“I’ll get a new window,” Gemma said, biting her lip. She wouldn’t get paid for another week, so how the heck was she going to afford a window? But it wasn’t as if she could let Trudy sit in the back seat with an open window during January. Especially this January, when it seemed that Mother Nature was making a statement about her power—and moods. “At least they only hit one window.”
“You look tired, honey.” Barb patted her arm. “The first week of school is always an adjustment. You’ll get the hang of it.”
Gemma bent down to hug Trudy when she ran up. “I know.” She smoothed her daughter’s curly brown hair away from her face. No doubt the braids that had tamed the mass that morning had disappeared before lunchtime.
Trudy grinned, showing cookie crumbs at the side of her mouth. “We pretended we were animals today and I was Rot-co. A big doggy. Bark. Bark.” She snorted and butted her head against Gemma’s leg.
Joy filled Gemma and she laughed, hugging her baby. They were safe. She was on the lookout for threats as she should be, but she didn’t need to create terrors out of nothing. Well, not nothing, but coincidence maybe.
Barb chuckled. “Don’t forget we have the science party and dinner for the kids Monday around suppertime. Maybe you could go get some rest or just have some ‘me time’ during the party?”
Gemma appreciated that the day care had such events, but she didn’t like being away from Trudy so long. Still, she had to give her daughter some freedom and a chance to grow. “Thanks, Barb.” She took Trudy’s hand and led her through the gate, pausing to sign her out before heading for the door. “We have a broken window in the car and it’ll be cold on the way home, but we’ll figure out what to do together,” she said, opening the door and drawing Trudy out.
Jethro straightened near the car and turned to face her, his gaze veiled. “I put Trudy’s car seat in the back of my rig. We can go grab a treat while Phil’s Glass Company comes and takes care of the vehicle. I already called and they’re on the way.” He crossed his arms.
Gemma’s neck straightened. “That’s kind of you, but I can—”
He cut her off. “Trudy? How about a milkshake? There’s a place just around the corner where they mix chocolate and strawberry. Into the same milkshake. Can you believe it?”
Gemma gasped.
Trudy jumped up and down. “Yes. Oh, yes. Mama, canwe? Can we go?”
She gave him the look of death, and he nodded. Oh, he knew exactly whathe’d just done.
He lifted one shoulder. “I’m sorry, but it’s unsafe right now, and Phil will fix it. You’ve done me a great service in taking on that class, so I figure I still owe you. This willmake us even.”
“Yay!” Trudy yelled.
Gemma’s nostrils flared, and she could feel heated air leaving her lungs. The man needed a kick to the shin.
Then he smiled. Damn men and dimples.
Chapter Twelve
Jethro couldn’t get the image of Gemma flinching away from him out of his mind. He’d taken mother and daughter to get milkshakes, and Trudy had been a delight as she described her day. Gemma, on the other hand, had singed him with venomous glares. Yes, he deserved it for taking charge like that, so he hadn’ttaken umbrage.
Even so, she could have relaxed for a minute.
Well, at least the window was fixed and Trudy was warm. It appeared Jethro would have to be content with that outcome because the fledgling friendship he and Gemma had begun was now gone. Completely.
Why had she flinched?
He wasn’t that scary. Sure, he was much bigger than she was, but he was charming, damn it. So if she hadn’t flinched from him, who had hurt her? The idea that somebody out there had harmed the petite blonde shot fire right through his torso, hitting each healed wound on the way. His mind was still flipping the problem over while he mounted the stairs to his apartment and unlocked the door.
It took him a precious second to realize that all was not well.
He stiffened and then nudged the door open with one knuckle. The German shepherd hit him square in the chest, licking his neck before dropping back down to all fours. “Bloody hell,” he muttered, wiping slobber off his cheek and walking inside, where the scent of steak enchiladas wafted around, making his stomach growl. He slammed the door and stalked through his industrial-chic apartment to the utilitarian kitchen.
“Jethro. Hello.” Dana finished tossing a salad. The pretty blonde had a dish towel over her slim shoulder as she worked, and her belly looked just a little rounder than the last time he’d seen her. That baby was probablygrowing fast.
“Hey,” Wolfe said, sitting on a red barstool at the raised counter, next to Dana. He tipped back a beer. “Nari is down in your wine cellar, by the way. If there’s a bottle you want to protect, you’d better get to it.”
Jethro focused on him. “Why are you all inmy apartment?”
“We’re here to work the case,” Wolfe drawled. “Right now we’re leaving Bridge and Raider, as well as Mal and Pippa on vacation, but I can call them homeif necessary.”
“No.” Jethro remained in place, his stance set. “How the hell did you all break into my apartment?” He kept his voice calm so he wouldn’t spook the baby inside Dana, butit took effort.
