“Yeah. We should.”
“How about Thor?”
“Who’s he?”
“Well, in one of the comic book stories, he’s a doctor who
has to use a cane, but really he changes into a warrior god who fights bad
guys.”
Wyatt’s little legs kicked faster. “Yeah! That’s Chas.
Doctor Chas. He can fight the Cat Woman!”
Liam glanced at Chas who had started to snicker. When they
turned back to Wyatt and Greer, the two had rolled over and were staring at
them as if they’d been caught doing something wrong. Liam stepped into the
room, his eyes passing over them to the drawings on the floor.
My God, she had incredible talent! There he was as Superman,
she’d already caught Chas’ expression perfectly, though the warrior body wasn’t
yet finished, and— Liam started to chuckle.
“Oh man, Chas, you have to come see this.”
When Chas joined them, he laughed along with Liam. Cat Woman
was none other than Julie.
“Look, Daddy!” Wyatt pointed at the paper. “You’re Superman,
Chas is going to be…Thor. And Mommy’s Cat Woman. She’s the bad guy.”
Greer’s eyes were wide and guilty. Liam bent and lifted the
paper. “You have a good eye.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “We were just playing…”
“Greer,” he said and paused, waiting for her to look at him.
“I’m really glad you and Wyatt have hit if off so well.”
She stared at him for a moment longer then nodded.
“Chas and I were just going to get cleaned up. Why don’t we
drive to the Captain’s Quarters for dinner? They’ve got a band playing tonight
and the weather’s supposed to be great.”
“I can stay here with Wyatt…”
“No, let’s all go. You know it’s super casual outside, and
there are plenty of people there with their kids.”
“All right.”
Lord, if she were any more reluctant, they’d have to pry her
out of the house with a crowbar.
He and Chas headed back down the hallway to the master
suite. It wasn’t until the door was closed and Chas was shucking his scrubs
that he said, “She was in a boating accident, Liam. On the river, five years
ago. Barge and a ski boat.”
Liam stopped mid-motion, his fingers going still on his fly.
“The one where the boat exploded?”
“Very same.”
“ Shit! No wonder she nearly passed out when I
mentioned the river. What happened to her? Did you look up the medical records?”
“Yes. She was brought to St. Mark’s. Two broken legs, and
she was burned.”
Liam tossed his discarded clothing into the laundry hamper. “How
bad?”
“Skin grafts and plastic surgery bad.”
Liam padded into the bathroom with Chas behind him. He
glanced over his shoulder to see him eyeing his butt. “No way. Not with Wyatt
awake. Won’t even shower together, and I get first dibs.”
Chas grimaced. “Fine. I’ll shave.”
As Liam adjusted the water temperature he turned. “Wasn’t
somebody killed in that accident?”
“Yeah. The guy driving the boat. Markus Spencer. Same age as
Greer.”
Liam stepped in the shower and shut the glass door. He
remembered the accident. It had gotten a lot of play in the press because of
the ongoing debate over the amount of river traffic. The collision had just
heated everything up again. More recreational traffic on the river had
increased close calls and accidents involving commercial traffic. As Liam
remembered this case, the driver of the boat had failed to see the barge
bearing down on them. No way could one of those monsters maneuver out of the
way, if it had even seen the ski boat to begin with.
And Greer had somehow survived. More than incredible, it was
a fucking miracle.
* * * * *
The restaurant’s huge parking lot was packed with cars. As
soon as they piled out of Chas’ Bimmer, Greer heard the classic rock and roll
coming from the back of the building. How many times had she come here with
friends? She couldn’t even remember. In most cases, they’d come in from the
other side—the river, tying three deep along the shore while
“How about Thor?”
“Who’s he?”
“Well, in one of the comic book stories, he’s a doctor who
has to use a cane, but really he changes into a warrior god who fights bad
guys.”
Wyatt’s little legs kicked faster. “Yeah! That’s Chas.
Doctor Chas. He can fight the Cat Woman!”
Liam glanced at Chas who had started to snicker. When they
turned back to Wyatt and Greer, the two had rolled over and were staring at
them as if they’d been caught doing something wrong. Liam stepped into the
room, his eyes passing over them to the drawings on the floor.
My God, she had incredible talent! There he was as Superman,
she’d already caught Chas’ expression perfectly, though the warrior body wasn’t
yet finished, and— Liam started to chuckle.
“Oh man, Chas, you have to come see this.”
When Chas joined them, he laughed along with Liam. Cat Woman
was none other than Julie.
“Look, Daddy!” Wyatt pointed at the paper. “You’re Superman,
Chas is going to be…Thor. And Mommy’s Cat Woman. She’s the bad guy.”
Greer’s eyes were wide and guilty. Liam bent and lifted the
paper. “You have a good eye.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “We were just playing…”
“Greer,” he said and paused, waiting for her to look at him.
“I’m really glad you and Wyatt have hit if off so well.”
She stared at him for a moment longer then nodded.
“Chas and I were just going to get cleaned up. Why don’t we
drive to the Captain’s Quarters for dinner? They’ve got a band playing tonight
and the weather’s supposed to be great.”
“I can stay here with Wyatt…”
“No, let’s all go. You know it’s super casual outside, and
there are plenty of people there with their kids.”
“All right.”
Lord, if she were any more reluctant, they’d have to pry her
out of the house with a crowbar.
He and Chas headed back down the hallway to the master
suite. It wasn’t until the door was closed and Chas was shucking his scrubs
that he said, “She was in a boating accident, Liam. On the river, five years
ago. Barge and a ski boat.”
Liam stopped mid-motion, his fingers going still on his fly.
“The one where the boat exploded?”
“Very same.”
“ Shit! No wonder she nearly passed out when I
mentioned the river. What happened to her? Did you look up the medical records?”
“Yes. She was brought to St. Mark’s. Two broken legs, and
she was burned.”
Liam tossed his discarded clothing into the laundry hamper. “How
bad?”
“Skin grafts and plastic surgery bad.”
Liam padded into the bathroom with Chas behind him. He
glanced over his shoulder to see him eyeing his butt. “No way. Not with Wyatt
awake. Won’t even shower together, and I get first dibs.”
Chas grimaced. “Fine. I’ll shave.”
As Liam adjusted the water temperature he turned. “Wasn’t
somebody killed in that accident?”
“Yeah. The guy driving the boat. Markus Spencer. Same age as
Greer.”
Liam stepped in the shower and shut the glass door. He
remembered the accident. It had gotten a lot of play in the press because of
the ongoing debate over the amount of river traffic. The collision had just
heated everything up again. More recreational traffic on the river had
increased close calls and accidents involving commercial traffic. As Liam
remembered this case, the driver of the boat had failed to see the barge
bearing down on them. No way could one of those monsters maneuver out of the
way, if it had even seen the ski boat to begin with.
And Greer had somehow survived. More than incredible, it was
a fucking miracle.
* * * * *
The restaurant’s huge parking lot was packed with cars. As
soon as they piled out of Chas’ Bimmer, Greer heard the classic rock and roll
coming from the back of the building. How many times had she come here with
friends? She couldn’t even remember. In most cases, they’d come in from the
other side—the river, tying three deep along the shore while
Similar Books
