release deadlines.”

“Are you sure?”

“It’s not so bad working here. I like the idea of taking something and making it better, sprucing it up.”

“Okay then, since we’re being honest with each other, I’m glad to hear you say that because the idea of spending time looking for another contractor isn’t something I want to do right now. Skye and I had our hearts set on being finished with this project by spring, which means you certainly won’t be able to do it single-handed.”

“I have this friend who could use some extra cash for Christmas. His name’s Coy Kingston. But Coy already has a regular job during the week. He’s a damn fine carpenter, works over at the Archway seven to four. Could you use him on the weekends? He’s a hard worker.”

The Archway was a shiny new super mall scheduled to open next summer. “Sure. If he’s willing to put in those kinds of hours.”

“Hey, when you have kids and want to get them something special from Santa, you do whatever it takes. Now when you get ready to install the new plumbing I know someone who wants to bid on the business.”

“But if you know a plumber then why…”

“Why don’t I work for him? Good question. I’ll tell you the truth. He’s my stepfather and a bit of a prick. But hey, I thought I’d do the family thing and put in a good word for him.”

“By the way, Skye and I are having a Christmas party on the twenty-fourth. I know that’s Christmas Eve but we’re getting all my employees and her volunteers and their families together for eats and drinks. If you’re interested, you and Melina are welcome to come.”

“I doubt we could get a babysitter.”

“No problem. Feel free to bring the little one. I’m sure there’ll be other parents in the same boat.”

While Josh hung
out with Hank, Skye swung by her old apartment to do the same with Melina—her sole purpose, to make sure the two had enough to eat.

As she made her way up to the fourth floor studio, it seemed odd reaching the front door and knocking instead of using her key. From inside she heard the wail of a baby’s cry.

When it took Melina a while to answer, she realized she should have called first. And then realized the young mother might have her hands full. 

Just when she’d decided it was a bad time for company to drop by and she should leave, she’d taken two steps back down the hallway when Melina opened the door.

“Oh, hi. Come on in. Alec is a little fussy. That new tooth coming in is giving him fits.”

“And that’s the main reason I stopped by—to see if you needed anything.”

Melina slid Alec into a well-worn infant rocker. “What I could use is another pair of hands. Want some coffee? I made use of your coffeemaker. It’s wonderful having a kitchen again. I love putzing around and fixing meals again.” Her voice began to falter as she busied herself at the sink. “There’s no way I can begin to thank you for letting us live here.”

Uneasy at the emotion, Skye took off her jacket and sat down at the little table she’d refinished herself. “I’d love coffee. Look, Melina, there’s no need to keep thanking me every time we see each other.” Sitting there, taking in the room, she saw how it had changed in just a few days. It was now jam-packed with baby things—a portable crib, clothes, toys, stuffed animals. The place even smelled like baby lotion. “The apartment was vacant. Josh had been after me for months to rent it out. But for some reason, I always resisted. Now I know why. I was saving it for a family like you and Hank. It’s yours for as long as you need it.”

Melina got down two familiar cups from the cabinet and brought one over filled with steaming coffee. Before Skye could pick up the mug, Melina grabbed her in a hug. “We’ll take good care of it, I promise. I love it here. It’s a fantastic place. I know it holds sentimental value for you.”

It seemed silly not to admit it. “Am I that obvious?”

“Kind of. But it’s sweet. Your first apartment in the city is always special. I should know, I remember mine.”

To change the subject and get out of the emotional box she found herself in, Skye asked, “Have you and Hank been married long?”

“Two years. We were doing fine until he lost his job, then we lost the apartment, and things began to slide downhill. Now, for the first time in a long time, things are looking up. If I have to, I’ll get a job to stay here.”

“Will it come to that? What would you do with Alec?”

“There’s Hank’s mom. Since I’m no longer breastfeeding, I could drop him off at the day care center she works at in Renton.”

Skye laid her hand over Melina’s. “Hank has a good job. Josh says he’s a good worker. The motel project will likely be around through June. So why don’t you relax until after the holidays and reassess your financial needs then. By the way, we’re having a Christmas party on the twenty-fourth. Josh and I want you guys to come.”

“A night out? That sounds wonderful. I’ll need to get Hank’s mom to sit with Alec.”

“No need. Bring the baby with you. I’m sure other kids will be there.”

That night, after
spending nine hours cooped up inside an office, Skye dragged Josh out into Seattle’s streets. Four hours into the venture they hadn’t stumbled across anything that looked the least bit sinister so they packed it in early. The ferry got them back to the island in time for bed a little before midnight, a rare occurrence.

But then, Josh hadn’t been feeling well all day. Several times he’d mentioned he might be coming down with the flu.

After turning in, he’d conked out next to her. But Skye hadn’t been able to settle down. For something to do, she decided to get up, fix a cup of chamomile tea to help her sleep, maybe play a round or two of
Princess Kilda
to rid herself of the pent-up frustration she felt.

Now was a great time to get her first look at the new game Josh had downloaded to her iPad. She’d played the beta version several times on her phone before, but now that it had been released to millions of gamers, her curiosity had taken over. She wanted to see
Princess Kilda
, the final product, in action.

The minute her feet hit the floor, Atka was right there next to the bedside table, tail wagging, tongue drooping, wanting her head scratched. Skye obliged but held one finger to her lips for quiet before the dog woke up Josh. The puppy had finally grown into her feet but still had a tendency to knock things aside with her tail.

With the dog trailing her, she tiptoed downstairs to the kitchen where she grabbed her iPad and a bottle of water. Flopping onto the living room sofa, she waited for the game to load while Atka stretched out, covering her feet like cozy slippers.

“You go back to sleep,” Skye murmured to the pooch as she keyed in her password for log in.

Once she got her first look at the main menu, there was no mistaking the similarity to Kilda’s eyes, the deep violet, or the other traits she shared with the heroine—head bobs, style of movement when fighting, instincts and interaction with the bad guys—they were all things Skye recognized in herself. Josh and his team hadn’t missed a trick.

Skye grinned at his creativity and began to try her hand at the first level. After a series of aimless hunts through trails and forests, she suffered a few defeats before finally getting the hang of all the upgrades Josh’s team had put in before releasing it to the masses.