Chapter 16
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
JACE
It’s just that, when I’m with you, I forget about everything else. You make me feel like myself again.
K.A. Tucker, Running Wild
F rom the moment perfect Polly Alberton came into my life, I knew I was in trouble. With each meeting, she kept layering wit and sweetness and humility into the body of a bombshell. I didn’t think it could get any worse than yesterday, when she’d put her hand on my stomach, nearly causing me to get bricked up in my clown costume. But when she came to the door this afternoon in that tight black T-shirt, her tits pointing toward me like the green flag of a goddamn NASCAR race, I had to think about accidentally walking in on my father in the shower so that Captain J didn’t salute at full attention.
At least Polly seemed completely unaware of the effect she had on me. When she lost her balance on the way out of the kitchen and I caught her, finally having her supple skin underneath my hands . . . I didn’t want to let her go.
After leaving her parents’ room, Polly took me on a tour upstairs. All afternoon she’d been giving me guarded looks, nervous energy radiating from her, giving me unnecessary warnings like I wasn’t already committed before I walked through her front door.
“This is my room.” Polly pointed to a doorway on the right, just at the top of the stairs. “Ryla and Max’s rooms are on the other side,” Polly pointed to the two doors across the hall from hers, “and a Jack and Jill bathroom connects them.”
“This is the playroom.” Polly opened a door further down the hallway revealing a room with three large windows on the far side, with shelves of toys along two walls. Max was sitting on the floor in the far corner of the room reading a book on top of layers of blankets with piles of pillows around him. Gauzy curtains hung above him, and fairy lights were strung along rounded edges of the curtains, giving the space a cozy feel.
“We made a reading nook over there,” Polly said, pointing toward Max. “Hey Max, Jace is here. We’re doing a tour.”
We walked a few steps into the room as Max sat up, eyes glancing between me and his momma, then back down to his book.
“This is one heck of a reading nook.” I stopped at least ten feet away from Max. “Whatcha readin’?”
“ Wings of Fire ,” Polly answered for Max, coming up beside me. “He’s almost to the fifth book in the series and finished up a graphic novel version recently. Isn’t that right Max?”
Ryla suddenly burst between Polly and I, the tantrum from downstairs clearly forgotten.
“I can make the lights change color!” Ryla plopped down next to Max, grabbing a small black remote to demonstrate the color-changing options of the fairy lights. After oohing and aahing over the lights, I shuffled closer to the reading nook and crouched down on the balls of my feet.
“ Wings of Fire sounds pretty cool. You’ll have to tell me about it,” I said to Max, then looked over at Ryla. “What do you like to read?”
“I want to start Harry Potter, but she, ” Ryla pointed derisively at Polly, “won’t let me start it until I’m seven.”
I heard Polly sigh, obviously trying to approach Ryla with patience, but the strain was evident in her voice. “It’s too scary, Ryla. I already told you. Your brother was scared of that book when he was your age. I don’t think it’s a good idea right now. I’m so proud of how well you’re reading, but just because you’re able to read something, doesn’t mean you’re ready.”
Ryla crossed her arms, put out. It seems put out might be her default state.
“Hey, little miss. Your momma has your best interest at heart. Those books were scary even when I read ’em for the first time and I was older than Max was now, so how about we give her some slack. There’s plenty of books out there to read and we have a pretty cool library in town. My momma is friends with one of the librarians. I’m sure she’d be able to find some books for you.”
Ryla looked slightly less miffed at my suggestion. I pointed over at the dollhouse in the corner which I assumed was hers. “I’ve never seen a dollhouse like that. Want to show it to me?”
Those were definitely the magic words. Eyes brightening, Ryla popped up. “That’s my dollhouse! It used to be mom’s, but now it’s mine. Want to see the toilet?”
I kept a straight face. “Absolutely.”
Ryla proceeded to show me a three-inch-tall porcelain toilet that made a real flushing noise when you pushed the tiny handle.
“Can I try it?” I asked.
“Only if you’re careful, it’s vintage .” Ryla whispered that last part. A small snort from behind me had me betting it was Polly who’d given her daughter the same instructions in the past.
My attention snagged on an open toy bin next to the dollhouse that had a feather boa looped over the edge.
“What’s in there?” No sooner had I asked, than Ryla was up and heading to the chest, grabbing the boa and what looked like a pirate hat and a foam sword.
“Wanna play dress-up with me?”
I tapped my chin, making it seem like I was hesitating when really, this was right up my alley.
“I’ll play on two conditions: I get to be a pirate, and Max has to play, too.”
* * *
Fifteen minutes later, I was on my knees, palms up, begging for my life as Ryla the Terrible held a foam sword to my throat. My first mate, Max, stood begrudgingly at my side as Polly straightened up the room, watching us out of the corner of her eye with a smile.
“If you please, sir, I am but a lowly pirate, sailing the seven seas since me birth. Have mercy!” I pleaded in my best pirate accent. “At least save my pet snake, Slither-me-Timbers is innocent!” I added, stroking the feather boa looped around my neck.
Ryla narrowed her eyes as she looked down the sight of her sword. “Quiet! Or you walk the plank!”
I was ten shades of impressed at her acting prowess. Sienna and Rae were going to get a huge kick out of her.
“What in the world is that?” I pointed behind Ryla, who, being six, fell for the oldest trick in the book. After looking behind her, I popped to my feet and retrieved the foam sword I’d “dropped” on the floor earlier.
“Ah-ha!” I cried, swiping the sword left and right as Ryla whipped her head back to me, her expression filling with outrage. We weaved around each other, Max jumping out of the way as our foam blades bopped against each other. In a solid move, my swashbuckling opponent feigned left, making me weave right just as she stabbed me through the chest (or in this case, my armpit) screaming, “Die, pirate scum!”
I heard a choked gasp from the reading nook, but I didn’t look over to Polly. I was giving it my all, clutching at the boa around my neck, making choking and gasping noises as I fell to the floor.
“Avenge me!” I cried out to Max, who, if I didn’t know any better, was fighting a smile.
My head and arms went slack, and I closed my eyes. After a few seconds, I felt a light kick to my foot. I snapped my eyes open. “Hey, no fair! Kickin’ a man when they’re down!” I teased, making Ryla and Max erupt into giggles.
After I got up, Ryla, Max, and I were greeted by clapping from our audience of one, who bestowed us with one of her real smiles.
We all took turns giving a bow. After bringing my hat to my chest and bending over low, I snuck a glance at the still cheering Polly. She wasn’t looking at me like I was a kid. Like I was some aimless, career-less guy, good for a fun time, not a long time.
She was looking at me like I was good enough, just being myself.