Kiss an Angel(43)

It had taken her forever to get herself clean, and her sore arms had protested every step of the process. She’d shampooed and dried her hair, then put on fresh makeup, following Alex’s instructions to apply it heavier than normal. Between shows, she’d fallen asleep in the trailer with a peanut butter sandwich in her hand. If he hadn’t shaken her awake, she would have missed her entrance

After the last show, Neeco caught her as she was emerging through the back door, the name the performers gave to their entrance to the big top. “Help Digger get the babies back to the truck.”

Digger didn’t look as if he needed any help, but this was apparently part of her job, and she didn’t want another failure for Alex to throw in her face. “I doubt I’ll be much help,” she said.

“They just need to get used to you, that’s all.”

She slipped into Alex’s blue terry cloth robe, which she’d taken from a hook in the bathroom. Although she’d turned the sleeves up, it was still enormous on her, but it gave her some modesty.

The babies were just beginning to come out through the back door, and she approached Digger gingerly. “You don’t need any help, do you?”

“Why don’t you jist walk along with ’em, Miz. They’re still skittish around you.”

She reluctantly fell into step just behind Digger and several yards away from the elephants. She had no trouble picking out Tater since he was the smallest of the quartet, and remembering the swat he’d given her, she eyed him warily as he trotted forward holding Puddin’s tail in the curl of his trunk. When they reached the picket line, Digger began to tether them.

“Come here, Bam. Watch me, Miz, so you can see how it’s done.”

She was so intent on what he was doing with Bam that she didn’t realize Tater had sidled up behind her until she felt something moist tickle the side of her neck, just inside the collar of her robe. She yelped and sprang back from the elephant’s outstretched trunk.

The baby elephant regarded her with a stubborn glint in its eye, took a step closer, and once again extended his trunk. Too frozen with fear to move, she stared at the two wiggling nostrils coming closer by the second.

“N-nice Tater. N-nice elephant.” She let out a frightened squeak as Tater burrowed into her neck, parting the front of her robe.

“Digger . . .” she croaked.

Digger looked up and took in what was happening. “You got perfume on?”

She gulped and gave a terrified nod. The very tip of Tater’s trunk dipped delicately into the small space behind her ear.

“Tater’s crazy about ladies’ perfume.”

“What,” she gasped, “am I supposed to do now?”

Digger regarded her blankly. “Do about what?”

“T-Tater?”

“Well, I don’t rightly know, Miz. What do you want to do?”

She heard a rusty chuckle. “She probably wants to faint. Isn’t that right, Daisy?”

Alex came around from behind her, and she tried to summon up a bit of bravado. “Not—not exactly.”

“You must be wearing perfume.” He reached out and stroked Puddin’. Tater, in the meantime, emitted a happy snuffling sound and let the tip of his trunk nibble around the inside of the collar of Alex’s robe to the base of Daisy’s throat.

“N-nobody told me not to.” To her dismay, the baby elephant began to nudge lower, toward the red sequined flames that made up the bodice of her costume. She remembered the spritz of perfume she’d directed toward her breasts.

“Alex . . .” She pleaded with her eyes. “He’s going to—He’s getting ready to touch my—” Tater’s trunk reached its goal. “My breasts!” she squealed.

“I do believe you’re right.” He casually patted the elephant’s trunk and pushed it aside. “That’s enough, fella. You’re getting too close to my property.”

She was so startled by his statement she didn’t notice Tater backing off.

Digger gave a wheezy chuckle and nodded toward the elephant. “Looks like Tater’s fallen in love.”

“ ‘Fraid so,” Alex replied.

“With me?” She regarded the men incredulously.

“Do you see him looking at anybody else?” Alex replied.

Sure enough, the elephant was regarding her soulfully. “But he hates me. This afternoon he took a swipe at me and knocked me down.”

“You weren’t wearing perfume this afternoon.”

Digger rose, his knees cracking, and headed toward the elephant. “Come on, boy. Yer girlfriend’s not interested.”

As Digger led him away, Tater gazed back at her over his shoulder, looking for all the world like a love-struck adolescent. Daisy was torn between fright and a fleeting sense of gratitude that at least someone in this awful circus liked her.

That night, she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the couch. She was dimly aware of Alex coming into the trailer some hours later, and as she drifted back into sleep, she felt him pull the covers up over her shoulders.





9




Daisy stumbled up the ramp at ten the next morning. Her leg muscles screamed in protest with every step, and her arms felt as if they’d been stretched on a torture rack. “I’m sorry, Digger. I fell asleep in the truck.”