Dreaming (Romance on the Go)

  Evernight Publishing

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  Copyright© 2013 Vanessa Devereaux

  ISBN: 978-1-77130-557-0

  Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs

  Editor: JC Chute

  dpgroup

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  DEDICATION

  For Katz Devereaux

  DREAMING

  Romance on the Go

  Vanessa Devereaux

  Copyright © 2013

  Chapter One

  “You’ve killed Petey. You’ve killed him.”

  Rob couldn’t remember if he’d shut all the windows in the house. If he hadn’t, most of his neighbors had probably heard his niece’s accusation. Right now, a few of them might be calling the police.

  She threw the stuffed bear at his stomach before retreating to the spare bedroom. Rob braced himself for what he knew was inevitable, the door being slammed shut. His sister-in-law had warned him about Mollie’s recent tantrums.

  “You sure you want to do this?” Nina had asked him.

  “She’s five years old. How hard can it be to look after her while you’re gone?”

  He might end up eating those words.

  Rob bent over and swooped the bear up. The stuffed toy’s other eye fell to the ground right before its head drooped backwards.

  Yeah, the poor thing did look like he’d been murdered. The bizarre pink dye only added to the disaster.

  Uncle Rob had foolishly put Mollie’s pink t-shirt in the wash with the bear. And if that wasn’t sinful enough, she hadn’t even given permission for Petey to go into the washing machine. He’d looked dirty, though, and Rob thought he was doing her a big favor.

  So wrong.

  He walked to the bedroom and knocked on the door.

  Rule Number One for looking after his niece: Don’t burst into her room without permission.

  “Mollie, can I come in?”

  There was no response.

  “I know you’re in there.”

  “Go away.”

  “I want to talk to you about Petey.”

  “You killed him.”

  She let out a blood-curdling scream.

  Shit. I hope that bedroom window is shut, or I’ll have a lot of explaining to do down at the police station.

  “No, he’s okay. He’s talking to me right now. In fact, he wants to come in and see you too.”

  There was silence for a few minutes, but then Rob saw and heard the knob on the door slowly turning. Mollie peeked out from the tiny crack she’d opened.

  Rob danced the bear from side to side as its left arm fell to the ground. She screamed again, and retreated back into the room, but this time he got his foot in the door before she could slam it shut. Never let it be said he’d let himself be outsmarted by a five-year-old.

  Mollie ran to the bed, fell face first and sobbed into the pillow. Rob sat beside her, trying his best to keep the stuffed toy intact.

  “Bears are very resilient,” he said.

  She turned around and looked at him, her eyebrows knitted together. He’d used a word a five-year-old probably didn’t know.

  “They’re tough and they can bounce back from anything,” he continued.

  “You killed him, and I’m telling Mom.”

  She pointed her finger at him and squinted.

  Day four of Mollie’s weeklong stay with Uncle Rob, and he’d already fouled things up.

  “I can make him new again.”

  Shit. What had he just committed himself to? Unless he could find the exact same bear, he’d just lied to his niece.

  “You can’t,” she sobbed.

  “I can too.”

  Digging yourself in, deeper and deeper.

  “Once someone’s dead they can’t come back. That’s what Mom told me.”

  Rob felt a stab in his heart. Nina had told her that was the reason she wouldn’t see her daddy again. He swallowed the lump in his throat. Mollie had been forced to do so much growing up in the last six months. But he was going to make it up to her. He was going to keep his promise and make the bear as good as new. No, better than new. He wasn’t quite sure how, but he’d do it.

  “I promise you. Petey will be his old self again.”

  “He won’t smell like daddy.”

  Bile rose in his throat. That’s what she loved about the bear: not his looks, but his smell. He reminded her of his late brother. Yeah, you’ve fouled things up big time.

  “The rest of him will be like the old Petey.”

  She turned over onto her back and glared at him.

  “Promise me double.”

  “Double, yes.”

  “Triple.”

  “That too.”

  “Double, triple.”

  “Yes, yes.”

  “Double, triple, double.”

  Hey, now this was getting out of hand. He was being drawn into the silly world of a five-year-old. Oh, what he had to look forward to when he had kids of his own.

  Yeah, like that’s going to happen anytime soon. He couldn’t find anyone suitable to date, let alone marry.

  “Say it,” said Mollie.

  “Double, triple, double.”

  “Now kiss Petey.”

  No way. A guy had to draw the line somewhere.

  Mollie hadn’t taken her eyes off him.

  “It doesn’t count unless you kiss him.”

  Good thing no one could see what he was about to do next.

  Rob planted a quick peck on the bear’s head. The damn thing tasted and smelled like…a stuffed toy. Like that was a huge surprise.

  Worse than the taste, he was reminded that he hadn’t kissed a woman in ages, and now he felt depressed as well as embarrassed.

  “I want ice cream.”

  Damn. He’d forgotten to pick some up at the store.

  ****

  Jenna kicked off her shoes and turned on the foot spa. One of the perks of working in the beauty business was the ability to use these life-savers after hours. She climbed into the chair and plunged her feet into the bubbling water. It felt so good she almost wanted to groan.

  The long day had stretched into evening, and she’d finally finished the haircut on the last member of the wedding party.

  Offering pre-wedding packages like she had for the last couple of months had paid off big-time. The only downside was hearing the bride’s joy and excitement as they chatted while Jenna cut or colored her hair. Not that she could blame them, but it only reminded her she hadn’t been on a date since…? When you couldn’t remember, you knew it had to be longer than you ever wanted to admit. Hell, finding a good man these days was getting harder and harder. How all these brides managed to do it was beyond her.

  She flexed her toes a few times. Not that she was working in an industry where one met many men. The few that did wander in were either just waiting to pick up their girlfriends or wives, and the remaining male customers had ‘No Trespassing’ signs on the fourth finger of their left hands. Not even one of her five brothers had suitable single friends.

  Maybe she was getting too picky.

  Nope, a woman could never be too picky.

  ****

  “Can I have one of these?”

  He shook his head. You didn’t have to be a child psy
chologist, or even have kids of your own to know that Mollie was testing him. She’d picked up every item at the checkout counter and he wasn’t going to weaken, even if he was a bear murderer.

  “This one?” She picked up a large packet of bubblegum.

  “You know your mom doesn’t let you chew that.”

  “Then this?” She now held a box of chocolate-covered raisins. “And this.” Now she’d picked up a bag of peanuts too.

  Being childless was looking better every second.

  “Mollie, help me put these items on the conveyor belt. The faster we do it, the faster we get home and eat the ice cream.”

  Yeah, it was bribery, sort of, but it had been a long day and he was beat.

  “I want to stop for a Magic Eddie Meal first.”

  “Nope. We’ll have chicken tenders, mashed potatoes and broccoli.” Tonight he knew exactly what he was giving her for dinner, because those were the three items he’d just picked up at the deli.

  “Yuck. I want an Eddie Meal.” She stomped her foot and crossed her arms.

  “We can’t always get everything we want. Now, out of the way of the cart, because you’re slowing down the line.”

  The lady at the checkout gave him what he interpreted as a sympathetic smile and probably a silent, been there, been through that.

  “Don’t worry. They grow out of this phase,” she said.

  Do they do it in two days? Please tell me it’s possible, or I’ll be old before my time.

  Mollie was now glaring at him at the end of the conveyor belt, impatiently tapping one black patent shoe.

  “Glad to hear that it’s not forever.” He handed the clerk the check and then moved along the line to pack everything. He squinted at Mollie when he noticed that she’d sneaked the package of bubblegum in with the rest of their stuff, and he’d foolishly paid for it.

  Over his dead body, would she be getting her little hands on that…

  “Eddie Meal, Eddie Meal,” she said, skipping her way out of the store.

  If I don’t end up with an ulcer, it will be a miracle.

  ****

  Jenna put the dish of leftovers into the microwave oven and pressed the timer for two minutes.

  Being single did have some pluses, but eating leftovers sometimes two nights in a row wasn’t one of them. It was her own fault, for cooking so much in the first place. She took out the dish and placed some spaghetti onto her plate and carried it into the living room. She sat down and paged through the catalog for the upcoming beauty and fashion show she was attending next month.

  New bridal fashions, new bridal trends.

  Okay, okay, I get it. I’m twenty-eight and still single. And, yes, too picky for my own good.

  She leaned back on the couch. Maybe she should think about getting a pet. A dog was out of the question because of the long hours she worked. A cat, now that was a strong possibility. Maybe she’d go to the local shelter at the weekend to see who needed a good home.

  Jenna finished the last of the spaghetti and felt her eyelids getting heavier. She glanced at the clock. Nearly nine and she was already beat.

  ****

  “Read me a story.”

  Rob was dead on his feet. He’d fallen asleep in front of the TV and now Mollie was tugging on his arm. He’d put her to bed over an hour ago.

  “Where do you get all your energy from?”

  “Eddie Meals.”

  Yeah, he’d wimped out on that one too. Given in to her on the drive home. His car had mysteriously found itself in the drive-through line before he’d realized it. And there he was thinking he was waiting at the stop lights. He’d glanced in the backseat and seen Mollie beaming from ear to ear. Maybe she used mind control.

  “One story and then it’s lights out, because Uncle Rob has to get up early to work on a design.”

  The company he worked for had let him be a home-based worker for the week while he was minding Mollie. He had to admit, he was beginning to like it more each day. Not getting stuck in traffic and not being confined to a cubicle.

  She pulled him up from the chair and dragged him along the hallway to the bedroom.

  “Okay, so what story do you want to hear?”

  She jumped onto the bed and pulled the covers up. She pointed to the book on the dresser. It looked huge and he hoped it was a series of short stories or that she’d fall asleep very soon. He knew he would.

  Rob opened up the book, sat on the bed, and began reading.

  “I want the bubblegum you bought for me.”

  “I’m reading, and I didn’t intend to buy the gum for you. You coerced me into buying it.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “That you’re sneaky.”

  “Am not.”

  “Are too.”

  Shit, the silly talk is catching. “No gum.”

  “I’ll find it.”

  “Not where I’ve hidden it.”

  “Betcha I can.” She crossed her arms and raised her chin up.

  “Betcha you can’t.”

  “Bet I can, double.”

  He wasn’t getting caught in that one again.

  “Do you want a story read or not?”

  She shook her head. At least he’d gotten out of that.

  “Then we’ll turn off the light, and I’ll say nightie-night.”

  She snuggled under the covers. Rob bent over and kissed her on the forehead. He stood, flicked off the light, and left the room.

  ****

  Rob had heard Mollie using the bathroom just after midnight. He’d been awakened by the flushing of the toilet, but then had drifted back to sleep. When he felt someone tugging on his arm, he’d assumed he’d overslept. He opened his eyes and then squinted when he realized the light on his bedside table was on, and through the small gap in the drapes he could see that it was still dark outside.

  “Uncle Rob, the gum’s stuck in my hair,” said Mollie.

  He was still half asleep, but sat up and rubbed his eyes. Probably dreaming, because before he went to bed he’d been thinking about that gum and how a five-year-old had outwitted him yet again.

  “You have to get it out of my hair, because it’s sticky.”

  She tugged on his arm again and that brought his vision into clearer focus. What looked like a large wad of bright pink gum was nestled in Mollie’s dark curls.

  “Did you look for that gum and were you naughty enough to chew it?”

  She nodded. “See? I found it.”

  “You sure did.”

  And he’d thought stashing it in the cabinet over the fridge would be too high for her to reach, let alone consider as a hiding spot.

  “And you climbed up on a chair?”

  She nodded. A look of sheer pride appeared on her face. “And I only broke one thing for you to clean up.”

  He lifted one of the curls. He sighed. “Mollie, how much gum is in your hair? The whole package, by the looks of it... You know this is bad, and that you did something you were told not to. You broke something, and now we’re going to have to cut your hair.”

  She screamed. Yeah, he knew this time all the windows were shut.

  “Okay, okay, we won’t cut it. We’ll find some other way to get a two-inch wad of gum out.”

  Rob walked out to the living room and turned on his computer. He clicked on the Internet icon and typed in ‘how to get gum out of your hair’.

  “Looks like peanut butter,” he said.

  Did he have any? He walked into the kitchen, switched on the light and saw that she’d broken a container of sugar, the contents of which now lay strewn all over the floor.

  Rob was positive he could feel his hair turning grey.

  He tiptoed over the spill, feeling each tiny grain burrowing in between his toes. He opened the cupboard door and reached in for the jar of peanut butter. He turned around and saw Mollie standing in the doorway.

  “Go into the bathroom, and we’ll try and use this to ease the gum out.”

  He tiptoed ba
ck across the kitchen floor, thinking once he was done playing hairdresser he’d clean this mess up, and then collapse back into bed. He reached the bathroom, where Mollie was standing by the sink.

  “Sit down and let’s put a towel around your shoulders,” said Rob as he put the toilet seat down for Mollie to perch on.

  He dug his fingers into the jar, pulled out some peanut butter and began working it into her hair like the article had suggested.

  “My hair hurts.”

  “Sorry, but you’re the one who took the gum when Uncle Rob told you not to.”

  She burst into tears, her shoulders jerking up and down, making it even harder to get the peanut butter worked through her locks.

  “I want my mommy.”

  “She’ll be back soon.”

  “I want her now.”

  “She’ll be in bed asleep, but you can talk to her first thing in the morning.”

  Rob eased the peanut butter into the wad of gum, but it was making it worse and Mollie’s fidgeting wasn’t helping any.

  “You know what? I think we need a hairdresser. How about I treat you to a visit to one tomorrow?”

  She shook her head.

  “You’ll like it.”

  “Promise me?”

  “I promise.”

  Rob knew what was coming out of her mouth next.

  “Promise me double.”

  Chapter Two

  Jenna strolled to the back of the salon and took off her jacket. She sipped her coffee as she headed back out to the front of the shop. All six stylists were busy either cutting or coloring clients’ hair, which was always a good sign.

  “Jenna, a man called about his niece getting gum caught in her hair and he needs some help. I booked an appointment for her at ten with you, because I saw you had an opening,” said Alice, the receptionist.

  “That’s perfect,” she said, looking at her watch and seeing that it was ten to the hour. Good thing she’d decided to head in early, despite not having a client until eleven.

  She walked back to the area where they gave massages and put out the new towels and made sure clean sheets were on the tables. When she made her way back to the main salon, she stopped in her tracks.

  For one crazy second she’d thought she’d seen Rob Conners, from high school, standing near the reception desk. She blinked. It was Rob, and he looked more handsome than he had twelve years ago. Growing older certainly agreed with him. Her heartbeat picked up just like it had at school every morning back when she’d first set eyes on him. She hadn’t seen him since graduation. She’d even thought he’d moved to another state.