Page 56 of Ambush

Paradise and Blake found Jenna in the living room with her feet up on the sofa and a novel in her hand. The living room was neat and orderly, and Paradise sniffed the aroma of pizza hanging in the air.

She dropped her purse on the table by the entry. “I’m glad to see you relaxing.”

“There’s leftover pizza if you’re hungry.”

“I’m starved,” Blake said. “Want some, Paradise? I’ll nuke it.”

“I like it cold.”

He nodded and headed for the kitchen while she settled beside Jenna, who obligingly moved her feet away. “We went to talk to Mary Steerforth. Jenna, we’re still reeling from what she told us.”

Paradise launched into Mary’s suspicions. “Blake and I talked on the way home. You used to date Frank. Would you want to have a little chat with him and see if you can feel out his involvement?”

“I wouldn’t mind at all, but I need a ruse to contact him. I don’t want him to think I’m about to cave and sell him the property.”

“I wasn’t sure where you were on those thoughts. After the tiger ordeal, you seemed to be willing to reconsider the idea.”

Jenna put a bookmark in her novel and set it aside. “It was sheer fear talking. If people don’t stand up against evil, what kind of world will we be living in? I still want to turn tail and run so I don’t endanger my family, but what am I teaching the boys about having courage and facing down the wicked who want to destroy us? I would be cementing cowardice into their hearts. At least death isn’t final, but cowardice is on a whole other plane.”

Paradise’s spine lengthened just listening to her friend. She’d always heard courage was not lack of fear but acting in spite of fear. Jenna was doing that now, and Paradise had done the same when she faced the tiger. Being courageous led to more courage, while being afraid led to more and more fear. She’d have to remember that.

She stood as Blake returned with paper plates of pepperoni pizza. “Yours is cold, crazy person that you are. The cheese on pizza should be all melty and gooey.” He handed her a plate and a piece of paper towel. “I’ve never eaten cold pizza and never will.”

“Have a bite?” Paradise tried to get him to open his mouth, but he kept it firmly clamped. When she persisted, his hand shot out and grabbed her in her ticklish spot just above her waist. She shrieked and nearly dropped the pizza as she danced back. “Tickling is no fair.”

His grin widened. “Neither is forcing down cold pizza.” He pointed to the sofa. “Go to your corner and I’ll stay in mine.” He lifted one of his pizza slices. “Ooh, nice, stringy,warmcheese.”

It was the first time they’d joked with each other like the olddays. Still smiling, Paradise reclaimed her spot beside Jenna and found Blake’s mother watching them with a bemused smile. She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t have to—her joy in their clowning around was clear to see.

“Blake, I’m going to go see Frank, but the two of you need to help me come up with a good reason to ask to see him. I don’t want him to think I’m going to sell out.”

Blake swallowed his bite of pizza. “Don’t you have a class reunion coming up? I thought I saw a postcard about it.”

Jenna gasped. “You’re right. All I have to do is pull him to one side. I hadn’t planned to go, but the deadline for the RSVP isn’t until next week, so it’s not too late. I’ll contact our class president and change my answer. We generally have ours in the winter because it’s outside and we don’t have to deal with the heat and humidity. I have to admit, I didn’t want to go by myself. It’s so soon after Hank’s death that it will hurt to go alone. But I’ll take one for the team.”

“I could go as your plus one,” Blake said. “It’s not unusual to take a date.”

“That’s a great idea. Everyone knows I’m recently widowed, so they won’t think anything about your escorting me.”

“And I can take care of the boys.” Paradise fixed a severe stare on Blake. “I’ll need frequent text updates.”

“I’ll agree to that stipulation as long as you bake your favorite magic bars while we’re gone. I haven’t had those since you left, but I sometimes dream of them.”

A laugh bubbled up in her chest, the kind of mirth she hadn’t felt in so very many years. “Deal.”

Jenna uncurled from her spot on the sofa. “I think I’ll head to bed and leave you two to duke out the terms of the surrender.”

Blake took her abandoned spot. He popped the last bite ofpizza in his mouth and wiped his fingers on the paper towel in his lap. “Just you and me, kid.”

Paradise wiped her fingers on the paper towel and rose. “I think I’d better get to bed too.”

“Coward,” he said under his breath as she fled for the bedroom.

***

Final round of the night with the birds hushed and the park devoid of squealing children and boisterous teenagers. Blake loved strolling through the Thursday night darkness, listening to the sounds of predators interacting with their packs and exploring their spaces. The stars twinkled like diamonds on velvet in the inky sky. He should bring the telescope out for the boys again. The only thing missing in this moment was Paradise.

One minute she’d acted like she wanted to talk aboutthem, and the next second she pulled back. Just like last night, but he couldn’t blame her when he felt the same way. There would be time to face their feelings when they got to the bottom of who was plaguing the park. If he didn’t discover the culprit, or culprits, behind the constant attacks, their donors would pull out and these animals would have to find new homes.

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