Package Deal (22 page)

“I love junk food.” Lacy sounded insulted.

“I do, too, honey.” She winked at Steve and stood up. “But not three times a day. Are you
guys
hungry?”

Lacy and Steve nodded.

“Can I open my gift?” Lacy clutched Steve’s present in her arms.

“After we eat.” Kelly arched one eyebrow—a mother’s best asset.

“Okay.” Lacy laid the box on the coffee table and climbed off the couch, her disappointment obvious. “Steve’s nice, huh, Mom?”

“Yes, he is, so you better treat him extra special. Do you know what I mean?” Kelly shot Lacy a warning glance.

Lacy froze mid step. “What?” She looked up at her mom.

Kelly whispered, “No rat at the table tonight.”

Lacy pouted.

Steve leaned into Kelly. “You mean the rat eats with you two?”

“Occasionally. We’ll make an exception tonight for your sake.”

Steve considered her remark. “This is some personable rat!”

“Actually, he sits to one side and accepts handouts. He’s very well-mannered and cleaner than most humans. Lacy takes him in the bathtub with her every night.”

“You don’t have to defend the rat to me,” Steve assured her. “Although I’m slightly amazed
. I had a pet rat when I was a kid, and I loved the darn little guy, about as much as you two love Skunk. My mother, however, wasn’t nearly as understanding. It was one issue I could never sweet-talk her on. Buster was forced to spend his entire existence in my bedroom in a wire cage. Mom’s a
lot older now and a little mellower. She might take more kindly to Skunk than she did to Buster.”

Lacy hadn’t moved an inch since Kelly’s banishment of Skunk from the dinner table. Sensing the issue might be up for negotiation, she waited for the discussion to end.

“Lacy?” Kelly’s voice rose with irritation.

Lacy pulled her whiskered friend from her pocket.

Steve jerked with surprise, apparently unaware that the rat was lurking so close.

Lacy shot Steve a disappointed look and padded into her room to ground Skunk to his tank during dinner—a painful, parental act for such a small child.

Steve gave a chuckle of amusement. “God, now I feel like a rat! I can’t believe you two.”

 
Kelly laughed at him. “She’ll get over it.”

He pulled her into the kitchen. “I brought something for you.”

Kelly spotted the vase overflowing with
 
pink carnations. “Oh, Steve. They’re my favorite. Thank you. They’re beautiful.”

“You wouldn’t let me bring anything else. I did, however, bring a couple bottles of wine.”

“I have margaritas in the freezer, too.”
It could be an interesting evening.
“How are you at slicing a roast?”

“Not particularly talented, but adequate.”

“You’re hired. Can you start right away?”

After hearing the sordid details of the burned peas from Lacy, the three of them settled at the kitchen table, plates piled high with Lacy’s favorite meal—all but the sauerkraut. Steve opened a bottle of wine and poured two glasses, while Kelly—without hesitation—started eating, savoring every bite and making yummy sounds.

Steve and Lacy shared a glance.

He laughed. “If I’d known you were starving, I would have cooked you a meal a week ago.”

Kelly stopped eating and looked up. Steve and Lacy grinned at her. She laid her fork on the table and said, “Gee, I’m sorry. How rude of me, stuffing food in my mouth as if I hadn’t eaten in days.”

“Not a problem, but now I feel guilty,” Steve said with a grin. “Guess I should have catered some meals for you two instead of showing up with bagged breakfast food.”

Embarrassed, Kelly stopped eating. “Don’t apologize for anything, Steve. You saved us from starvation. I forgot my manners. I just couldn’t wait to taste something right off the stove. This past week has been a lot like camping. You know…the fast food and lawn chairs and the yearning to sleep in your own bed?”

“So how
was
your own bed?”

“Beyond all earthly description.” She thought he squirmed, no doubt his imagination running wild like hers, because he choked on his first bite of pork roast and reached for his water glass.

“I’ll bet it felt pretty good after two nights on a lawn chair. Maybe next time you’ll listen to me.”

“I doubt it.” She cut Lacy’s meat.

“Well then, you deserve every bruise you have. I should be insulted. That’s the first time a woman preferred a lawn chair to my bed. This is very bad for my ego.”

Kelly’s gaze flashed across the table to Lacy, and Steve’s hand flew to his mouth. “Sorry.” He eyed Lacy, who still wasn’t talking to either of them.

Kelly laughed and filled his wineglass. “I’d rather not hear the details of your previous conquests. Here, have some more wine. I’m sure it’ll soothe your ailing ego.”

By the time they’d finished eating, the drizzle outside had stopped. Kelly cleaned Lacy up and handed her over to Steve to entertain for a few minutes while she scraped and stacked dishes and stored leftovers in the fridge. Sounds of Lacy tearing the wrapping paper from her present reached the kitchen.

“Yay! Monopoly! Let’s play Monopoly.”

“Would you be interested in a boat ride instead? I thought you and your mom might enjoy some fresh air after being cooped up all day. The rain has stopped.”

“In a real boat?” Lacy asked in a small, awed voice.

“Sure, a real one. What other kind is there?” he teased.” Lacy giggled.

Kelly joined them in the living room. “What’s all this conspiring about?”

“Lacy and I are going for a boat ride. Would you like to joint us?”

In a hushed voice, Lacy said, “Steve says it’s a real boat, Mom.” Her eyes widened with excitement.

“I hope so if he’s offering us a ride in it. But it’s been raining all afternoon. Are you sure this is a good time to go boating?”

“It’s anybody’s guess,” Steve admitted, “but the sky has cleared and the stars should be spectacular. There’s no wind, so the water will be smooth.”

Kelly crossed the room to the front door and stepped outside. The air was crisp and clear following the rain, the night sky brilliant with flickering starlight.

Unable to conjure up further excuses, Kelly said, “Okay, I’m in.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

T
he decision was unanimous. With full stomachs, they left the pie for later, grabbed several blankets, the unfinished wine, several plastic cups, and juice boxes for Lacy, and drove to Steve’s house. Crossing the bridge to the mainland, they spotted a myriad of small boats afloat on the water. They weren’t the only Floridians venturing out after the daylong rains.

When they pulled into Steve’s drive, Lacy snuggled closer to Kelly. “It’s spooky.” She buried her head in Kelly’s lap.

The yard was a jungle, thick with natural vegetation, blocking the view from the road. Tall stately palms, thick palmettos, and low sprawling undergrowth filled the yard, interspersed with hibiscus and trailing vines— some flowering, others waiting until summer to bloom.

The house nestled beneath a small grove of ancient oaks on the back quarter of the deep lot, and from the yard, the intercoastal waterway was visible, churning toward the open sea at Ponce Inlet and the lighthouse, several miles to the south.

Steve took them on a quick tour of the house, led by Junker, who allowed Lacy to ride on his back. There was nothing pretentious or lavish about the house. Simple, but open and refreshing with pristine white walls, glossy tile floors, and French doors opening out onto the back porch. The very porch Steve once promised he’d sleep on if Kelly and Lacy agreed to occupy his room.

From the porch, the backyard opened up onto a landscaped pool area, beyond which stood the boathouse and private dock. Unlike the front yard’s wild natural landscaping, the back was groomed to perfection.

“Do you two mind if Junker goes along? He loves the boat and goes fishing with me all the time.”

“Yeah, let’s take Junker,” Lacy chimed, bouncing with enthusiasm. “Please Steve.”

“Kelly?” Steve arched one eyebrow.

“I wouldn’t dream of denying Junker his favorite pastime.”

Junker and Steve led Kelly and Lacy down to the boathouse. Steve pulled the canvas cover off, folded it, and pushed it aside. Holding Lacy’s hand, he steadied Kelly while she climbed in. He hoisted Lacy into Kelly’s waiting arms and grabbed the bag containing the wine and glasses, slipped the boat free of its mooring, and climbed in.

“Rule number one. Everyone wears one of these.” Steve opened a compartment and dug out two adult life vests. Kelly shrugged into hers while Steve fished for an extra small one for Lacy.

“What about Junker?” Lacy asked.

 
Steve tightened her vest. “He’s a better swimmer than all of us put together.”

Lacy settled in the seat with her mother and held tight to Junker, who planted himself between Steve and Kelly. Steve started up the engine, and they rocked out into the lazy current. Within seconds, they navigated the river, working their way toward the center of the waterway. Predictably, the air had cooled, and they soon wrapped up in the blankets.
Overhead a million stars imbued the heavens with shimmering light, and
as
the boat cut through the water, Steve pointed out the different constellations, stirring Kelly and Lacy with stories of space and ancient astronomical legends. Hypnotized, Lacy listened while Kelly grew more and more fascinated with Steve and the many facets of his personality.

By the time they reached the inlet, Lacy was passed out across her mother’s lap, and Steve and Kelly had emptied the bottle of wine. Steve navigated the small craft into the sleepy current and headed them north again, toward home. The wind picked up a bit and now, facing into the wind, Kelly sat hunched against the cold, her thinking a little fuzzy from all the wine.

Steve ordered Junker to the back of the boat and signaled Kelly to move closer to him. “Come here. Grab the stool and set it between the seats.”

She measured the toss of the current and, found her sea legs, lifted Lacy and sat down on the stool beside him.

Steve stroked Lacy’s hair then slipped his arm around her mother’s shoulders. “Cold?”

“A little.” Kelly lifted her eyes to his. “It’s really lovely though. I’m glad we came.”

“We’ll come back sometime when it’s daylight. Lacy would enjoy climbing the lighthouse.”

Both dropped their gaze to Lacy. She was sound asleep, well protected from the wind by a blanket and the closeness of their bodies.

“Deal. I’ll hold you to it. I love the water. Always have, and I want Lacy to feel the same way.”

Their eyes met again, and Steve’s hand slid up Kelly’s back, resting at the base of her neck. Her breathing slowed to a shallow pant of anticipation, and before she could utter a word, Steve lowered his mouth, covering hers in a soft kiss. His lips were cool and supple when they came together for a brief taste.

“I’d better pay attention, though I’d rather continue what we were just doing.” His eyes softened, lusty in the moonlight. “There are deep oyster beds lining the river banks, nasty, jagged shells, treacherous to small boats. Don’t want us to become a statistic tonight.”