Booby Trapped and Baby Proofed (8 page)

“I think I’ll come, even if it’s just to help with the registration. You’re going to be too busy to handle all of this yourself.”

“Thanks, buddy,” Harrison said.

“I’ll also bring Tyrone with me.” He paused. “Will Roy and Ethan be attending?”

“I don’t think so,” Harrison said. “Hopefully young master Roy will be home getting ready for bed around that time. And as for Ethan, he has a date with his teacher. She’s testing him.”

“For what?” Everett asked.

“Angel seems to think that he’s gifted.”

“He could be. You have to admit that he’s done some amazing things for a two-year-old.”

“He’s been saying sentences and not that baby crap any more. He calls people by their names after only hearing it once, and he’s even coloring inside the lines.”

“He sounds gifted to me,” Everett said. “Tyrone’s almost five and is still coloring outside the lines.”

“But only one thing bothers me,” Harrison said.

“What?”

“He’s calling Angel Mama and not Angel.”

Everett stopped chewing. “To her face?”

Harrison shook his head. “No, it’s always when she’s a good distance away or after she leaves.”

“Sounds to me like he wants her for his mother.”

“It’s too soon,” Harrison said sadly.

“Is it?” Everett asked. “I believe you fell in love with her the day you moved in next to her. And you’ve been a widower for almost two years. It’s time for you to go on with your life.”

“I understand what you’re saying, but we don’t know each other well enough yet. I’m sure she’s not as perfect as she seems.”

Everett laughed. “No one is perfect, Hawk. This isn’t a romance book where you have to have conflict between the hero and heroine. There are a lot of couples in the world who never argued or disagreed about money. The Lord took Olivia too soon. Maybe, just maybe, he sent you an Angel to compensate.”

Harrison smirked. “You are quite the romantic, aren’t you?”

Everett nodded. “Carrie and I will be celebrating our seventh anniversary next week and I think I love her more now than I did on our wedding day.”

“I thought you were going to divorce her for coffee cake.”

“No. I was just teasing,” Everett said. “I’ve found my one true love and I suspect that Angel may be yours.” He waved goodbye and left Harrison leaning against the desk.

Harrison just didn’t know. He still thought it was too soon.

****

Angel sat at the kitchen table of her older sister Daria’s house sipping coffee while Daria folded towels as she took them out of the dryer. Daria was ten years older than her, and Angel often went to her for adjustment or just to talk.

“So what brings you over here on your lunch hour? Not that I’m not glad to see you.”

“I need some advice,” Angel admitted. She had gone to Daria when she contemplated opening the day care center.

“I figured that much. What are you trying to buy this time?”

Angel smiled. “Nothing. It’s about a man.”

Daria stopped folding and sat down at the table. “What about a man? Are you seeing someone?”

Angel nodded. “Yes, his name is Harrison Calloway.”

“Calloway? Calloway? I know a Harrison Calloway. I went to school with someone with that name. He was a jock, but he was a white guy. Oh! Are you dating a white guy?”

Angel nodded again. “He’s my next door neighbor. He just retired from the Marine Corps and he moved into Mr. Moto’s house.”

“So other than the obvious, what’s the problem?”

“I don’t care that he’s white. He has a child. A two-year-old named Ethan who attends my day care center.”

“The child’s the problem? What is it? You don’t like him? Or, he doesn’t like you?”

“No, I like him. He’s a beautiful child with blond curls and big blue eyes. The problem is I think I like him too much. I just want to hold him and feed him, and make sure he’s safe.”

Daria lifted her coffee cup. “Oh, the motherhood, biological clock thing. I’ve been there a couple of times.”

Daria had two precious little girls, Julia and Consuela, ages five and seven.

“And how does Ethan feel about you?”

“He likes me too. He’s always glad to see me and wants me to hold him. And he likes to fall asleep in my arms. His eyes light up every time he sees me. And I get this warm feeling inside whenever I’m around him.”

“Where’s his mother?” Daria asked.

“She’s dead. She died of breast cancer not long after she had Ethan. For the first year or so of his life, he was raised by his mother’s sister until Harrison retired from the Marine Corps.”

“I see. So how do you feel about the father?”

Angel lowered her head. “I think I’m in love with him.”

“You think? But you’re not sure?”

“No, I’m sure. He’s a very nice man, kind and generous. And he’s very dedicated to Ethan even though Ethan gives him a run for his money.”

“Oh, the terrible twos.”

Angel nodded. “You should see him. He gets out of everything you put him in. Harrison has baby proofed the house, but Ethan still manages to get into things.” She laughed. “He destroyed the kitchen this morning.”

Daria laughed. “Let me guess, Daddy forgot to put locks on the cabinets.”

“Yes.”

“So how is Daddy in the sack?”

Angel blushed.

“That good, huh?”

“Phenomenal, for a white guy. He’s generous that way too. I’ve never been happier.”

“So what’s the problem?” Daria asked.

“I just think everything is happening too fast. Henry’s barely been dead two years.”

“Ah! You’re feeling like you’re betraying his memory.”

“Yes.”

Daria got up and refilled their cups. “Well, if I can remember right, you and Henry were having some problems before he died. Don’t let the bad times you had with him scare you from having a serious relationship with Harrison just because he was also a Marine. All men aren’t abusers.”

“I know,” Angel said. “I went through hell with Henry so I just don’t want to set myself up for that kind of drama again.”

“Does Harrison drink heavily or fuss at you for no apparent reason?” Daria asked.

Angel shook her head. “No, I’ve never heard him raise his voice or get angry. But he’s a martial artist. He’s re-opening Mr. Moto’s dojo in the neighborhood. That would mean he’s a trained fighter and he might…”

“Might what? Beat you up?”

Angel nodded.

“Don’t be silly, girl. You’re just trying to find excuses because you’re afraid of getting hurt again. If you’re in love with the man, go for it. You have my blessing. You deserve to be happy and you already love his child. I think you’re doing an honorable thing by taking on the responsibility of helping to raise him. And I’m not saying you won’t have any problems being in an interracial relationship, but you’re strong enough to get through that. For what I can remember, Harrison was a beefcake and real easy on the eyes with all that curly blond hair.”

Angel smiled.
So, he did have curls
. “I guess you’re right. I’m just letting the past stop me from having a future.”

“Has he told you that he loves you yet?”

Angel shook his head. “No, but I know he does. I can see it in his eyes and by the way he holds me after we finish making love. And while we’re making love.”

Daria chuckled. “I bet.”

“I feel much better now that I’ve talked to you.”

“I really didn’t do anything. You already knew the answer. You just needed a little push. So, is he still as gorgeous as I remember?”

Angel blushed. “Totally. He’s kept fit and he still has a surfer’s body. You should have seen all the attention he was getting at the beach on the weekend. The women couldn’t keep their eyes off him.” She chuckled. “But the poor dear didn’t see any of it.”

“Because he only has eyes for you.”

“I think the red bikini helped.”

Daria laughed. “You were always quite a tease.”

“Well, I can’t help it if Mother Nature has been generous with me. And it was worth the look on his face when I took off the cover-up.”

“Does he know that you swim, surf, and snorkel?”

“No. I didn’t want to give him a heart attack.”

“He’s forty. He can handle it if his heart skips a beat from the sight of a fine black sister.”

Chapter Six

Harrison peeked into the gym, taking in the crowd. A hand tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and found the other teacher, Bill Combel, standing behind him.

“Looks like the place is packed.”

Harrison closed the door. “I wasn’t expecting so many to show up for a new business.”

“Why not?” Bill asked. “This is a prime location. There are plenty of young kids in the neighborhood just looking for a way to expend some energy.”

“We’ve already have about two hundred students registered, and my friend Everett is in the lobby still registering people. If this continues, I might have to hire on another teacher.”

“We can handle it,” Bill said. “And besides, it makes retirement fun.”

Harrison nodded. “We better get out there. Where is Frank?”

“He’s still getting into his costume. The kids mobbed him on the way in. It doesn’t hurt having an Asian martial arts instructor.”

“But he’s lived in America all his life.”

Bill laughed. “The kids don’t know that.”

Frank entered the room wearing a black do-bak. The other two of them were dressed in white. Frank’s specialty was Tae Kwon Do.

“Let’s put on a good show,” Harrison said.

The three former Marines grunted and entered the gym.

****

Angel found a seat in the bleachers and sat down to watch Harrison and the other instructors perform and demonstrate the different types of martial arts they would be teaching. She had been a little frightened at first, but after an hour, she got comfortable and started enjoying the show. A lot of it was mostly movements and kicking and not as bad as she assumed. And the audience just loved it.

Angel smiled. Harrison looked so sexy in his do-bak and bare feet. After the demonstration ended, she returned to the lobby to give Everett a hand with the registration.

“So, what did you think of the show?” Everett asked her. He handed her a clipboard and a pen.

“It was different than I expected. I was prepared to see a lot of blood.”

“That’s only in the movies, I think. Or if someone gets sloppy and accidentally kicks someone in the nose.”

“Harrison’s pretty good at it.”

Everett nodded. “He should be. He started taking lessons at five and continues to train. He’s taken part in competitions and has a slew of trophies stored in the garage.”

“He should have them on display,” Angel said.

“I think he’s planning to display them here eventually, but I think he’s afraid Ethan will get a hold to one of them and clock him in the head.” He laughed.

“Ethan is not violent, he’s adorable.”

“I heard that he adores you. But not as much as Roy adores him.”

Angel smiled. “Yeah, Roy is attached to Ethan, but I think it has more to do with the fact that Ethan shows him how to have fun rather than in a dating capacity.”

“Yeah, I know that, but it still freaks Harrison out, even though he won’t admit it.”

“Harrison told me you enrolled Tyrone in the beginner’s class.”

Everett nodded and handed a clipboard and a pen to another parent. “Yeah, it’s best to start them young. They’re easier to train. I took classes with Mr. Moto too when I was ten and I enjoyed it. And I’m thinking about taking some adult classes just to get some exercise. My butt’s starting to spread riding around in my car showing houses every day.”

“Do you get a lot of female students?”

“Yes, quite a few have registered. Girls should learn self defense.”

Angel agreed. “Is it hard? I mean, can I get hurt?”

“You can get hurt just walking down the street,” Everett told her. “But it’s wise to know how to defend yourself in case you’re attacked. And I’m sure Harrison wouldn’t mind giving you private lessons.”

Angel giggled. “I don’t think we’ll make it through a lesson without ending up in bed.”

Everett laughed this time. “Don’t tell him that. He’ll be strutting around the dojo like a sixteen-year-old stallion.”

“He must have been some hot sixteen-year-old. Ooh, I didn’t mean to say that aloud.”

Everett continued to laugh. “I don’t know about all that, but the girls from school were just crazy about him. And then he met and started dating Olivia.”

She knew eventually that topic would come up. “What was she like?”

“She was a nice lady,” Everett said. “But a bit shy. She liked to read books, but Harrison fell head over heels with her innocence and wholesome values.”

“He doesn’t have any pictures of her lying around. Does Ethan favor her?”

Everett nodded. “She was a blue-eyed blond too. Pretty, but not an airhead.”

“I guess it must have been rough on him with her dying so young.”

Everett shrugged. “It’s hard to tell with Hawk. He never shows his sorrow, not even when his parents died. He was an only child. He got the news about them being killed in an accident while he was in boot camp. They never saw what type of wonderful man he turned out to be.”

“Are Olivia’s parents still alive?”

“No,” Everett said. “But her sister Trudy lives not too far from here.”

“I’ve met her,” Angel said. “She’s a real nice lady and I think she likes me.”

“Oh, I know she likes you too. She had nothing but good things to say about you and your day care center. And we all think you make Harrison a good mate.”

“Why are my ears ringing?” Harrison asked, entering the lobby dressed back in his regular clothes.

“I was just telling Angel about what a wonderful guy you are,” Everett said.

Harrison walked over and kissed her. “She already knows that.” He looked down at the registration forms. “Wow, that’s about a hundred more students. I might have to think about opening the dojo six days a week to accommodate them.”

“So what’s the problem?” Angel asked.

“That’s going to take away my plans to spend time with Ethan.”

“Not if you make sure you schedule yourself to be out of here by at least seven,” Angel said. “Then you can spend some time with him and bathe him.”