Her Secret, His Child

TARA TAYLOR QUINN

Ashley pointed out the rear of the car. "'Cause that little boy has his face painted."

Okay, so driving wasn't big with them. Never mind. "Can daddies have their faces painted, too?" he asked.

"Yeah!" Ashley hollered at the same time he heard Jamie say, ' 'Not if they want to walk beside mommies."

As Ashley was about to dart off to six different booths at once, Jamie suggested they start at the beginning and try to work their way around the whole park. Kyle liked that idea best. With Ashley bouncing up and down at his feet, he paid the small fee for the three of them to enter the park, then followed his two festival experts inside.

"Look, Daddy," Ashley said, grabbing his hand. "There's a emergency man. Mommy told me about them. Wanna know what she said?"

"Sure."

She tugged on his hand in her hurry to share with him. "Their telephone number's 911 and you can call it if you're in trouble."

Intercepting a glance from Jamie, Kyle smiled at her.

It soon became apparent that not only did Ashley know about the fun to be had at the festival, she knew about all the hazards she was to watch out for, which games she was allowed to play, even which foods weren't so good for her. And she lectured Kyle on every one.

"You don't ever talk to strange people, Daddy."

HER SECRET, HIS CHILD

she said solemnly at one point. '' 'Specially if they got candy."

Jamie was buying a handmade magnet at the time, and watching her, Kyle couldn't help remembering the night he'd talked to a stranger. A woman he'd never met but felt he'd always known. When he'd approached Jamie, it was the first and only time he'd approached a woman cold. And in spite of everything, he wasn't sorry he'd done that.

After a full day of fun, one daisy face painting and more food than a four-year-old should've been able to consume, Ashley finally fell asleep in the back of the T-Bird. Jamie used the trip home to fill Kyle in on the latest with Karen and Dennis. She still got a happy little thrill whenever she thought about her friends.

Kyle carried Ashley into the house and straight into bed as soon as they got home.

"Shouldn't she have a bath or something?" he asked Jamie. ' 'At least wash that stuff off her face?''

Shaking her head, Jamie led the way out of the little girl's room and into the kitchen. "I can wash her sheets in the morning a lot more easily than we'd get her into a bath tonight. She's exhausted and she'd only cry if we woke her."

She got out the makings for a pot of coffee. Got out a liquor bottle, too. She wasn't ready for him to leave. "Would you like an Irish coffee?"

"Sounds good." Kyle leaned against the counter. "I'd like to talk for a few minutes, if you're not too tired."

TARA TAYLOR QUINN

After a week of polite, meaningless conversations, the day's warmth had been a welcome change. But now she was afraid of what he might want to say.

"I'm fine." She tried to appear busy waiting for the coffee to drip. Anything to avoid looking at him. Though he'd been at the house every day that week, she'd missed him more than she'd ever thought possible. She'd come to depend on his friendship, his constant affection. She hated seeing the stranger's mask come over his face. Was too tired to pretend it didn't hurt.

She couldn't bear to have another session with him in her living room, so she took the coffee to the kitchen table and sat down. Kyle pulled out the seat she'd begun to think of as his.

"This past week's been hell," he said, placing his arms on the table on either side of his cup.

Jamie lifted her drink. "Can't argue with you there." She took a swig, needing the drugging bite of liquor, the surge of sweetness, and burned her lip.

Her hair a curtain around her face, she continued to hide from him.

"I've done a lot of thinking this week," he said.

"I suspect that's an understatement."

His only acknowledgment was a bowed head. ' 'I can see where a desperate person might make some desperate choices."