Thief of Hearts Read online

Page 26

 

  He looked as if he didn’t believe her. “It’s not?”

  She raised her plate high, then dropped it. It shattered spectacularly. “Nope. See? Like I said. Happens all the time. ”

  He stared at her. She decided he was still entirely too tense and so dropped, in rapid succession, both their juice glasses and his bread plate.

  “Accidents will happen,” she said cheerfully as the bread plate broke against the wall. “See, Gary?

  They’re just things . You can always buy more things . ”

  “Won’t—won’t Dr. Dean be mad?”

  “Dr. Dean just wants to know what the heck you two are up to. ”

  Gary jumped again. Jared was standing in the kitchen doorway, looking at the mess and shaking his head.

  “Gary had an accident,” Kara explained. “Then I had several. ”

  Jared’s lips went white as he pressed them together, but the laugh escaped anyway. Kara grinned at the sound and Gary visibly relaxed.

  “I’ll clean it up,” Gary said timidly.

  “Freeze,” Jared ordered and Gary froze. “You’re both in socks. Gary, I’m going to pick you up and put you in the living room. Kara, I have no idea how I’ll heft your gross bulk, but I’ll think of something. Then I’ll clean it up. ”

  “See if you get any tonight,” she muttered as Jared gingerly picked his way through the minefield of glass slivers, picked Gary up and carried him out. Then he returned for her.

  “I can do it,” she said doubtfully. “I’m pretty coordinated. ”

  He snorted. “Says the woman who tripped getting out of bed this morning. Just stand still. ” He scooped her up with a theatrical groan, stole a kiss, then staggered into the living room. Gary saw them coming and giggled. He was standing next to their neighbor, Ava.

  “Well, hi,” Kara said, surprised, as Jared put her down and returned to the kitchen. “I didn’t know Jared had brought company. Do you have time for a bite?”

  “No,” Ava said regretfully. She was a charming matron with two young sons, both of whom had been over to play with Gary. She and Kara had absolutely nothing in common and Kara didn’t know if she liked Ava because of that, or in spite of that. “I just need to call the locksmith. Jack took my keys to work with him and now I’m locked out. ”

  Kara edged toward the door. She had an idea why Jared had brought Ava over. “Did you try the back door?”

  “No, but I know it’s locked,” Ava assured her. “It’s always locked. ”

  “Still. It never hurts to try. Let me check it for you. Keep an eye on Gary for me?”

  “We broke things,” Gary reported solemnly to Ava as Kara left the room.

  Sure, Kara thought, grabbing her smallest toolkit on her way out, I promised. No more hacking. But that doesn’t mean Ava should be stuck outside for the six hours it’ll take a locksmith to get here.

  She grinned. She was hopelessly in love. She had a baby on the way and nice neighbors and was finally part of the system in a good way, a helpful way. She was married to a passionate, amazing, wonderful man and she still got to crack the occasional lock.

  Life was good. And, in a way, it was all because of Ole One Eyebrow.

  Kara laughed and bent to the lock.