Emilie would necessarily know that yet. She probably couldn’t see past the layer of baby fat that gave her features a marked lack of definition. But there were some very good bones under there and they would eventually shape her face with the perfect symmetry that the human eye found so pleasing. “Emilie Reasoner, I think you are an actor. But try not to chew the scenery.” While Emilie was puzzling over what that meant, Thea got to her feet and brushed off her jeans. Raising her head, she greeted Mitch.
“Hi. They look wonderful. You’re feeding and grooming them beautifully.”
“Anthea!” Case darted around her. “We’re not dogs!”
As if on cue, Grant growled and began chasing his brother. “Aunt Thea! Aunt Thea!” He was not calling for Thea but taunting Case for his gap-toothed mispronunciation.
Mitch nodded to Thea. “You found us. It occurred to me that you never asked for directions so I assumed you knew where I lived.”
“Kathy showed me once.” More like a dozen times, but Thea had no wish to share that.
No one but Thea was wearing a jacket so Mitch started motioning the children toward the garage entrance with his free hand. “Inside. Now. Go.” Out of the corner of his eye he saw Thea trying to tamp her smile. “I’ve discovered that one-word commands are effective.”
“Yes.” She didn’t point out that the twins were not only still chasing each other, but that Emilie had joined them. “Try barking them next time.”
Mitch laughed, freeing himself from Gina. “Roundup time. Thea, this is Gina. Gina, Thea. If you go inside, I have a feeling they’ll follow.” He started after them. “Get along, little doggies!”
Thea smiled. Doggies. Dogies. Mitch thought he was pretty funny. She walked up to Gina and held out her hand. “Thea Wyndham. It’s very nice to meet you.”
“Regina Sommers. Reggie, really. No one calls me Gina but Mitch. It’s like a pet name.”
Meow, Thea thought. Mitch’s sex kitten had teeny-tiny claws.
Chapter 4
Thea picked up the game she bought that morning for the kids and followed Gina into the garage. Behind her she could hear one of the twins squealing because Mitch had scooped him up and was threatening to bounce him on his head. There wasn’t a lot of room in the garage to pass through. Thea secured the board game under her arm so she wouldn’t bump into paint cans or knock over the aluminum ladder. Mitch’s Indian motorcycle and a restored 1953 cherry red Chevy truck took up most of the floor space. There were also four bicycles, a wagon, garbage cans, enough wood to build an addition, and a workbench with every imaginable tool cluttering the top and not one hanging from the white pegboard on the wall behind it.
Stepping into the breezeway, Thea automatically removed her shoes when she saw the small pyramid of footwear just inside the door.
“You don’t have to do that,” Gina said. “It’s for the kids.”
“I don’t mind.” Thea pushed her Nikes into the base of the pyramid. The size tens they rubbed against certainly didn’t belong to the children, but she noticed Gina kept hers on. Thea searched her mind for an icebreaker and came up with “I was glad when Mitch said I could come out today.”
“I’ll take your jacket.” Gina held out her hand. “There’s room in the hall closet.” She kept on going, expecting Thea to follow. “Yeah, we were both happy that you wanted to spend time with the kids. Mitch and I haven’t had a moment to ourselves since ... well, since his friends died.” She opened the closet door and withdrew a wooden hanger. Gina recognized Thea’s short-waisted gray leather jacket as Hal-ston before she saw the label. It was exactly the sort of thing she wished she could wear and thought she didn’t have enough leg to carry it off. That was not a problem Thea Wyndham knew anything about. She was leg from the neck down. Gina considered scratching her eyes out on mere principle. “I suppose I
“Hi. They look wonderful. You’re feeding and grooming them beautifully.”
“Anthea!” Case darted around her. “We’re not dogs!”
As if on cue, Grant growled and began chasing his brother. “Aunt Thea! Aunt Thea!” He was not calling for Thea but taunting Case for his gap-toothed mispronunciation.
Mitch nodded to Thea. “You found us. It occurred to me that you never asked for directions so I assumed you knew where I lived.”
“Kathy showed me once.” More like a dozen times, but Thea had no wish to share that.
No one but Thea was wearing a jacket so Mitch started motioning the children toward the garage entrance with his free hand. “Inside. Now. Go.” Out of the corner of his eye he saw Thea trying to tamp her smile. “I’ve discovered that one-word commands are effective.”
“Yes.” She didn’t point out that the twins were not only still chasing each other, but that Emilie had joined them. “Try barking them next time.”
Mitch laughed, freeing himself from Gina. “Roundup time. Thea, this is Gina. Gina, Thea. If you go inside, I have a feeling they’ll follow.” He started after them. “Get along, little doggies!”
Thea smiled. Doggies. Dogies. Mitch thought he was pretty funny. She walked up to Gina and held out her hand. “Thea Wyndham. It’s very nice to meet you.”
“Regina Sommers. Reggie, really. No one calls me Gina but Mitch. It’s like a pet name.”
Meow, Thea thought. Mitch’s sex kitten had teeny-tiny claws.
Chapter 4
Thea picked up the game she bought that morning for the kids and followed Gina into the garage. Behind her she could hear one of the twins squealing because Mitch had scooped him up and was threatening to bounce him on his head. There wasn’t a lot of room in the garage to pass through. Thea secured the board game under her arm so she wouldn’t bump into paint cans or knock over the aluminum ladder. Mitch’s Indian motorcycle and a restored 1953 cherry red Chevy truck took up most of the floor space. There were also four bicycles, a wagon, garbage cans, enough wood to build an addition, and a workbench with every imaginable tool cluttering the top and not one hanging from the white pegboard on the wall behind it.
Stepping into the breezeway, Thea automatically removed her shoes when she saw the small pyramid of footwear just inside the door.
“You don’t have to do that,” Gina said. “It’s for the kids.”
“I don’t mind.” Thea pushed her Nikes into the base of the pyramid. The size tens they rubbed against certainly didn’t belong to the children, but she noticed Gina kept hers on. Thea searched her mind for an icebreaker and came up with “I was glad when Mitch said I could come out today.”
“I’ll take your jacket.” Gina held out her hand. “There’s room in the hall closet.” She kept on going, expecting Thea to follow. “Yeah, we were both happy that you wanted to spend time with the kids. Mitch and I haven’t had a moment to ourselves since ... well, since his friends died.” She opened the closet door and withdrew a wooden hanger. Gina recognized Thea’s short-waisted gray leather jacket as Hal-ston before she saw the label. It was exactly the sort of thing she wished she could wear and thought she didn’t have enough leg to carry it off. That was not a problem Thea Wyndham knew anything about. She was leg from the neck down. Gina considered scratching her eyes out on mere principle. “I suppose I
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