A Daddy for Jacoby(29)

“I am?”

Jacoby’s and Justin’s questions overlapped.

Gina nodded. “Yes, you are.”

“Okay, what is it?”

“Monsters.”

“Monsters?”

“You know, monsters and mutants, gremlins, goblins and googlebees.”

Justin couldn’t help himself, he smiled. “Googlebees?”

“Yes, googlebees, too.” Gina shifted backward, putting more space between them as she tucked a long strand of hair behind one ear. “This room has probably been empty for years, which left plenty of time for all sorts of nasty ne’erdo-wells to move in. Your job is to tell them to leave. Right, Jacoby?”

Justin looked at the boy, who moved his head in a spirited nod.

“And just how am I supposed to do that?”

“You use that big, booming voice of yours I’ve heard so many times coming from the bar’s kitchen…” Gina paused and he looked back at her again. “And you scare them away.”

He waited for the punch line. Nothing. Both she and the kid continued to stare at him. Gina looking hopeful while Jacoby looked as if he expected Justin to refuse.

Resigned to making a fool of himself, he asked, “Do I just stand in the middle of the room and make a grand announcement?”

Both of them shook their heads.

“You need to go direct to their hiding place. Under the bed,” Gina said.

“Under the bed?”

She pointed downward.

He sighed and dropped to his knees. Bending forward, he braced one hand on the floor and the other on the bed, right next to the warmth of Gina’s hip. Another mistake.

He pressed his fingers against the mattress, forcing them to lie flat instead of curving around the soft denim material of her jeans, and concentrated on the task at hand.

“All right, every monster, mutant, gremlin, goblin and googlebee, listen up! This room is now occupied and it’s not big enough for all of you and the new tenant.” He spoke in the best drill sergeant tone he could muster at the empty space beneath the bed. “It’s time for the lot of you to pack your bags and hightail it out of town!”

He straightened, moved his hand away from Gina and centered his gaze on Jacoby. “Satisfied?”

The kid grinned. “That was totally awesome.”

A rush of warmth filled him, and he immediately blamed it on his prone position seconds ago.

He turned to Gina. “Are you satisfied?”

“I agree, totally awesome.”

Damn, now that warmth was centered in the middle of his chest and it burned. “So, can we turn out the lights and get some sleep?”

They both turned to Jacoby, who remained silent but his eyes darted across the room.

“Oh, of course,” she said. “The closet.”

“Huh?”

“Any self-respecting monster would head straight for the next closest hiding spot.” She slanted her head toward the closed door on the opposite wall. “Then they wait until the coast is clear…”

“…and slip out from the crack beneath the door,” Justin finished as her voice trailed off. “And go right on raising hel—ah, heck and making a general nuisance of themselves, right?”

“Wow,” Jacoby whispered, pulling his teddy bear closer to his chest. “How did you know all that?”

“Because Justin was once a little boy, too.” Gina tucked the blankets around the kid again. “He knows what you’re feeling.”

“What I feel is silly,” Justin rasped as he got to his feet, bending close to Gina, his low words meant for her ears alone.

“You’re doing fine,” she whispered back.

Their eyes met and held for a long moment before Justin moved away. He walked to the closet door and took a deep breath. Yeah, he felt silly, but it was mixed with something else—something he couldn’t put a name to, but it felt good and that was a feeling he hadn’t experienced in a long time.

He yanked open the door and stood there, feet wide and hands on his hips. Hell, all he needed was a cape flapping in the breeze and a big red S on his chest.

“I thought I told you all to clear out and I meant it. There’s no sense in trying to hide and don’t bother thinking you can move to another nook, cranny or hiding spot anywhere in the cabin. You’re not wanted here, so do like you were told. Pack your bags and get out of Destiny, every last one of you!”