Night Games (16 page)

Brian left the wagon first. He smiled into the darkness. Ally wasn't being too subtle about why she was coming along. But he didn't think anyone would have much luck in shutting Katy down. Her curiosity was like a light-absorbing black hole.

Brian watched as Katy climbed from the wagon and turned on her headlight. Ally climbed down behind her.

He knew his smile had turned wicked. Maybe he should satisfy Katy's curiosity and tell her all about the game.

 

 

 

 

“Brian thinks you probably saw Jupe, Katy.” Ally trudged through the darkness beside Brian and decided she was conflicted.
Conflicted.
A nice precise word that meant she couldn't decide whether she was tagging along with Katy because she wanted to deflect conversation from Brian's work or because she wanted to learn every sordid detail.
Fine, so I want sordid details. Sue me.

“Nope. He's in his tent over by those trees. The Old One wanted to take a listen to hear what she could hear, so I kept her company. Didn't hear much of interest except that Jupe figures he's smart enough to out-negotiate the Old One.” She cast a sly glance down at her furry calico shadow.

The Old One's rumbling growl sounded suspiciously like a chuckle.

Katy grinned. “I know. We're two nosy old biddies.” She turned her attention to Brian. “Now tell me about your game.” She held up her hand to stall Ally's interruption. “I want to know.”

Ally subsided. There was no stopping Katy. She could either stay and listen or go back to the wagon. Ally frowned into the darkness. She wanted to listen, didn't she? A few seconds ago she'd definitely decided she wanted to hear everything. So why the sudden doubts?

Brian stopped to stare up at the keep, then scanned the area beyond it. Ally knew he couldn't see far. It was as dark as only a moonless night could be, and the cool air had the feel of rain in it. Ally tried to control a shiver. It reminded her of her first night here. Only now instead of hunting for a dark and dangerous vampire, she hunted for answers to the riddle that was her very own dark and dangerous time traveler.

He began walking again. Ally didn't. She gazed down at her shoes. “You guys go on. I have something in my shoe. I'll catch up with you.”

Ally's decision surprised her. She'd really thought she wanted to know everything about what Brian did. But a wiser part of her knew better.

“
Penile-ized?
No kidding?” Katy's voice drifted back to her.

Ally started walking again, keeping a space between Brian and herself so that she couldn't hear, couldn't picture
him
on the playing field. And that was the crux of the matter. As long as she
could imagine faceless players, as long as she could keep the games impersonal, everything was okay. But her thoughts of Brian had gone beyond faceless and impersonal.

The wiser half of Ally O'Neill suggested this was not a good thing. Ally sighed. Her wiser half must be getting tired of her ignoring its advice where Brian Byrne was concerned.

Glancing up, Ally realized Brian and Katy had stopped to wait for her.

“A
feel-goal?
You're the
man
.” Katy had found a new hero. “That's an excellent game.” Katy turned to Ally. “Isn't that an excellent game?”

“Excellent.” Rotten. Even though she hadn't heard any details, she hated it. She hated the thought of Brian on the field, doing things to all those women. She was glad she didn't live in his time.
Why are you so hot and bothered?

Brian's lips tilted up in a knowing smile and his gaze said “coward.” But Ally didn't care. For once she'd made the right decision.

Hot and bothered.
She continued to hang back a little, thinking about that last thought.

But it was hard to do much deep thinking as Katy continued her endless stream of questions.

The clip-clop of hooves drawing near distracted Ally from Katy's questions. They all turned to watch Eamonn Clancy pull his donkey to a halt near the keep. The old man ignored them as he climbed down from his cart and walked slowly to the gaping hole that had once been the keep's entrance. He stood staring into
the blackness, but, as before, he didn't enter.

Ally didn't blame him. She'd never feared ghosts and ghoulies, but she was a lot braver out here than she'd be inside the keep on a dark night.

His passenger stepped out of the cart, lifted a suitcase and shopping bag to the ground, then strode happily over to them. “Sure and it's a fine evening to be hunting the wee fairies—”

Brian's irritated grunt said it all. “Lose the brogue, Cap. They know everything.”

Cap heaved a sigh. “Good. I was getting tired of talking that way.”

“Not as tired as everyone else was of hearing you.” Brian didn't sound sympathetic.

“I probably need to reintroduce myself.” He smiled at Katy. “I'm really Capricorn Wilson. I own the Testosterone Titans. Brian was the best player on my team for a lot of years.” He cast Brian an accusing stare.

Katy nodded. “Got it. He was your star stud.” Cap chose to ignore that. “Guess I can get rid of this for a while.” He pulled the red wig from his head.

“Bend your head.” Katy stood on her toes and craned to get a look. “It's about time I saw one of these head paintings. Got a glance when I was in the john, but no close-ups. Well, look here. Is that your daughter?”

Cap nodded. “Oriona. She's ten years old.” His chest expanded and his grin widened.

Ally smiled. Evidently, parental pride had survived
everything time could throw at it.

“Heard in your time some people have a male member problem. How'd you have her if your Mr. Wizard doesn't work?” Katy looked suspicious. “Maybe yours still works.”

Ally winced. “You're getting too personal, Katy.”

Katy cast her a belligerent glance. “I'm old. When you're old you can ask questions like that. It's one of the perks of getting wrinkled and achy.” She offered Cap her brightest smile. “I bet yours still works.”

Cap studied Katy as if she were a particularly puzzling new life-form. “Let's keep it a mystery. But reproduction has come a long way. There's more than one way to produce a child.”

“Yeah, but only one way is fun.” Katy left them to join Eamonn Clancy.

“Why're you here, Cap?” Brian didn't sound like he had much patience left. “And why did you come with Eamonn?”

“I had a little accident with my rented car. Met a herd of sheep and thought they'd give me the right of way.” His expression turned sour. “I thought wrong. Had to steer into one of those blasted rock walls. I walked to the nearest house and called the rental people. They'll have a new car out to me tomorrow.”

Cap glanced at Ally, and she smiled at him. She should walk away and give them some privacy, but the O'Neill nosiness was terrible and compelling.

Cap turned his attention back to Brian. “I want to win that championship next year. I can't do it if you're playing for the Monarchs. So I'm going to do my best to convince you to stay here. I think this is your time period. You fit here.” He sounded dead serious.

“And what will you do if I decide to go back?” Brian's voice was soft, danger disguised beneath a thin layer of civility.

Cap met his stare. “I'll try something else.”

Ally watched the exchange with unblinking fascination, until a movement near Cap's feet caught her attention. Her eyes widened. “Uh-oh.”

Her warning came too late. The Old One was squatting on Cap's shoe and calmly urinating. A Stealth Feline expressing her anger in timehonored fashion.

As everyone stood frozen, watching, she carefully scraped a small pile of dirt over the shoe. A tidy cat even in moments of great duress.

Cap hopped and cursed. “Just wait until the next time you want to trade for one of my players. You can take a flying leap into a Sindian mud sea before my people will talk to your people.”

“Show's over, Boss.” Brian scooped up the cat and strode to where Katy was still talking to Eamonn.

Ally would have followed him, but Cap put his hand on her arm to stop her. “Wait, I think you and I have some things to discuss.” His glance was full of sly suggestion.

Curiosity held her in place. “I can't imagine what.”

“You want him, and I want you to get him. We have a common goal, so it only makes sense we should work together.” His voice was tight, intense.

Ally wondered why she had never seen the real man beneath his red wig and exaggerated brogue. She wouldn't underestimate him again. “Why would I want him?” What a big fat, stupid question.

Cap's smile held no humor. “Because I've never met a woman who didn't want him. It's not just the way he looks. It's something deeper.” He shrugged. “Brian came from a hard background, and women see that hardness and respond to it. He's the best because he taps into women's primitive subconscious, the part that wants to mate with the dominant alpha male.”

Ally swallowed hard. Was her attraction to Brian so simple? “How do you know so much about what women feel?”

“Lady, it's my business to know what women feel. And until I was stupid enough to let Brian get away, I'd never made a mistake. I'm going to fix that mistake.”

She shivered. There was something scary about his determination.

Suddenly, he smiled at her, and once again he was the man she'd first met. “I brought my stuff with me, and I'm going to stay with Jupe and Nebula. This is where the action is.”

Her gaze was doubtful. “I don't think they'll be happy about that.”

He shrugged. “Doesn't matter. Jupe's an agent. Some of my players are his clients. He won't say anything to make me mad.”

Ally could see Brian looking her way. “This has been fascinating but—”

“Here's some advice. Get Brian to open up about his childhood. Make him think you care about him as a person. Get beyond the sex stuff, and you'll have him.” A sudden rustling made him turn. He stared into the darkness for a moment, then shifted his attention back to her. “Guess it's nothing. Oh, and I picked up something in town you might be able to use.”

He pulled a small book from the pocket of his brown pants. “Bought this from a gypsy.” He frowned. “At least she said she was a gypsy.” He handed the book to Ally. “She said this was a book of ancient gypsy love potions. Aphrodisiacs have been around forever. Wouldn't hurt to try. I have all the ingredients you'll need.”

Ally looked blankly at the small book. He was kidding. No one could be that desperate. She glanced up at his narrowed gaze. Maybe they could. Opening the book, she skimmed the first potion. “Hmm. Looks like the recipe for Mc-Donald's secret sauce. Maybe you should hang on to this. I'm not into gourmet cooking anymore.”

Pushing the book back at him, she walked quickly to join Brian before Cap could say any
thing else. But his innuendo followed her like an evil shadow. Was she attracted to Brian because she sensed his hard inner core, and it excited her? Was the hard inner core all the substance of the man? Would she look for softness and never find it? And did the substance of Brian Byrne matter in the grand scheme of things? He would only be here for a few more weeks, and in that time all she really wanted was his help with her book.
That's not all you want.

Suspicious, Brian studied Ally's face, watched her bite her lower lip, felt his body respond to the temptation of her lip's promise. He shook his head to clear his thoughts of Ally and her lips. “What did Cap have to say to you?”

Ally blinked. “He was just telling me how he planned to move in with Jupe and Nebula.” She smiled up at him. “They'll be so busy fighting with each other they might leave you alone.”

“Don't count on it.” He didn't believe that was all they'd talked about, but Brian wouldn't push her. He turned back to listen to what Eamonn was saying.

“It'll happen again this fine dark night. They'll drag her body from the great hall while her husband waits to carry her from this accursed place. But he'll die too soon, too soon.” His old voice cracked and faded into silence.

The blackness of the night was a living, pulsing thing. Brian felt it. And as Ally edged closer, he put his arm across her shoulders and pulled her to his side.

“Will it ever stop, Eamonn?” Katy's voice was hushed.

The old man's nod spoke of endless weariness. “Aye. When the keep topples, never to rise again, then he'll take her home forever.”

While they stood watching, he spoke softly to his donkey in Gaelic, then donkey and cart disappeared into the darkness.

No one spoke for a few moments. Finally, Katy broke the silence. “Well, wasn't that interesting? I bet there're a lot of bloody things that happened here. Next time Eamonn stops by I'll ask him. Bet I could find a lot of discontented spirits in this place.”

Ally moved away from Brian to stand beside her great-aunt. “Why do we only hear about discontented spirits, Katy? Some laughter and cheeriness would sure brighten up this place.”

Katy shrugged. “You'd be discontented too if you had to stick around this old ruin. Can't be much fun on a cold dark night. Guess the only ones who stay are the ones who died violent deaths and have to settle some issues before moving on.”

Brian thought about that. “I suppose spirits keep on reliving traumatic events. The question is, why would they want to?”

“If it were me, I'd want to do it until I got it right, until it came out the way it should've come out in the first place.” Ally's grin was wry. “Forget I just said that. I've never come close to seeing a ghost and probably never will. But I've got to
hand it to your keep, Brian. If I were going to believe in spirits, I'd believe in them here.”