Night Games by Nina Bangs Page B

laugh. He wanted to touch her, but he didn’t. A milestone in his life. It was the first time he’d ever wanted to touch a woman and hadn’t.
    Ally drew a deep, steadying breath. “I guess I’ve found out something not so admirable about myself.I value my writing career more than my integrity.”
    Brian couldn’t let that go by. He shook his head. “Not true. You simply realize your limitations and are consulting an expert. The audience you’re appealing to will expect wild and sexy. Can you deliver wild and sexy?”
    Her smile returned. “Wild and sexy isn’t in my experience bank. How about logical and informed?”
    â€œWon’t sell books, babe.”
    She nodded. “That’s what I thought. Anyway, the up side of this is you’re the perfect consultant. You know your subject, and you won’t be around later to write a tell-all book about me. Oh, and you don’t want sex or money in return. All in all, you’re the perfect one-night stand.”
    Her intense stare told him she’d just defined the parameters of their relationship. No sex.
    Brian glanced at the Old One, still nestled in Ally’s arms. “What do you think, Boss?”
    The Old One’s eyes gave nothing away. She was evidently opting for a wait-and-see approach.
    â€œYou have a deal.” His common sense groaned at the complete idiocy of those words.
    Ally visibly relaxed. “So what about the wagon?”
    Brian reached into his pocket and pulled out the Constructor. Closing his eyes, he visualized the outside of the wagon. Then he thought about the interior. Hmm. He remembered seeingthe interior of an ancient building through a Virtual Viewer a few years ago. It had fascinated him.
    Brian smiled. He hadn’t promised to restore the wagon to its exact pre-accident state. Ally needed some fun in her life. Not take everything so seriously. He could probably use a laugh, too. After he saw Ally’s reaction, he could change the wagon back to its original interior.
    Opening his eyes, he punched in the appropriate code. The ground shook, the wagon shimmered, changed, and Ally whispered a particularly interesting oath he hadn’t run across when he was learning the slang for this time period. He’d have to ask her to repeat it later.
    Ally’s face paled, and Brian realized how hard it was for her to face the physical proof of who he was. She could write off what he’d told her as the babbling of an idiot, but she couldn’t explain away what the Constructor did.
    Ally slid her fingers over the wagon’s side, a side without a mark where a moment before it had been scraped and dented. Her fingers shook as Katy reappeared around the side of the wagon. “If the horse had spooked, or you hadn’t steered away from the cliff, Katy, we probably wouldn’t be here. The driver didn’t even stop to see if we needed help.”
    Katy ignored her. She was staring transfixed at the wagon. For the first time since Brian had met her, Ally’s great-aunt was speechless.
    Katy moved closer to the wagon, but didn’t reach out to touch it. “Godalmighty, what thehell did you do to that wagon?” She turned her astonished gaze toward the Constructor, then slowly raised her eyes to Brian’s face. “I came to Ireland to see ordinary stuff like ghosts, leprechauns, or the pooka. Not weird stuff like this. This I’d expect in California. How’d you do it, and what’s that thing in your hand?”
    Brian frowned. Had he scared her? She was old, and he hadn’t thought ahead to what the shock could do to someone Katy’s age. “Sorry if I frightened you.”
    Ally intervened. She put her arm around her great-aunt’s waist and steered her away from the wagon. “I’ll explain everything.” Her comment seemed as much for Brian as it was for Katy.
    Brian walked to the horse’s head and absently