Pawliday Love

2. Damsel

CHAPTER TWO

DAMSEL

RICK

R ick had nearly forgotten what the hell his father had sent him up there for after taking one look at Thalia Martina.

His father was a pretty fit seventy-four, in great shape from his daily walks and weight training. But when the new tenant had called about the parrot, suddenly Pops was crooked legged and hump-backed, wincing with his hand to his lower back and saying Rick had to go take care of the escaped bird. Without another word, he’d put the dog carrier in Rick’s hand and shuffled off, disappearing into his studio.

Of all the six pets in his dad’s menagerie, Big Daddy Crane was the biggest pain in Rick’s ass. Bill spoke to him like he was his buddy, curse words and all, and gave him entirely too much freedom.

“Goddammit,” Rick grumbled to himself and climbed the stairs.

He’d been home for a day and had already heard rave remarks about the new single mom tenant and her cute little girl. Thalia was a painter, like Bill, and a librarian and taught art classes and supposedly baked like a rockstar. Bill blabbed so much about her Rick was starting to worry his dad might be in love with the woman, all set to embark on some disastrous fling with someone way too young for him. Lonely men sometimes did desperate things.

Now he swore to himself because if his dad was in love with her, Rick couldn’t blame him. It would be too fucking easy to fall for this curvy, tawny blue-haired goddess with the sweetest Cupid’s bow of a mouth.

Staring down into Thalia’s beautiful dark eyes, tilted up at their corners, the desire to know what that mouth would taste like, what she’d taste like, rose sharp and surprisingly strong. Lamplight illuminated her, enough to see a warm crimson flush under that beautiful complexion. She seemed nervous.

“You’re the one who lives in Oklahoma.”

“Yeah. I just flew in from Tulsa last night.”

Rick paused while she nodded, smiling at him. Damn, that smile was pretty. He tried really fucking hard not to follow the path from those plump lips down the line of her throat to the pulse point. Tried and failed. Helpless, his gaze dropped lower to the V in her Metallica T-shirt under her bulky, open cardigan sweater. He had no idea what her ass looked like, as her lower half was hidden under a fuzzy red wool ankle-length skirt. She looked like the hottest reindeer herding metalhead this side of the Arctic.

She had a nose ring and rows of piercings along the curves of her ears. Fascinated by her offbeat clothing choices and dazzled by the bling, he only snapped out of the haze when she grinned at him.

“Your dad’s been really excited about you coming home for Christmas,” she said.

“Yes, for Christmas and New Year’s.”

Despite expecting her daughter to pop up any second, Rick couldn’t stop staring at her. Her glowing skin was unlined. Pops had said he thought she was about forty, which would make her the same age as him.

“What about you? Is your family in New York?” he asked.

“Yes. Well most of them, between New York and Curacao.”

“Do you need me to tell you how to get him?” A child’s voice piped up from the hallway, thankfully breaking Rick out of his bizarre new fixation on a total stranger and her life.

That must be the daughter Ixchel. Either her father was Mexican, or her beautiful Caribbean American mother had a thing for Mayan goddesses.

“Thank you, Ixi, we’re figuring it out,” Thalia called. She leaned closer and flooded him instantly with the sweetest scent, like she was made of pure sugar and vanilla. A tooth ache wasn’t looking so bad right about then. She whispered, “My daughter, Ixchel. She’s nine. Lucky for us, she knows everything.”

Thalia grinned with an eye roll and his heart took another direct hit. She pointed to one of the tall windows at the end of the living room. “The fire escape is over there.”

“I know,” he said. “This was my place for about a year.”

Almost relieved to be back on mission, Rick crossed the small yet high-ceilinged living room. It was full of colorful furniture that had seen better days but had a cozy vibe that he found welcoming. And like his parent’s part of the house, full of his dad’s paintings and sculptures and his mom’s handwoven baskets, there were paintings and sketches everywhere. Thalia was good.

There was a Christmas tree near the working fireplace, which looked like it hadn’t seen a fire since before she moved in. The tree was moderate sized and there were already open presents underneath: a scattering of dolls, craft kits, a scooter and stacks of books and clothes.

“Does Santa always come so early?” he asked, gesturing to the opened gifts.

“Typically, no. My daughter’s spending Christmas with her dad and his family in New Mexico. I wanted us to have our own celebration here first. She leaves tomorrow.”

Thalia smiled but there was a sadness to her eyes now. Rick knew what it felt like to be separated from a child during the holidays.

“Where will you spend Christmas?”

She folded her arms with a wry expression. “Here in New York. Everybody including my parents are spending the holidays down in Curacao with my grandparents.”

“Why aren’t you going?”

Thalia shrugged. “Couldn’t swing it. But it’s cool. I’ve got a bucket list of Single Mom in the City stuff I plan on doing the rest of the week. Somebody’s gotta get wasted on coquito and too much chocolate. I might even fire up that thing for the first time.” She pointed at the fireplace.

Damn, that sounded lonely. A sudden swell of empathy almost made him reach out to pull her into his arms and comfort her. Maybe kiss that soft sadness away, lay her down on a rug in front of that fire and stroke her until she was naked and ready in his arms.

Before he could do something stupid like ask her to spend Christmas with him, he turned back to the job at hand.

“Coquito and chocolate, huh?” he said with a tight laugh. “What else you got on that list?”

“I’ve got a few good ideas,” she said coyly.

Fuck, what could they be?

Bending down, he looked through the window and the Christmas lights. Sure enough, the big turquoise parrot was there, giving him major side eye.

“This dude.” He sighed, hauling the carrier up to the window and swinging the door open. “Alright Crane, it’s me and you.”

Rick opened the window and slowly set the carrier onto the grating. The parrot ruffled his feathers and stared at him. Rick stepped onto the fire escape, grimacing as he tested its capacity to hold his weight. In response to the intrusion into his space, the parrot began shuffling from foot to foot as if preparing for flight or fight.

“Not today. Settle down, take it easy,” Rick told him, holding up his hands.

Suddenly an adorable face appeared in the window. In the backyard lighting, he could discern her features. Rick guessed she took after her father more than Thalia.

That mystery guy had fucked up big time letting these two go.

“Hey, mister,” Ixchel said. “If you want him to get into the cage, you should give him some apples. Birds like apples.”

“Unfortunately, I don’t have any apples on me,” Rick said, lifting his palms. His eyes swung back to the parrot, who was shuffling faster.

“Then hold out your arm. Parrots like being on people’s arms,” she instructed.

Big Daddy turned his head toward her with a look of indignation, then back at Rick as if saying, “ Fuck you and your arm! ”

Rick took that opportunity to lean forward and grasp the bird by the body. The screech Big Daddy let out was so fucking loud, Ixchel screamed and disappeared. The parrot opened his wings to their full span and squawked in his face, “BAD!”

Rick heard laughter in the living room. “Got it under control, son?” Bill called, his voice breaking.

“Yeah, I’m managing it,” Rick panted, struggling to get the birds wings closed. Then he placed the resistant bird in the carrier and shut the door while he screeched. He went back through the window, pulling the carrier in after him.

“Fuck you!” the parrot screamed at him. “Son of a bitch! BAD! ”

Thalia and Bill were laughing so hard they could barely stand up straight. Rick glared at them at first, then slowly, the ridiculousness of the situation overcame the short adrenaline rush, and he gave in to laughter. Ixchel ran to the carrier and peered through the grate until the parrot screeched and she jumped back. The skinny little girl covered her mouth with her hands, her dark eyes shining as Big Daddy let loose.

“You did it. Our savior!” Thalia exclaimed, wringing her hands dramatically.

Looking at her, and at her daughter who was beaming at him, Rick couldn’t help the pleasure that burst through him at the idea of being their hero, even for something as minor as getting a bird off their fire escape. He wanted to be the one they called on if they needed anything, now or ever.

Wait, nope. He wasn’t going to let himself get drawn into their cozy, colorful world. He wasn’t that guy anymore. Never would allow himself to be that guy again.

As if to remind him of that reality, Ixchel suddenly said, “I’ve seen your picture. You’re Chase’s daddy. Is he downstairs?”

It was a kick in the gut. Rick tried hard to keep the smile on his face. “No, Chase is home with his mom.”

“That’s too bad you couldn’t bring him,” Thalia murmured.

Rick didn’t reply. It was easy to read the sympathy that softened her face. That touched him. Bill jumped in, glancing at him and then the carrier.

“Good job with Big Daddy. He’s a tough one,” Bill told him, patting him on the shoulder. His hip and his back seemed perfectly fine, and he was grinning a little too hard. “Thalia’s gonna pay you back with some treats when she comes down to have Christmas dinner with us.”

How could that news be both exciting and alarming to hear?

“Christmas dinner?” Thalia said with big eyes. “I was just gonna drop off dessert. You don’t have to —”

“See you then,” Bill said, waving her off. He squeezed Ixchel on the shoulder before he turned to go. “You have a good Christmas with your grandma, sweetheart. Can’t wait to hear all about it when you get back.”

Rick glanced at Thalia before he left, the carrier in hand. “Well. If Pops says you’re coming, there’s no saying ‘no.’ See you at dinner.”

“Thank you, again,” she said, looking up at him with those big eyes. Her lashes were so long. It was all he could do not to reach out and run his fingertip across the soft spikes.

“You’re welcome. Good night.”

He was relieved when her door closed behind him. Lumbering down the stairs, Rick took Big Daddy inside Pop’s and installed him in the room reserved for the Pet Clan. Fantasies of going back up to Thalia’s in the middle of the night dressed like Santa and offering her a ride on his lap played in full color in his dazed head.

“ BAD! ” the parrot screamed at him.

Big Daddy was right. Getting involved with the sexy single mom on any level, physical or otherwise, was a terrible idea. He had to figure out his life before he got wrapped up in someone else’s. Also, Ixchel’s father was in the picture. Most likely still in Thalia’s bed.

But for the rest of the night, during dinner and TV with Bill, his mind kept being pulled upstairs to the woman above. Sliding into bed, all he could picture was Thalia Martina waiting for him in it wearing nothing but a big, red bow and that fucking teasing smile like his best present ever.

It was a long night.