Annie's Rainbow - Fern Michaels [128]
“I knew that. I was just testing you, Daisy,” Elmo wheezed.
“I wonder if what’s his name, from the campus police, is still working? Remember how he used to have a crush on you, Jane?” Annie giggled.
“What I remember is him calling you on the phone.” Jane giggled.
“Yes, but to talk about you. He’s probably married by now with six kids,” Annie retorted. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Elmo nod off. She reached for the little dog and handed him over to Daisy.
“Is this really an adventure, Mommy?” Daisy asked.
“You bet it is, honey.”
“Oh, boy, Charlie, we’re going on a real live adventure, on a real airplane!”
Jane rolled her eyes. Annie clenched her teeth. Adventures sometimes had a way of turning into disasters.
“Okay, Jake, we did our walk. We went grocery shopping. We did our laundry. I cleaned the bathroom. I read the paper from front to back. There’s nothing left to do. There’s nothing on the tube, and I refuse to watch soap operas. I feel like I should be doing something, but I don’t know what that something is. What in the hell did we do before you dragged Annie Clark into our lives? This is all your fault, Jake.”
Clay’s tone of voice was so new to the Lab he slunk across the room on his belly. “C’mere, I didn’t mean it in a bad way.” The dog bounded over to Clay and hopped on his lap, all 130 pounds of him.
“She offered me a job. Kind of. have to make a decision about that. I like old Tom and her two roommates. The old guy is okay. Jane’s a real mother, and the kid is okay, too. Ya know, Jake, they’re a family. We’re kind of lacking if you know what I mean. You know what they’re doing right now? They’re getting ready to go to Boston. We could do that, too, if we wanted to. I’ve chartered planes before. I can certainly afford it. You could sit in first-class with me. Hell, it’s all first-class when you charter a plane.
“Two women, one kid, and a dying old man. What kind of odds are those for someone who means to harm them? Not good. What’ya think, Jake? All it takes is a phone call. I could be packed in five minutes. It will just take you a second to get that raggedy-ass blanket and squeak toy you drag with you everywhere. So, say something!”
Jake bounded off Clay’s lap and ran for his blanket and toy.
“Okay, let’s do it!”
“It occurs to me, Jake,” Clay said on the drive to the airport, “that maybe we are overstepping our bounds here. Maybe I should call Tom Clark and tell him what we’re doing. Yeah, yeah, that’s what I’m gonna do. If he nixes the idea, we can cancel the flight.”
Jake stirred himself long enough to lick at his master’s hand as he punched out a series of numbers.
“Tom, this is Clay Mitchell. Listen, I had this cockamamie idea that I would charter a plane and go to Boston. There’s something about two women, a kid, and a dying old man that bothers me if something goes awry. I don’t know what good I’ll be, but at least I can . . . you know, be visible.
“Why? Well, I got tired of talking to my dog. Is it okay with you, then? Hey, I can have the pilot stop and pick you up at your airport if you want to come along. Yeah, yeah, I did get the idea that your sister doesn’t like anyone sticking their nose in her business. My concern is the old man and the kid. Well, yeah, sure, I like your sister. What’s not to like? She sent my dog twelve T-bone steaks. Okay, then, Jake and I are going to Boston. While I’m airborne I’m going to try and figure out what I did for the past three years. Sure, I’ll let you know. This is going to sound kind of sophomoric, but did Annie say anything about me? You know, any little thing. So tell me already. She said that! Are you putting me on? No kidding! Well, thanks, Tom. Nah, I haven’t decided if I want to work for a woman or not. They get their panties in a wad over every little thing. She really said that, huh? Okay, I’ll give it some serious thought. Wait a damn minute. Are you saying if I buy into the Daisy Shops, I would have an equal voice? Is that what you’re saying? Uh-huh. I’ll keep that in