Chapter 2

"Really? You don't mind 'Ellie'?" Rob said from behind her. Elaina turned and hissed at him, her eyes flaring emeralds with momentary panic. Rob stood there in shock with his eyes wide open, holding the softener up in one hand and a bag of sticky blue balls in the other. She quickly regained her composure and straightened her shirt with a huff.

"You okay?" he asked when he saw she'd settled down.

She rolled her head causing her neck to crack. "You surprised me, that's all." Then her shoulders slumped. "You shouldn't have been able to do that. I let my guard down."

"I would think you're safe enough, here of all places," Rob said consolingly. "The threat is gone now. We killed him," he reminded her. She just shook her head.

"Would it be safe to say that was Dawn on the phone?" he asked curiously.

Elaina smiled and looked at the phone still in her hands. "Yes, that was her." She looked up at him with twinkling eyes. "She wants a girl's day out."

Rob blinked. "So, how's that gonna work?" Her smile got bigger.

"Demoted from blood servant to chauffeur," Rob grumped as he piloted the Mustang to Dawn's apartment. The Mustang purred at being let out of its stall and took them quickly to their destination.

"This is the only way I could do this," Elaina soothed from the back seat. Her armor was hidden in a bag at her feet; she'd put it there after she got in the car. "There was no way I could deny her so soon after getting her back."

She was wearing the burgundy version of what he thought of as her abominable snowman outfit: a fuzzy angora sweater and snug velour pants, with those unbelievably furry matching boots. Over that she had on her cloak. Rob had chosen to wear a black polo shirt over dark blue jeans, his motorcycle boots on his feet. Since it was a day off, he decided his duster wouldn't seem out of place, and his hat was sitting on the seat beside him.

Rob sighed. "You're right. I wouldn't have said no either."

They pulled up in front of Dawn's building. Rob double-parked and got out of the car, leaving the Mustang to sit grumbling quietly to itself. He jogged up the steps and rang her bell. The intercom hissed to life.

Yes?

"It's Rob. Come on down, Dawn."

I'll be a minute. Can you come up?

"I'm double-parked and Elaina's waiting in the car," he said patiently. That was the reason he'd parked that way in the first place.

Oh, pooh. Fine, I'll be right there. The hiss of the intercom went quiet. Moments later, Rob heard Dawn clattering down the stairs.

"Hi, Rob!" Dawn called as she opened the door. She threw her arms around his neck and gave him a brief but intense kiss. "Come on, slowpoke, what are you waiting for?" she said, tugging on his hand to lead him down the steps.

Rob opened his door and pulled the seat forward to allow her to climb into the back. He watched as a ray of sunlight painted the floor behind the seat. He heard the seat cover squeak as Elaina pull away into the corner.

"Get in, get in!" Elaina called. "You're letting out the heat!"

"There you are!" Dawn exclaimed as she clambered in. "Why are you sitting way over there?"

"So we can make plans while our driver takes us to the mall, of course," she answered.

As soon as Rob had climbed in and closed his door, Elaina leaned forward to kiss Dawn. It was another brief but intense kiss, and the women were soon chatting away happily. Dawn cooed over Elaina's outfit, saying she loved the boots. Elaina fawned over Dawn's outfit in turn. She was wearing a dark tan chamois-cloth pants suit with her white parka coat, and brown calf boots on her feet. Her chestnut hair was pulled back in a bun.

Rob paid them no mind as they made their plans, and they were soon at the mall. Rob pulled under what had originally been planned as a valet service enclosure, but the plan had been abandoned when the size of the valet crew became unwieldy and the insurance requirements became a burden on the mall management.

Rob got out and let Dawn out of the back, closing the door and going around to the other side. He'd pulled as close to the entrance as he dared and hoped there'd be no stray beams of light to hinder them. He opened the door and reached into help Elaina out. Dawn watched interestedly as she saw Elaina pull her hood up tight around her face and hunker down as she got out.

Once out, Rob escorted the ladies to the entrance and said his good-byes. They'd decided to be circumspect and Rob only got kisses on the cheek from each.

"What are you going to do while we're pillaging the mall?" Dawn asked.

"I haven't seen my mother in a while," he answered. Elaina looked at him sharply: this wasn't the story they had planned on. "I'm going to stop in for a visit. After that, there's a few things I need to pick up that I can't find in the city. Call me when you're ready and I'll come get you."

"Are you sure, Rob?" Elaina asked sharply. He smiled for her concern.

"If she's not at home, I still have things to do," he answered calmly. "It really has been a while. I would like to see her without something hanging over my head for once."

Elaina nodded her head thoughtfully and looked at him with compassion in her eyes. "You still love her after all she put you through."

"She's still my mother," he responded matter-of-factly.

"Yes, she is," she said briskly. She patted him on the chest. "Go. Have fun and let us girls get to the serious business of shopping." She leaned up and kissed his lips lightly. Dawn, not to be outdone, did the same, and to hell with being circumspect.

"Bye, Rob," Dawn chirped, and ladies walked into the mall, arm in arm.

Rob settled into the driver's seat and gunned the engine, just to hear it echo in the enclosure. He checked his mirrors and then roared off, headed for his mother's.

The Mustang pulled into Martha's driveway with a quiet rumble, feeling comfortable in a familiar paddock. Rob turned off the ignition and listened as the engine died quietly.

He saw that hers was the only other car in driveway, so he was fairly certain she didn't have company. He grabbed his hat then climbed out and went up the path to the door. Following his usual pattern, he knocked then tried the handle. He was once again surprised to find the door unlocked and he walked in.

He heard the unfamiliar sound of a kid's video coming from the den on the left, and he stepped quietly, keeping an eye open for what he might find. Before he reached the den, his mother popped out of the kitchen.

"Oh!" she exclaimed with a hand on her chest. "Robby, you scared me! When did you get here?"

"Just now," he answered. "I knocked but I guess you didn't hear me." He turned his head to the den when he heard the sound of children's voices. "Mom?"

Two children came out of the den looking for who Martha was talking to. The girl stopped short at the doorway and frowned unhappily at Rob. The little boy pushed around his sister and stood in front of him, looking up curiously at the strange man before him. Rob pushed his hat back on his head and looked at his mother.

"Who are you?" the boy asked. The girl tried to pull her brother back, but he twisted his arm out her grip and scowled at her. Turning back to Rob, he put his hands on his hips and said, "Well?"

Rob smiled at the boy's spirit and removed his hat. "I'm Mrs. Zane's son, Rob," he said.

"Billy!" the girl hissed. He turned to scowl at her again.

"What?" he asked pugnaciously.

She harrumphed and turned her glare on Rob. Rob looked back, wondering what her problem was.

Martha spoke up. "Rob, these are Patty's children," she said calmly. "She's Jillian, and I think you know now that the boy is Billy." She gave Jillian a glare for her behavior, and Jillian let her shoulders slump, lowering her eyes. Billy just continued staring at him.

"Nice to meet you, kids," Rob said, wondering what he was going to do now.

"Kids," Martha called, "Why don't you go back to your movie? I need to talk to Robby for a minute." Billy shrugged and went back to the den. Jillian looked up.

"You made my mom cry," she said to Rob. "Why?"

"I didn't mean to," he replied, now knowing her problem. "I'm sorry if that made you feel bad."

"Jillian, that's enough," Martha scolded. "Go watch your movie."

Jillian surrendered with bad grace and stomped into the den, huffing when she sat in a chair, crossing her arms and scowling at the television.

"Come on," Martha said to Rob, "Let's talk in the kitchen." Rob hung his duster in the hall closet, put his hat on a shelf, then followed her to the kitchen, sitting at the table while she poured him a coffee.

"Liz needed to take Patty to the doctor's today for a prenatal exam," she explained without prompting. "Things aren't going well and she needed some tests done at the hospital, so I offered to baby-sit." She sighed and looked toward the den from where she stood at the counter, the cooling mug forgotten in her hand.

"Jillian could have been my granddaughter," she mused. "But that's water under the bridge." She turned to Rob, sorrow carving her face, then remembered his coffee with an apology. She placed the mug before him and sat beside him at the table. Rob took a sip and set the mug gently on the table.

"Perhaps she could have been," he said. "You seem to be enjoying them being here."

"I am," she replied. "Look, Robby, this is no criticism of you, but I really do enjoy having little ones around the house."

"I know," he answered. He looked toward the den, listening to the kids bicker. "I can see that. It's all right, Mom. I understand. As long as you understand that it may be a long time before you get any grandkids from me..." She waved him off.