“What? You fixed it just like that?” Brandi couldn’t believe it.
He shrugged those massive shoulders of his, which were probably twice as broad as her own, and wiped his hands casually on the fabric of his white t-shirt, leaving black smudges.
“Can’t say until you try it.”
Sliding back behind the wheel, Brandi twisted the key in the ignition and said a silent prayer. With a coughing roar, the car started smoothly and began to purr. Best of all, there was no black smoke.
“That’s amazing!” She looked up at Slade. “It was like you just looked at it and knew what was wrong with it. How did you do that so quickly?”
He raised an eyebrow at her.
“Told you—I’m good with my hands.”
Brandi felt her cheeks get hot again at his double entendre and her gratitude abruptly turned to shame and irritation.
“Well, thank you,” she said shortly. Leaving the car running, she went to get Emmie, who was still watching wide-eyed from the far corner of the trailer. “Come on, sweetpea—it’s time to get you to school.”
Emmie looked at Slade eagerly.
“Is the Daddy-man coming with us?”
“No, honey, I’m afraid not.” Brandi carefully avoided the big Kindred’s eyes as she put her daughter back in the car and buckled her in.
“But why not?” Emmie wailed, her face crumpling in sudden grief. “I want the Daddy-man! I want the Daddy-man!”
Brandi stared at her daughter in consternation. This was turning into a full-blown tantrum and Emmie hadn’t had one of those in over a year. In fact, she had always been a remarkably well-behaved child, only rarely throwing fits, mostly when she was over-tired. But now she was about to shout the house down, as Grandma Ida would have said, over a strange man she had only just met.
Didn’t you shout the house down when you first met Slade too? whispered a nasty little voice in her head. I seem to recall plenty of screaming and shouting yesterday in the Puppet House.
Oh God… Shame washed over her and she wondered if the big Kindred had heard that random thought. She looked over her shoulder to see if he was watching her but he wasn’t there. Then she heard his deep, rumbling voice across from her, on the other side of Emmie.
“It’s all right, little one.” He had opened the back passenger door and was leaning in to look at the wailing four-year old. “Everything is going to be all right—I have to go away now but I’ll come see you later.”
Emmie’s sobs stopped abruptly.
“You promise?” She looked at Slade, her big brown eyes wet with tears. “Promise, Daddy-man?”
“Yes, I promise.” Gently, Slade brushed the tears from her cheeks with one big knuckle. “You just behave for your mother and learn a lot in school, all right? I heard you were the smartest in your class—the only one who can read yet. That’s really good.”
“Where did you hear that?” Emmie demanded.
Probably picked it out of my head earlier, Brandi thought, remembering how she’d been thinking how smart her daughter was and how she loved to read to her earlier.
“I didn’t ‘pick’ anything out of your head, sweetheart,” Slade sent. “You think so loudly it was like you were shouting at me from inside your domicile.”
“Okay, that’s enough,” Brandi said briskly. “Emmie, it’s time we got you to school. Daddy-man—” Damn, how could she have slipped up like that? “I mean, Mr. Slade, has to go back to work now.”
“Where does he work?” Emmie wanted to know. “And when is he coming back?” She looked anxiously at Slade. “Promise you won’t go down that river where my first daddy went—okay? I don’t want to lose you, too!”
“I won’t, little one.” There was surprising gentleness in his tone as he spoke to Emmie. “I work on the Kindred Mother Ship. Maybe someday you and your mother can come visit me there.”
“Goodie!” Emmie clapped her hands. “Sounds like fun! When can we go, Mommy?” she demanded, turning to Brandi. “Can we go as soon as you pick me up from after-care?”
“We’ll see,” said Brandi tightly. “But for now we really have to go, Emmie-bear. We’re going to be way, way late.”
“Okay. Bye, Daddie-man.” Emmie blew Slade a kiss as he shut the passenger door and he grinned at her and pretended to catch it.
Brandi tried not to show surprise at the little display. How had the big Kindred won her shy little daughter’s heart so quickly? Was it really just the dreams or was he good with kids or what?
“Never had any young ones of my own,” Slade informed her. “I always wanted some though.”
All right, enough was enough, Brandi decided. It was time to get out of here.
Pointedly not answering his remark, she bustled around to the driver’s side and was about to slip behind the wheel when suddenly Slade was right there, standing as tall as a tree in front of her. She stared up at him in surprise. How did such a big man move so fast?