Hearts and Aces (Kelsey's Burden Series Book 7) by Kaylie Hunter (great books for teens txt) 📗

“Tomorrow you can make a new cover for the book, and we’ll tape over the old one.”

“I’m too old to color pictures.”

“Who said anything about crayons? You can paint a picture or do a charcoal sketch. You could even design a cover on your computer.”

“I don’t know how to do any of that.”

“Then you should ask someone to teach you.”

“Can you teach me?”

“I can’t sketch or paint, but Bridget can. I can do a few things with computer graphics, but Aunt Charlie is better at it.”

“Can you teach me how to do it on the computer, and then if I get good at it, then I can call Aunt Charlie to teach me more?”

“Sure,” I said, tweaking his nose. “Now… it’s time to sleep.”

I rolled out of his bed, setting the book on the nightstand before leaning over to smother him with kisses.

“Mommmm! Stop!” he said, giggling and burying himself under the blankets for protection.

“Goodnight, Nicholas.” I walked over to the door and shut off the light.

“Mom?”

“Yes?”

“Do you promise you’ll never move away and leave me?”

“You and me are forever, Nicholas. You couldn’t get rid of me if you tried.”

He pulled his blanket up to his chin. “Okay.”

“I love you.” I closed the door and released the breath I’d been holding. I waited until I felt less shaky before making my way down the hall.

In the living room, Pops, Hattie, Lisa, Anne, and Whiskey were watching a movie. Hattie was sitting on the end of the couch closest to me.

I leaned over and whispered, “How are you feeling?”

“I’m about ready to head upstairs. I’m getting tired, truth be told.”

Pops heard our conversation and wiggled back and forth until he was at the edge of the couch to stand. He reached out with both arms to pull Hattie up as I assisted from my side.

“Do you need help getting up the stairs or dressing for bed?”

“I’ve got her, baby girl. I’ll take good care of her,” Pops said.

Hattie was smiling up at Pops. “Pops can take care of me from here. No need to worry.”

“It’s my job to worry about everyone, remember?”

“I’ll make a cup of tea and bring it up for you,” Anne said, hitting pause on the movie and standing. “Pops? Would you like a cup too?”

“That’d be mighty nice of you,” Pops said as he led Hattie to the stairs with one arm snug around her waist.

“I’m going to follow you guys upstairs,” Whiskey said, standing to stretch. “I want to peek in on Sara and make sure she’s asleep.”

“Or you don’t trust an old man to catch his wife if she falls?” Pops asked as he glanced back at Whiskey with narrowed eyes.

“I’m just walking up the stairs, man,” Whiskey said. “Don’t read too much into it.”

Hattie giggled. Pops mumbled something under his breath. Whiskey winked at me.

Since they seemed to have everything under control, I returned to Donovan’s basement through the tunnels.

Tech glanced up from his laptop when he sensed me enter the room. “How’s the captain?” Tech asked, referring to a character in Nicholas’ book.

“Very dead.”

Tech nodded. “Too much rum will do that.”

“Someone dies from drinking alcohol in a children’s book?” Katie asked.

“It’s an old pirate story,” I said, shrugging.

I sat in my chair as Maggie leaned forward to refill her glass. Her thick brown hair slid forward and with an unconscious flip, she tucked it behind her shoulder as she leaned back again. I always saw Maggie for her intelligence, but I’d been around the guys enough to know they drooled over her natural beauty.

A thought struck me, and I couldn’t help but to smile. “What’s the status between you and Nightcrawler?”

She raised an eyebrow, wondering at my question, but after a brief pause, she answered. “It fizzled. No hard feelings on either side. Why?”

“Are you staying for the weekend?”

Her eyes danced with humor as she answered. “I figured I’d play it by ear. Why are you smiling like that? It’s creeping me out.”

Katie and Tech were watching me, waiting for an answer, too.

“Daphne Davenport,” I said.

Tech laughed as he turned his attention back to his laptop.

Maggie had a quizzical look on her face. “That crappy actress with the pitchy voice?”

“That’s the one. She’s a client. Supposedly she has a stalker, but I’m not buying it. Are you willing to play pretend girlfriend to her security guard so I can see how she reacts?”

“With everything else going on, how is this anywhere near the top of your to-do list?”

“It’s not, but it’s on my to-do list, and you’re conveniently here.”

Maggie’s eyes narrowed as she considered. “What’s my new boyfriend look like?”

“I have no idea. I’ve never met him.”

Tech turned his laptop to show us a picture. “Meet Billy Hobbs.”

“Ooh, la, la,” Maggie said as she ogled his picture. “Is he single in real life?”

“He’s not married,” Tech said.

“Gay?”

Tech shrugged. “Not that I’m aware of, but it’s not something we keep in our files.”

“What don’t we keep in our files,” Donovan asked, returning with Wild Card and Nightcrawler.

“Sexual preference,” I answered as I leaned forward to get a better look at Billy’s picture.

Donovan saw what we were looking at. “Hobbs isn’t gay.”

Donovan’s reply sealed the deal for Maggie, and she started bouncing up and down on the couch. “I’ll do it! This is going to be the best undercover assignment ever.”

“What are you doing?” Nightcrawler asked.

“Pretending to be that stud muffin’s girlfriend to make a client jealous.”

Nightcrawler laughed.

I looked at Katie, and we both exhaled.

“You didn’t believe me when I said Nightcrawler and I were over?” Maggie asked me.

“I believed that’s how you felt. I just