Patchwork Heaven by Jaime Samms

Author:Jaime Samms [Samms, Jaime]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2014-10-24T22:00:00+00:00

Fourteen

GREGOR CONSULTED his phone again. The address displayed was the one he’d parked his car in front of. Cade Welland, it seemed, was a resourceful man. His home wasn’t what Gregor had expected on a roadie’s salary. Even a well-paid roadie. The lawn was tidy, if a bit shaggy, with rosebushes lining the perimeter and beds along the walk with something pink tucked into the dark soil. The flowers looked newly planted and hopeful. The front door was painted a deep red, and the curtains inside the window were lacy.

Gregor knocked on the door and was about to step back to wait when it flew open and a young girl raced past his legs, followed by a white, curly-haired dog.

“Hey now!” Someone yelled good-naturedly from inside. “Pattie, you need sunscreen!” Cade stood inside, looking harried and disheveled.

Gregor had moved fast and managed to get hold of the dog, which stopped the girl in her tracks. “Billy!” she called, and clapped her hands.

Cade smiled at Gregor, took the dog with a harried “Thanks, man,” and called to the girl again. “Back inside, young lady,” he demanded. “Now.”

Pattie pouted, but did as she was told.

“Come on inside, Gregor.” Cade smiled again and tossed the dog gently onto the couch. “My sister’s kid,” Cade said, waving a hand in Pattie’s direction.

Gregor nodded and refused to acknowledge the pang of never having nieces and nephews of his own.

“She’s a handful.” Cade grinned. “Dare you to trade places. I’ll take the twins. You take her.” He closed the door behind Gregor and scooped the little girl up.

Gregor chuckled, piling a work-shaped block in that narrow opening punched in the wall between himself and Lauren’s memory. “I don’t know if I’d take that deal.”

“Tell you what,” Cade said, “I’d take hauling a thousand feet of cable over one afternoon with this holy terror.” He wiggled his fingers against his niece’s ribs, and she squealed in delight. “Have a seat,” he told Gregor. “I’ve got to find the sunscreen.” He tucked a hysterically giggling girl under one arm like a sack of potatoes and went to a bank of drawers under the counter.

Gregor took a seat in one of the kitchen chairs Cade waved at, and watched as Cade sifted through a drawer full of bottles and squeeze tubes. Eventually, he came up with the right tube and brought the squiggling child over. He sat her on the table, dropped into another chair, and held out his hand to Pattie. She plopped her hand, palm up, in his, and he squeezed some of the white cream out onto her pudgy palm.

“You know the drill, little lady,” he drawled.

She giggled and proceeded to smother her skin in the greasy cover. Cade turned from her to Gregor.

“Sorry, dude. What’s up?” He smiled, looked tired, then drew his shoulders up and squared himself. “This about the cops coming around asking a buttload of questions?”

Pattie sniggered and pointed at him. “You said ‘butt’! I’m telling Mom!”

Cade rolled his eyes. “Then I’ll tell her you ran out the door again.

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