One Handsome Devil (24 page)

Without conscious volition, he flew closer to the storefront church where Reverend Bob preached his message. He dared not get too close, of course. Even from a distance, he could feel the power of that sanctified structure disrupting the energies that held him in flight.

The church was as impenetrable to his sight as it was impervious to his entry. Of all the places for a demon to gravitate, this should be the last.

The doors opened and a small crowd burst out, their voices full of energy. Bob must be a better preacher than he was a fighter, Jack decided.

He almost turned away before he heard a familiar voice. Katra and Maura emerged from the church's glass doors followed by Reverend Bob who locked the doors behind him.

"I've never heard the story of Job told in such a clear way.” Maura clutched a small leather Bible in her hand. “I always thought it was strange that God did all those things to him."

The Word tore at Jack's substance with far more strength than being near the church had. Fortunately, no avenging angel appeared to drag him away from his involuntary eavesdropping.

"It's an allegory,” Bob told her. “Job reflects the sacrifice that the holy one made."

"Of course. I see that now. A prophesy, almost."

"Exactly."

"Hey, it's Jack.” Katra didn't seem quite as fascinated by Bob's thoughts on Biblical reconstruction as did Maura. It was odd, though. Jack would have guessed Bob to be one of those who took every word of the Bible, in whatever English translation met their preferences, as literal truth rather than symbolic reality.

"What's up, Katra? Hi Maura and Reverend Bob."

"You don't look too good,” Katra told him. “Eat something that disagreed with you?"

He hadn't come looking for a shoulder to cry on and didn't intend to take one even if it was offered. “No."

"Great. We were just going to lunch. Why don't you join us?"

The Reverend Bob looked distinctly uncomfortable with that idea. Apparently he'd had plans to spend some time with Katra alone. Well, if he was uncomfortable with the idea of spending an hour with Jack, Jack was equally reluctant to spend time with him. Holy words tripped off his tongue as if they were meaningless chit-chat.

"I'd better—"

"Come on, Jack,” Katra urged. “I've been wanting to go to this new Mexican place off of Jefferson for weeks now but...” her voice trailed off.

"But you're afraid to go anywhere by yourself,” Jack concluded for her. “You'll have Bob and Maura to keep you company."

"And you,” Katra concluded. “I haven't gotten the chance to spend any time with you away from Sara. So now's my moment."

Katra was cute in a curvy, wild, red-headed way. He should have been attracted to her. Somehow, though, he had lost the omnipresent sexual desire that had surrounded him through his centuries of captivity. Or rather, all of that energy now seemed focused on Sara. Of course, no matter how hard Katra pressed, he didn't think she was making the move on him. Apparently she was looking for a chaperone to keep Reverend Bob off the case.

"I'm not really dressed—"

"Don't be ridiculous. This is Dallas, not New York. Guys never dress up here."

"But—"

"I just remembered that I promised to visit Mrs. Wilkens,” Reverend Bob broke in. “She's in Presbyterian Hospital for an angioplasty."

"I'll just go along with you then,” Maura told him. “Bernice is one of our regular bridge players at the Rec Center."

"But—"

"I guess it's just you and me then.” Katra didn't look especially disappointed. “Did you drive?"

"No. I fl—, didn't,” he concluded weakly.

"Why don't you come with me. I wanted you to take a look at my Chevy anyway."

He clamped down his teeth. It was poetic justice that the woman he wanted tossed him out when he worked on her car and the woman he didn't want actually wanted him to look at hers. Being a demon meant getting used to poetic justice. He'd realized that millennia before.

Katra led the way to her Beretta, fired the engine, and stepped out. “Do you hear that rattle?"

"Yeah."

"Can you fix it."

"I—"

"Sorry, I meant will you fix it. I don't need any more of your literal question-answering. Fix it now, I mean. Not twenty years from now."

"Pop the hood and let me take a look.” Not that he couldn't see the problem. The automatic transmission was going out. Fixing it through the car's sheet metal and multitone paint would take more energy than he had to spare right now, though.

Katra fiddled with a lever, eventually prying open the hood.

"Do you ever change the oil?” he asked her.

"Sometimes. Why?"

"It's a little low. In fact, the seal looks a little loose."

He reached under her car, thinning his form. When he touched the oil release valve, his hand jerked away.

"Burn yourself?"

"Only in a way.” There was a strong touch of Derrick on that oil valve. Another hint of the man's aura clung to the automatic transmission fluid valve.

"I don't suppose you asked Derrick to work on your car?"

"Of course not."

"Well he's been doing it anyway. Setting you up to break down somewhere. Maybe he's planning on swooping in for the rescue."

"I would rather die."

"He might be okay with that too."

After Jack had fixed her car, Katra dragged him to the new restaurant. He'd just made it to his feet today and now he was flying around Dallas like he had nothing better to do. She knew she was butting into Sara's business, but that was what friends were for.

Fortunately, the new restaurant had a lunch special that didn't break the bank. They ordered, sipped on ice water, and got a huge basket of chips with dip.

Katra bit down on her tortilla chip savoring the mix of hot salsa and cool black bean dip. She'd lost her grudge against Jack when he'd taken those bullets for her, but even large quantities of top-notch Mexican and Central American cooking weren't making her feel any better.

"Just one thing to make this perfect,” she said. She waved at the bartender.

The man brought her a frozen Margarita and she took a big swallow. This wasn't going to be easy.

"I'm wondering about your intentions."

Jack looked up from his chips. “Truly?"

"Of course truly."

He glared at her for a moment. “I have no designs on you."

"I'm sure that's a relief, but that's not what I'm asking about."

"Then I have no idea what this conversation is about."

"I'm talking about my best friend, you idiot. You're messing with her emotions. She hasn't been this taken with a guy since she was a freshman and fell for the captain of the football team."

"What happened then?"

Katra didn't answer until the waitress brought their food, a huge iced tea for Jack, and a second Margarita for her.

"What happened? Well, the guy was a senior. Looking back, I don't know if he even knew we existed. I think we tee-peed his house every Friday through football season."

Jack nodded. “Sara tossed me out. It's for the best, of course. A demon shouldn't have intentions. It isn't practical."

"What? What did you do?” She should have known he'd screw up given half a chance. Jack was a baffling mixture of bravery, intelligence, and uncanny ability to read a person's mind and still do the wrong thing.

"I gave her a tune-up. Her air conditioning belt was worn and the spark plugs needed to be replaced. Unfortunately, I did it without asking her permission. It made her realize how intertwined our lives have become. I think it frightened her."

Katra could understand that. Sara had moved out on her own when she'd turned sixteen and took a job at the Sonic to pay for her apartment. In all of the years since, Katra couldn't think of a single time Sara had let one of her boyfriends even spend the night. “She values her privacy. You've got to give her a little space."

"As I said, she tossed me out. Now she has all of her space."

Poor Sara. Katra wanted to drop everything and comfort her friend, but she wasn't ready quite yet. First, she needed to learn whether to tell Sara to get a grip and get her man back, or whether she should just tell Sara how much better off she was without the loser.

"How do
you
feel about being tossed out?"

"Demons don't have feelings."

"That's complete crap."

"Of course it isn't...” he broke off. “But.... “Another pause. Finally he gave her a rueful grin. “Perhaps I was mistaken. I do have feelings.” He took a sip of his iced tea. A pretty waitresses ran to fill it, giving Jack a look all dimples and promise. Damn, this guy was good.

"So you have feelings. What are they?” Katra had never been much good at waiting.

"It's probably for the best. I've got to get away from here."

"Are you sure you're really a demon and not just a man? Every guy I've ever known was ready to run whenever things got a little complicated."

Jack bristled. Underneath his thin jacket, she could see his wings reflexively flexing, as if to aid an attack. “You know that isn't fair. Sara tossed me out, not the other way around."

"Yeah, right. After you cost Sara her job, nearly got me killed, and went messing with her car without permission. A girl's got to have some pride."

He seemed to consider that over another hard swallow of his iced tea. The poor demon seemed to be addicted to the stuff. From the occasional whiffs of steam she saw, Katra wondered if that was all that kept Jack from catching on fire.

"I can't just sit around worshiping her, you know.” Jack burst from his chair and stomped across the restaurant helping himself to yet another glass of sweetened tea. “Not being able to sit around worshiping someone was what got me in trouble in the first place."

"So don't."

His eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?"

Katra threw what was left of her taco on her plate and stood. “Do something with yourself. Develop some healthy interests. Get a job."

"But—"

"But nothing. Come on."

For the first time Katra could remember, Jack followed her rather than insisting on taking the lead. “So where are we going?"

She got into her Beretta and fumbled for the passenger side door. Fumbled but fell short. Once again, being gifted by nature with a body that barely topped out at five-foot-two interfered with getting anything done. That and the big stack of books that littered the passenger seat.

Jack made a small wavy motion with his finger and the lock popped up. “I take it that was an invitation to get in."

"Shut up and help me move these books to the back seat."

If he'd used his magic again, Katra thought she might have to mace him. Fortunately for Jack, he took one look at her face, nodded companionably, and started piling books from front to back, using his hands.

"Are you going to answer my question?"

"Sometimes you aren't very bright, are you?"

He glared at her, his eyes blue-hot embers of burning diamond. “Aren't I?"

"I'm a teacher, you idiot. I have access to the most complete counseling system in Texas. We're going to get you tested, GED'ed, put you in the program. The Social Security Card will take some work, but I've got an idea for that too."

"But I won't be here long enough."

"You know, I've spent the past ten years with kids who say the same thing. Give it a try. Or are you afraid?"

"I'm not afraid of anything."

Wasn't he just perfectly male. Once she'd gotten him tamed, Sara was definitely going to have a keeper.

Sara took another sip of her coffee which, somehow, had managed to go cold, and glared at the newspaper. There had to be some sort of work for her here in Dallas. Unfortunately, so far, all of the petroleum engineering and prospecting jobs she'd come up with had been in Houston. (Well, there had been one in Saudi Arabia but she'd have to be married to accept that one and that was what had gotten her into this trouble in the first place.)

She bent to circle an ad even though
Girl Friday
was low on her list of job descriptions.

The phone rang and she tossed the paper halfway across her living room. It had to be Jack.

"Sara. Are you all right?” The words were right but the voice was all wrong.

"Hi, Nana.” It took that long before guilt grabbed her. “Oh, my gosh, I'm so sorry. I forgot all about Sunday dinner."

"You're entitled to miss dinner at least once every couple of years.” Sara heard Maura's smile as the older woman spoke, but the smile had to be fading when she dropped the bombshell. “I was surprised when Katra brought Jack. I thought she was sweet on Reverend Bob. The poor man seemed quite hurt."

Sara's heart felt like it had been stabbed by a white-hot knife. “What?” She took a breath and forced herself to a semblance of calm. “I mean, I thought she was interested in Bob too."

"Well, she and that Jack were conspiring through the entire meal. Poor Bob hardly got a word in."

Sara picked her words carefully. “So, uh, Katra and Bob didn't go out together afterwards."

"Heavens, no. Jack practically dragged Katra back to her car.” Her grandmother's voice took on a more imperious tone. “It's funny but somehow I got the idea that the two of you were serious. No great loss, though. Do you know that he doesn't even have his own car?"

"Nana—"

"You let me finish, now, hear? I've got myself on a roll and I intend to enjoy it. I don't think that man has a job either. With his looks and built, he's probably one of those what you call'em gigolos."

"Nana!"

"When you lost your job, he dumped you and went off with Katra. Course when he finds out how much she has left after her mother and her sister take advantage of her, I'm afraid he'll be moving on again. Let me tell you—"

"That is enough, Nana. Jack is not going to date someone for the money. I just wish they had found the courage to come and talk to me about it. I'm not happy they're sneaking behind my back."

"I'm not happy they're sticking their nasty noses into my dining room,” Maura fired back. “That's why I told Katra she needn't come around on Sundays any more."