ex-cop? You’re no longer in a position to arrest me,
are you?“
„Definitely not,“ he affirmed, relaxing again at the obvious humor in her. „And even if I were, at the moment I’m
clearly outside my jurisdiction.“
With that a new mood settled on the relationship and the day. Jessica was well aware of it. For the rest of the
afternoon she found herself quite content to spend her time with Lucas. They lazed by the pool until lunch, soaking up
the sun and talking idly of a variety of things, none of which included their adventure the previous week. The other
women in her dancing class had been right, Jessica was forced to admit with an inner smile, Lucas did like to discuss
his pet shop business.
The difference was that, unlike the other women, Jessica was astonished to discover that the subject didn’t bore
her at all. „What about snakes?“ she inquired curiously as she lay on her back, the huge white Scanlon towel beneath
her, eyes closed behind dark glasses.
„I tried one and I have a feeling I’m going to be stuck with him forever. His main appeal seems to be for small boys.
I must have sold that damn snake ten different times during the past six months!“
„Ten times!“ she exclaimed.
„I keep having to refund the money when the kid returns it,“ Lucas sighed.
„Ah, let me guess. Boy buys snake and takes it home. Mom sees snake. Kid returns snake the next day,“ Jessica
outlined wisely.
„Usually within a few hours. Poor Clarence doesn’t know whether he’s coming or going.“ Lucas levered himself
lazily up on one elbow to sip from his iced tea. „Maybe he’d be good marinated like that squid,“ he added thoughtfully
as he lay back down on his lounger.
„Clarence is the snake?“
„Yeah.“
„What does Clarence eat?“
There was silence from the next lounger for a moment. Then Lucas finally said dryly, „Snakes aren’t exactly
vegetarians, you know.“
„Oh, no!“ Jessica made a face behind her dark glasses. „Live food? You have to sacrifice cute little white mice?“
„I can usually locate a small kid to feed him for me. Kids seem to have a rather morbid scientific bent. And there’s
usually any number of them hanging around a pet shop.“
„Snakes?“
„Kids,“ he corrected with a chuckle.
Jessica drought about that, her eyes still closed. „You like kids, don’t you? You were terrific with Sharon and
Matt.“ It was the first reference she had made to the five days they had spent in the desert, and she wasn’t totally
surprised when again there was a pause from the lounger beside her.
Jessica turned her head to glance curiously at Lucas. He was lying on his back, his lean, tanned body stretched out
in the sun, and she shifted her gaze rather quickly at the sight of him clad only in sleek swim trunks. The image sent a
remembered and unwelcome shiver of desire through her own slender frame. Hastily she tried to bank the glowing
spark.
„I like kids,“ Lucas finally said, slowly.
She remembered the night he’d patiently pointed out the constellations in the desert sky to the children. „Kids and
pets,“ she chuckled wonderingly. „Anyone who likes kids and pets…“ She let the sentence trail off, astounded by
what she had been about to say.
„Can’t be all bad?“ he concluded hopefully. „What about you, Jessie? You were pretty good with the youngsters,
yourself. I had the feeling they accepted you in the role of surrogate mother during the five days.“
„And you as the surrogate father?“ she put in wryly.
„Yes,“ he said steadily. „When you and I, uh, hashed out our differences of opinion, poor Sharon was afraid it was
a repeat of the kind of arguments her parents had indulged in, wasn’t she?“
„Hashed out our differences of opinion!“ Jessica echoed mockingly. „That’s a euphemistic phrase if ever I heard
one!“
„Well, at least you can laugh about it now,“ Lucas shot back quietly. „That’s
are you?“
„Definitely not,“ he affirmed, relaxing again at the obvious humor in her. „And even if I were, at the moment I’m
clearly outside my jurisdiction.“
With that a new mood settled on the relationship and the day. Jessica was well aware of it. For the rest of the
afternoon she found herself quite content to spend her time with Lucas. They lazed by the pool until lunch, soaking up
the sun and talking idly of a variety of things, none of which included their adventure the previous week. The other
women in her dancing class had been right, Jessica was forced to admit with an inner smile, Lucas did like to discuss
his pet shop business.
The difference was that, unlike the other women, Jessica was astonished to discover that the subject didn’t bore
her at all. „What about snakes?“ she inquired curiously as she lay on her back, the huge white Scanlon towel beneath
her, eyes closed behind dark glasses.
„I tried one and I have a feeling I’m going to be stuck with him forever. His main appeal seems to be for small boys.
I must have sold that damn snake ten different times during the past six months!“
„Ten times!“ she exclaimed.
„I keep having to refund the money when the kid returns it,“ Lucas sighed.
„Ah, let me guess. Boy buys snake and takes it home. Mom sees snake. Kid returns snake the next day,“ Jessica
outlined wisely.
„Usually within a few hours. Poor Clarence doesn’t know whether he’s coming or going.“ Lucas levered himself
lazily up on one elbow to sip from his iced tea. „Maybe he’d be good marinated like that squid,“ he added thoughtfully
as he lay back down on his lounger.
„Clarence is the snake?“
„Yeah.“
„What does Clarence eat?“
There was silence from the next lounger for a moment. Then Lucas finally said dryly, „Snakes aren’t exactly
vegetarians, you know.“
„Oh, no!“ Jessica made a face behind her dark glasses. „Live food? You have to sacrifice cute little white mice?“
„I can usually locate a small kid to feed him for me. Kids seem to have a rather morbid scientific bent. And there’s
usually any number of them hanging around a pet shop.“
„Snakes?“
„Kids,“ he corrected with a chuckle.
Jessica drought about that, her eyes still closed. „You like kids, don’t you? You were terrific with Sharon and
Matt.“ It was the first reference she had made to the five days they had spent in the desert, and she wasn’t totally
surprised when again there was a pause from the lounger beside her.
Jessica turned her head to glance curiously at Lucas. He was lying on his back, his lean, tanned body stretched out
in the sun, and she shifted her gaze rather quickly at the sight of him clad only in sleek swim trunks. The image sent a
remembered and unwelcome shiver of desire through her own slender frame. Hastily she tried to bank the glowing
spark.
„I like kids,“ Lucas finally said, slowly.
She remembered the night he’d patiently pointed out the constellations in the desert sky to the children. „Kids and
pets,“ she chuckled wonderingly. „Anyone who likes kids and pets…“ She let the sentence trail off, astounded by
what she had been about to say.
„Can’t be all bad?“ he concluded hopefully. „What about you, Jessie? You were pretty good with the youngsters,
yourself. I had the feeling they accepted you in the role of surrogate mother during the five days.“
„And you as the surrogate father?“ she put in wryly.
„Yes,“ he said steadily. „When you and I, uh, hashed out our differences of opinion, poor Sharon was afraid it was
a repeat of the kind of arguments her parents had indulged in, wasn’t she?“
„Hashed out our differences of opinion!“ Jessica echoed mockingly. „That’s a euphemistic phrase if ever I heard
one!“
„Well, at least you can laugh about it now,“ Lucas shot back quietly. „That’s
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