Mistress of Magic (21 page)

So he had to hang on.

And while he was delving into files, he had come across Joseph’s picture.

Actually he had been going through some of Max’s files—with Max’s permission—when he had found the folder on the boy. It had intrigued him, so he had pulled it out. The picture had caught his heart right away—those big blue eyes and the look that he would defy the world. “Who’s this?” he’d asked Max.

“He was going to be my next special guest at the park.”

“And that means?” Wes prompted.

“Reggie and I do a lot with various foundations. For disabled children, children with life-threatening diseases and with orphans. That’s Joseph Brennan. He falls into the last category. It’s a sad story. He was supposed to have been adopted at birth, but the couple insisted on a girl. Can you imagine that? A beautiful baby like that—and they wouldn’t take him? Anyway, he wound up being shifted around, he went to a few foster homes, and suddenly he was past the age most couples want a child to be when they adopt. He lived with an elderly aunt for a few years, but then she became too ill to keep him. Anyway, the woman at the children’s shelter knows how Reggie and I feel about little ones like this, so she sent me the file. I was getting ready to bring it to Reggie when all this stuff broke and it didn’t seem to be the time for special guests.”

“Would you mind if I went to see him and maybe brought him over?”

“No. Of course not. I’d be delighted. It’s just that, with me under this cloud of suspicion, I didn’t know what else I might be accused of!”

“Would Reggie mind?”

Max looked at him sharply. “If you’re planning—”

“I’m planning on asking your sister to marry me,” Wes interrupted quickly, and was rewarded with a broad, relieved grin from his friend. “And I know how she feels about children, and that she can’t have her own—”

Max sighed. “No one told Reggie that she absolutely can’t have her own. What the doctor said was that she had a severely tilted uterus and that it might not be possible for her to conceive. And then she was with Caleb for years before the accident, always hoping …” He shrugged. “So it doesn’t look good.” Max straightened his shoulders. He was suddenly the older brother—by five minutes—determined to protect his sister. “Don’t marry her in hopes that things can change, Wes. It would hurt her worse—”

Wes tapped the picture. “Max, how the hell long have you known me? And after the way we both grew up, how can you question how I might feel toward adopted children?”

Max looked stunned. “You’re thinking of adopting this boy?”

“Of course not! It’s not that easy! I’m planning on picking him up. On bringing him to the park. On getting to know him. On introducing him to Reggie.”

Max had been standing. He plopped into the seat behind his desk. “You’re serious.”

Wes grinned. “Look at the puss on that kid, Max. Who does he remind you of?”

Max smiled suddenly. “Me at that age,” he said softly. He looked at Wes. “You?”

“Yep. Of course, we all have to get to know each other first. And I haven’t even formally asked Reggie to marry me. And she can be so damned stubborn.”

Max waved a hand in the air. Suddenly, it was all right for Wes to handle Reggie any way he wanted. “Drag her to the altar. I’ll help you.”

“Thanks!”

“There’s still this matter of Daphne,” Max said irritably.

“She’s terrified of someone,” Wes said, sitting on the edge of Max’s desk. “I can only pray that she really meets me—and that my hunch is right. You didn’t tell Reggie anything, did you?”

“No! I want her far from the action when it happens. Daphne swears she wasn’t trying to hurt Reggie. And she won’t say anything more until she’s convinced that she’s safe.”

“I just pray it’s over shortly.”

“Then I’ll tell Reggie everything.”

There was a lot Wes wanted to tell Reggie that he hadn’t told her yet. He wanted to make her see his past life so that she would believe in him, really believe in him. He didn’t want her refusing him the way she had refused Caleb. And he wanted her to believe that he’d be giving up nothing if he left San Francisco behind and moved here. He wasn’t an artist. He did know a hell of a lot about business management and security. Max was anxious for him to stay. He hoped that Reggie would feel the same.

She was just now appearing on the stage in the garish red dress and the black fishnet stockings. She was singing about the benefit of her evil ways in such a funny fashion that the audience was vibrant with laughter. Wes watched Joseph. The hardened little tyke had his eyes set hard on Reggie.

“That’s her?” he said to Wes.

“Yep. Reggie Delaney. She drew the first Dierdre Dinosaur and made a puppet out of her when she was just about your age. Don’t you think that’s fun?”

Joseph stared at Wes with his wide blue eyes. “Yeah, well, it’s all right. You’ve gotta understand, a lot of the guys my age think puppets are kind of sissy.” He smiled suddenly. “Except that everyone was impressed that I got to come here. The rides are awesome. And—” He hesitated a minute, looking at Reggie. “She’s really beautiful. Does she always dress like that?”

Wes cuffed Joseph lightly on the head.

Actually, the fishnet stockings and garish red made up one of his very favorite outfits for Reggie, one he thought of with great affection.

“Naw, it’s just a costume. You know that.”

Joseph grinned. He liked to lead grown-ups along, but it was in good fun. He had a tough armor, but there was a lot inside that was still soft and gentle. So far, he’d eaten hot dogs and ice cream with an amazing capacity, and right after, he’d gone on the worst of the dino-twisters without blinking when Wes had been praying that he wouldn’t throw up himself. Puppets might be sissy, but Joseph was having a heck of a good time with them anyway.

“Look, here she comes,” Wes said.

Reggie was on her way down the aisle. The boa was fluffing over various faces in the audience. She stopped and chatted here and there with a delightfully funny sleazy accent, then moved on.

Wes backed up behind the support beam and watched as she came across Joseph.

Yes, he did, he knew Reggie.

He watched as her elegant green eyes widened and softened. A slow smile curved her lips, and she ruffled his hair with her boa. “Well, now, this one here is a handsome one!” she called back to Bob. “Maybe we can get a ransom on him. What do you say, son? You gotta mind to ride off on a dinosaur into the sunset?”

Joseph was laughing, but he quickly assured Reggie, “You can’t get any ransom on me, Miss Patricia. There’s no one to pay it.”

Wes saw the emotion flick through her eyes. She knew instantly that the boy wasn’t lying. “Hmm!” she said, skipping only a beat. “Guess we’ll just have to keep this one, Bob!” She whirled around. “Well, there’s just gotta be some old—or young!—geezer out here to make some kind of a profit off!”

“You’re slipping, Patricia!” Bob called to her.

“Oh, do leave them all alone!” Alise said in a syrupy sweet young heroine’s voice. “Miss Patricia, you are supposed to be reforming Bob and yourself and going on to lead a good life.”

“Oh, I will, I will! Eventually!” Reggie promised. “It’s just such a big world. And so many men!”

She turned again.

She started to sit on Wes’s lap.

Then she saw his face, even as she landed warmly on his lap.

Wes began to smile.

But then, to his absolute amazement, Reggie hauled off and slapped him. Right across the face.

There was silence in the audience.

And silence on the stage.

Bob broke the silence. “I don’t think that’s the way to get money out of him, honey.”

Thankfully, the audience started to laugh then, convinced that Wes had to be part of the show. In the roar that followed Wes jerked her close to him. “What the hell was that for?”

But she was already up, turning away. “Some you kiss, and some you slap. You’ve just gotta keep ’em on their toes!” she announced, hurrying to the stage.

Bob stepped down. He was proposing to Reggie. They were going to lead a good life at last. The show was almost over.

Joseph looked at Wes politely. “Are you absolutely sure that she likes you?”

“Funny, kid, funny,” Wes murmured. He stroked his cheek. It stung.

“Does she always greet you like that?”

The show was over; the audience was filing out.

He shook his head. “No. You wait here for a minute. It will be all right. I’ll be right back, okay?”

“Sure. This is your ball game, mister,” Joseph said matter-of-factly.

“Don’t leave, all right?”

Joseph grinned. “Hey, I want to come back. The rides are fun, the food is great. And you’re all right.”

“Thanks,” Wes acknowledged.

He left Joseph sitting at the table and hurried around back. He was going to have to hope that Alise would forgive him bursting into the dressing room because that was exactly what he intended to do.

But he didn’t have to. Reggie was already on her way out. He hadn’t even gotten backstage before he ran right into her.

“Excuse me!” she told him icily. “I have things to do.”

She was going to try to walk right by him!

He caught her arm. Caught it firmly. “What the hell is this all about?” he demanded.

“I haven’t time to talk about it now.”

“Well, I have time now. All the time in the world.”

“Let go of me.”

“No.”

“I can scream—”

“Go right ahead. This is your park, remember?”

Her eyes flashed a wild, emerald fire. She was shaking with emotion.

But she wasn’t going to scream. She stood still, her jaw rock hard, twisted and set. “You tell me what’s going on. Mr. Blake, are you just like the others? Like Player and Ozzie Daniels? You all had fixations on Max’s wife—now you’re turning them on his sister?”

“What?” he demanded sharply.

“Don’t lie!” she snapped. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me you’d been sleeping with Daphne?”

So that was it. How had she learned about it?

Maybe he should have apologized right away. Something inside him rebelled. After everything, she should have trusted him a little.

“I’ve slept with a number of women. I didn’t know that I was required to give you a roster of their names.”

“Daphne!” she stressed, her eyes narrowing.

“I knew her before your brother did, but there was really very little between us. They hit it off right away.”

“So you lied to Max, too—”

“No, Miss Delaney, Max knew the score right from the beginning.”

Her eyes narrowed further. “Right. And Max married her. And Max is accused of killing her. But she’s alive—and you’re the one she calls!”

Damn. She’d recognized Daphne’s voice, even muffled. He should have told her.

He just didn’t want her getting hurt. Didn’t want her there when he tried to meet Daphne tonight.

“Damn it, Reggie—”

“Get out of my way, Wes.”

“Yeah, you’re right, Reggie. I’ll get out of your way. You just judge blindly, and nothing that’s been said or done matters. Fine.”

She started to walk past him. His fingers tightened around her arm.

“Reggie—”

“I’ve got things to do!” she claimed.

She strained against him. This time he let her break free.

He heard the doors to the theater slam as she left.

A moment later, Joseph was behind him. “I don’t know, Mr. Blake. I wouldn’t want to hurt your feelings or anything, but I really don’t think she likes you.”

“She loves me, kid.”

“Sure, if you say so.”

“Mmm, and she’ll say so, too. Just as soon as I get a chance to see her alone. To give a good—”

He broke off, looking at Joseph.

“A good shaking.”

Joseph grinned. “Actually, I think you’d do a hell of a lot better if you’d kiss her. And you should have told her that you were sleeping with Daphne.”

“Yeah, and I should wash your mouth out with soap.”

Joseph offered Wes a hand. “It’s gonna work out. I have a feeling. But stick with the kissing. Trust me, I know.”

“Oh, yeah? And just how do you know?”

He smiled. “Trust me!”

Wes felt his temper ease. She’s going to like you so much, kid, if she’ll just give us both the chance! he thought. He smiled. But then his smile faded.

Where was she heading?

Daphne was still alive.

But Reggie was still in danger.

He paled. He had to get someone to watch Joseph for the moment.

Because he didn’t dare let Reggie get too far ahead of him.

God alone knew just what she might do.

Chapter 14

H
arry’s Hot Dog Stand was well lit, almost blindingly so. Reggie had admitted to herself that she had been a little worried about meeting Ozzie Daniels—she wasn’t exactly sure why—but once she reached the painfully bright fast-food restaurant, she felt much more at ease.

And Ozzie was there, waiting for her.

He was nicely dressed, and if she hadn’t known him, she might have thought that he was a fairly appealing individual.

But she did know him.

He met her at the door. “How do you like your franks?” he asked immediately. He looked like a reporter. He was wearing a dark trench coat over a dark suit. Maybe it was supposed to rain. Reggie wasn’t sure.

“I can get—”

“Oh, come on, Miss Delaney. Surely, you’ll allow me the honor of buying you your franks! After all, the dinner invitation was mine.”

She shook her head. “I’m just not hungry. I was going to get a soda and an order of curly fries. You’re more than welcome to get them for me, if you like.”

She waited at one of the bleached white Formica tables while he went for the food. When he came back, he had her fries and soda and three hot dogs for himself, one piled high with chili, one with sauerkraut and one with melted cheese. He grimaced at her. “I couldn’t make up my mind,” he told her. She almost smiled.

If he weren’t out for Max’s jugular, she might not have disliked him so intensely.

“There’s no one haunting the park,” she told him.

He arched a brow and bit into one of his dogs. “Getting right to business. Not, how are you Ozzie, what ya been up to, or anything of the like.”