Kiss an Angel(78)

“You weren’t in prison!”

“I thought you said I was. For murdering that waitress.” She stomped her foot in frustration. “Alex Markov, you tell me right now what you do when you’re not with this circus!”

“Why do you want to know?”

“I’m your wife! I deserve the truth.”

“All you need to know is what you see in front of you—a bad-tempered circus bum with a lousy sense of humor. Anything more would just confuse you.”

“That is the most patronizing, condescending—”

“I don’t mean to be patronizing, sweetheart. I just don’t want you fogging up your vision with illusions. This is all there is for us. Quest Brothers. One season. The trailer and hard work.” His expression softened. “I’m doing my damnedest not to hurt you. Help me out, will you? Don’t ask so many questions.”

If he’d been hostile, she would have challenged him, but she couldn’t fight that sudden catch in his voice. Pulling back, she looked into the depths of his eyes. They were as golden as Sinjun’s and just as mysterious.

“I don’t like this, Alex,” she said quietly. “I don’t like it at all.” She headed for the menagerie.

Sometime later, Heather came into the tent, just as Daisy finished hosing down Glenna’s cage. “Can I talk to you?”

“All right.” As she turned off the hose, she saw pale purple smudges under the-teenager’s eyes, and she could feel her tension.

“Why haven’t you told Sheba about the money?”

She coiled the length of hose and laid it aside. “I decided not to.”

“You’re not going to tell her?”

Daisy shook her head.

Heather’s eyes filled with tears. “I can’t believe you haven’t told her after everything I’ve done.”

“You can pay me back by promising not to smoke another cigarette.”

“Anything! I’ll do anything. I’ll always remember this, Daisy. Always.” Heather snatched up the hose Daisy had just coiled. “Let me help. Whatever you want me to do. I’ll do anything.”

“Thanks for the offer, but I’m finished.” She began coiling the hose again, but this time she carried it outside and set it on the ground against the tent.

Heather came after her. “Would you—I know I’m just a kid; and everything, but since you don’t have any friends because of me, maybe we could do some stuff together.” She seemed to be searching her mind for a common interest that might overcome their troubled history as well as bridge the difference in their ages. “Sometime maybe we could get some pizza or something. Or do each other’s hair.”

Daisy couldn’t help but smile at the tentative note of hope in her voice. “That’d be nice.”

“I’m going to make it up to you, I promise.”

Some things could never be made up, but Daisy wouldn’t tell Heather that. She’d made her decision, and she wasn’t going to dangle guilt over the teenager’s head.

Brady Pepper interrupted, stalking into their midst like bad news. “What are you doing here, Heather? I’ve told you not to hang out around her.”

Heather flushed. “Daisy’s been really nice to me, and I wanted to help her.”

“Go find Sheba. She wants to work with you on your headstand.”

Heather looked increasingly miserable. “Daisy’s real nice, Dad. She’d not like you think. She’s good with the animals, and she treats me—”

“Right now, young lady.”

“Go on, Heather.” Daisy gave her a reassuring nod. “Thanks for offering to help.”

Reluctantly, Heather did as she was told.

Brady bristled with animosity—Sylvester Stallone on double testosterone. “You stay away from her, you hear me? Alex might have gone temporarily blind where you’re concerned, but the rest of us don’t forget so easy.”

“I’m not ashamed of anything I’ve done, Brady.”

“Wasn’t the crime big enough? If it’d been two thousand dollars you took instead of two hundred, would you be ashamed? Sorry, babe, but to my mind, a thief’s a thief.”

“Have you led such a blameless life that you’ve never done anything you regret?”

“I’ve never stolen anything, that’s for sure.”

“You’re stealing your daughter’s sense of security. Doesn’t that count?”

His lips thinned. “Don’t you dare lecture me on how to raise my daughter. You and Sheba. Neither one of you ever had a kid, so you can both just keep your damned mouths shut.”

He stalked away, muscles gleaming, tail feathers rumpled.

Daisy sighed. It was barely one o’clock. She’d argued with Alex and antagonized both Jack and Brady. What else could go wrong today?



She wistfully regarded the middle-aged woman who escorted them. Being a kindergarten teacher might not be everyone’s idea of bliss, but it was hers.

She watched how skillfully the teacher kept the children from running wild, and for a moment, she imagined herself doing the same. She didn’t linger over the fantasy for long. To be a teacher, she needed a college degree, and she was too old for that.