Bad Girls Don't (12 page)

“Yeah, I got that.”

“I really don’t know why you two got off on such bad footing. Might have had something to do with your handcuffing her and hauling her off to jail.”

“I didn’t haul her and she wasn’t in jail. She was here in my office.”

“Skye has a thing against authority figures.”

“Yeah, I got that, too.”

“I’m sorry that my irritating nephew created a problem. I can assure you that there is nothing the least bit shady about my giving Skye that ticket.”

“Not many people would hand over a million dollars to someone.”

Owen shrugged. “I have more money than I need. She doesn’t. But she has a dream.”

“To buy the Tivoli Theater.”

“She told you?” Owen was clearly surprised.

“Yeah, she mentioned it.”

“Skye isn’t one to share her dreams.”

“She’s not exactly the shy sort.”

“True, but still . . . When did she tell you about the theater?”

“I bumped into her on the street the other night,” Nathan admitted. “It must have been shortly after you gave her the ticket. She seemed pretty excited. She was dancing down the sidewalk.”

Owen smiled. “Sister Mary says Skye creates a joyful noise wherever she goes.”

“Must be caused by those bells on her belly-dancing costume,” Nathan noted.

“Was she wearing that when you bumped into her?”

“No.”

“Then her costume didn’t cause the joyful noise. It’s her. Skye is something special. I wish you could see that.”

Nathan could see that. But that didn’t mean he liked it.

 

 

“I’ve gathered you all here today to share some good news.” Skye looked out at the expectant faces of her friends—Sue Ellen, Lulu, Sister Mary, Nancy, and Algee. They were all gathered in her living room. “You may have heard some rumors—”

“I didn’t believe them,” Sue Ellen stated vehemently.

“They’re true,” Skye said.

“You seduced Owen?” Sue Ellen’s lipstick-laden lips curled in an
eeeyuw
expression.

“No, that part isn’t true,” Skye said quickly. “The part about the million-dollar winning lottery ticket is true.”

“And you had us come here because you’re going to share your winnings with us?” Lulu looked hopeful.

“No. I’m going to buy the Tivoli Theater and reopen it,” Skye announced.

The room was totally silent.

“Back up a minute,” Nancy said. “How did you get a million-dollar lottery ticket? I didn’t know you gambled.”

“I don’t,” Skye admitted. “But you know how Owen loves the lottery. So I got him a couple of instant-winner cards. As a thank-you for him paying off my traffic tickets.”

Nancy frowned. Clearly, this was news to her. “He paid off your tickets?”

“Yes. But I’m going to pay him back from my winnings,” Skye quickly assured her.

“So, when you found it was an instant winner, you took the lottery ticket back?”

“He gave it back to me,” Skye explained.

“Yeah.” Nancy nodded. “That’s what Owen said earlier today.”

“You mean, you already knew I’d won?”

Everyone nodded.

“Then why didn’t any of you say anything before this?”

Sister Mary shrugged. “You said you had something important to tell us. We all figured we’d let you say whatever that was.”

Sue Ellen stood and placed her hands on her hips. “I can’t believe you didn’t say anything before this.”

“It only happened two nights ago.”

“What if I’d been hit by a bus, huh? What then?” Sue Ellen paused a moment to milk the most drama. “I’d have died not knowing you’d won a million dollars.”

Algee spoke for the first time. “Did you say you were buying the Tivoli Theater?”

Skye nodded. “That’s right. I sealed the deal this morning with the realtor. Well, once I get the lottery money, the deal will be sealed.”

“Sealed the deal?” Sue Ellen placed the back of her hand on Skye’s forehead. “Are you running a fever? This doesn’t sound like you at all.”

Skye laughed. “I’m fine.”

“What are you going to do about the rumors that Milton is spreading around town?” Lulu asked. “Want me to TP the front of his tax accounting office with a few rolls of Charmin?”

“I could have a word with him,” Algee offered, flexing his impressive biceps. “Put the fear of God into him.”

“That’s something I’m good at as well,” Sister Mary said. “Maybe it would be better if I spoke to him.”

“He’s a born-again evangelical Baptist,” Nancy said. “He’s not going to listen to a nun. I know some guys. They used to run a chop shop. Not that I get auto parts from them, but . . . I could ask them to have a word with Milton.”

Sister Mary gave her younger sibling a disapproving look. “Mobsters are not the answer.”

Nancy looked defensive. “Yeah, that’s what you told me when I hooked up with Anthony in Vegas.”

“And I was right.”

“I don’t care what Milton says,” Skye stated.

“Is that another bad-girl trait?” Nancy asked.

“Yeah.”

“Are you still going to give your belly-dancing lessons?” Nancy said.

Skye was surprised by the question. “Of course. I’m going to honor all my obligations.”

“That doesn’t sound very bad-girl to me,” Lulu said.

“Frankly, I need the money,” Skye replied. “I won’t get the lottery payout for a few weeks yet.”

“Oh.” Lulu nodded. “I guess that makes sense. Besides, the football team is counting on you, especially Brad the kicker. Their season begins soon.”

“The other day you said you didn’t care about any of that.”

Lulu shrugged. “I was just stating a fact. Don’t make a big deal out of it.”

“Winning a million dollars is a big deal,” Sue Ellen said.

“So is buying a theater,” Sister Mary said.

“Thanks for not telling me I’m out of my mind.”

“Would it make any difference to tell you that?” Sister Mary asked.

“No,” Skye admitted.

Sister Mary smiled, one of those saintly nun smiles she was so good at. “Then what’s the point?”

Skye felt a twinge of guilt. Okay, more than a twinge. “If I were a better person, I’d have donated the money to the Sisters of the Poor.”

Sister Mary patted her arm reassuringly. “Owen has been more than generous toward our charitable endeavors.”

“I told him he should have donated the money to you instead of giving it to me.” The words were out before Skye could stop them.

Lulu shook her head at Skye. “That really doesn’t sound very bad-girl at all. Keep talking like that, and your reputation will be totally ruined.”

“Milton is doing his best to ruin my reputation already. He sent the sheriff over here last night to interrogate me.”

“The sheriff? Did he bring handcuffs?” Sue Ellen had an eager light in her blue eyes. “Or a whip?”

Skye cracked up. “No, he did not.”

“Not that I’d know anything about either of those two things,” Sue Ellen hastily assured Sister Mary. “Or where to order them on the Internet.”

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. Sister Mary leaned over and opened it. “Ah, Nate. Come on in. We were just talking about you.”

Chapter Seven

“
Why
do I have the impression that you weren’t singing my praises?” Nathan said as he cautiously entered the room.

“Maybe because you’re paranoid?” Skye suggested.

“Just because he’s paranoid, that doesn’t mean that people aren’t still talking about him,” Lulu said. “I have the T-shirt. Oh, wait, I traded it for this one.” She pointed to her chest.
Don’t talk to me when I’m talking to myself
.

“So, to what do we owe the honor of your visit, Nate?” Sister Mary asked.

At that point, Toni ran into the room with her favorite toy in hand—Ta, the orange tiger Angel had recently crocheted for her. She stopped in her tracks when she saw Nathan. “It’s the mean man! I thought you said he’d turn into a toad, Mommy. He bites,” the little girl told the room at large. “He told me so.”

As Skye watched Nathan’s face turn red, she almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

“Maybe I should come back later,” he muttered.

“Why? There’s nothing you can’t say in front of my friends. Have you come here to continue your interrogation?” Skye demanded.

“You didn’t by any chance bring handcuffs with you, did you?” Sue Ellen asked hopefully.

“Or a whip?” Lulu said.

Nathan’s eyes shot to Sister Mary, who waved away his visible concern. “Don’t worry about me.”

“He
is
carrying a big gun,” Nancy noted with a grin.

“Come on, give the guy a break, would you?” Algee came to Nathan’s defense. “Maybe we should all clear out and let him speak to Skye privately. Who knows, maybe he came to apologize to her for mistakenly believing a word that tacky accountant said about her.” Algee’s inflection clearly indicated that an apology was definitely in order and would be a very good idea. Hint, hint.

Skye was actually impressed with how quickly Algee cleared the room. He offered to take Toni down to the comic-book store with him, but the little girl steadfastly refused to leave her mother’s side. Skye’s miniprotector eyed Nathan suspiciously.

“So, did you come to apologize, Nathan?” Skye asked.

“In a manner of speaking.”

“And what manner might that be?”

“I may have been a little rough on you last night.”

“You think?”

“You didn’t help matters any.”

“Not a direction you want to take if you want this apology to fly,” she warned.

Toni’s eyes widened. “Does he fly? Like those mean monkeys in
The Wizard of Oz
?”

“No, he can’t fly,” Skye reassured her.

“I brought something,” he stated gruffly.

“Not handcuffs or a whip?”

“No. It’s something for the kid. I didn’t mean to scare her.” His voice got even gruffer.

“You can speak directly to her. She’s right here.”

Skye saw him swallow, and a wave of emotion suddenly hit her. The raw emotion was coming from the uptight lawman. Toni wasn’t the one scared. Nathan was.

But why? What did this mean? Did it have something to do with his wife? Did they have a kid of their own? Maybe she should have paid more attention when people had tried to tell her about him.

Nathan surprised her by squatting so that he was eye-level with Toni. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m sorry.”

Toni’s eyes darted up to her mother for direction before taking matters into her own little hands. “Do you promise not to be mean again?” she said sternly.

Nathan nodded. “I’ll do my best.”

“Okay.” Toni patted his cheek. “You’re okay now. Just don’t be mean again or my mommy will really have to turn you into a toad.”

Skye saw his Adam’s apple bobble as he rose to his feet. “Here.” He shoved a wrapped package into her arms before quickly exiting.

So much pain, so tightly bound inside one man.

“What’s in the package, Mommy?”

“I don’t know. I guess we’ll have to unwrap it to see.” As Skye tore off the paper, it occurred to her that she might have to unwrap Nathan’s defenses in order to see the man inside.

“Show me, show me!” Toni jumped up and down with excitement.

It was a book.
Kitten’s First Full Moon
, about a kitten who thought the moon was a bowl of milk, with wonderful black-and-white illustrations.

Maybe there was more to the guy than met the eye. Not that what met the eye wasn’t mighty fine. That big gun and all.

Later that afternoon, Angel stared down at the tarot cards spread out on the 1950s-style Formica kitchen table in Skye’s apartment. “These seem to indicate that you may be in for a rough patch coming up. With some danger.”

“I’m in danger of smacking that guy,” Skye said.

“What guy?”

“Nathan.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s starting to seem complicated, and you know how I am about that.”

“You’re a sucker for that.”

“Yeah, I know.” Skye bit into an organic Winesap apple she’d gotten from the local farmer’s market. “Why couldn’t he just stay a pain in the butt? Why did he have to get Toni an adorable kitten book?”

“He got her a book? When?”

“Earlier this afternoon. When he stopped by.”

“And that’s why you want to smack him?” Angel said. “Because you’re attracted to him?”

Skye nodded.

“Violence is never the answer to a problem. Although Adam made me want to smack him when we talked the other day,” Angel admitted.

“You talked to Adam? Why?”

“It was about Julia.”

“What about her?”

“He wants to meet up for dinner.”

“The capitalist pig is after you.”

“No, he’s not.”

“I thought I heard he’s separated from his wife.”

“I don’t care if he is.”

“Did you say you’d meet him?” Skye demanded.

Angel nodded sheepishly.

“What were you thinking? Never mind. I think Toni and I should go with you. That should keep his mind off sex with you.”

“Now you’re sounding like Tyler.”

“What does he think about this dinner idea?”

“I haven’t exactly told him yet.”

“Remember how much trouble you got into for lying before? About Julia’s biological father?”

“I know. I believe in leading an honest life. Really, I do. But sometimes . . .”

“Sometimes what?”

“It’s hard. And stressful.”

“That’s a sign that you should stay far away from Adam. I mean, you didn’t see the guy for thirty years.”

“I know.”

“Julia’s not even here, and still she’s able to make you miserable.”

“This isn’t Julia’s fault. I know you two girls have some issues . . .”