Free Daddy Warlock by Jacqueline Diamond Page A

Monday to enroll Harry in his new school.
    The building had fresher paint and a newer playground than his old one, and the children looked better scrubbed. A couple of kids, she noticed, wore expensive outfits, and she hoped they weren’t snobbish about clothing.
    Harry’s new teacher seemed cheerfully capable, and the class wasn’t far ahead of where his old class had been. With only a couple of months left in the school year, she didn’t want her son to get frustrated.
    Driving back to Chance’s house, she followed his hand-drawn map with care. Tara could almost have sworn the streets shifted a little and that some of the landmarks had changed since this morning.
    With relief, she turned into the driveway and parked to one side. Chase had mentioned something yesterday about installing a carport for her, but she couldn’t imagine that he would go to such lengths for an employee.
    As she got out, Tara allowed herself a moment to breathe the fragrant air and enjoy the quiet. Since leaving’ Kentucky, she’d missed the sounds and scents of nature.
    There was something special about this glade. The light had a sepia tone, as if it came from long ago. She could imagine magical things happening here.
    The only magic Tara believed in, she reminded herself, was the kind that came from within the human heart. In a searing flash, as if her thoughts had been illuminated by lightning from a clear sky, she saw that Chance Powers might indeed be that kind of magician. He tempted her more than any man she had ever met
    Even when dealing with mundane matters, she never lost her awareness of his physical presence. His resonant voice reached within her like a challenge, or an invitation. Sometimes she felt as if she could reach inside him, too.
    Tara could picture him clearly: the dark hair and gray eyes, the strong-boned face and provocative smile, the body taut with restrained power. In only a few days, he had become a dominant part of her mental landscape.
    But she must resist him. If not, she risked losing her job and this wonderful place to live.
    A T LUNCH, most of the kids bought the cafeteria food. There was a choice between a hamburger and a burrito. This school had a special lunchroom, instead of using the auditorium like his old school, and there was a salad bar, plus a yogurt machine.
    Harry had let Rajeev pack an eggplant sandwich, which tasted good, but the other kids were giving him pained expressions. They had fancy clothes with names written across the front that Harry had seen on television commercials. And they wore the kind of sneakers thatfamous basketball players endorsed. It was like going to a whole school full of John Abernathys.
    One other boy was sitting by himself at the end of the table. He was thin with short hair and thick glasses. Like the others, he wore big-name clothes and had bought his lunch, but nobody was talking to him.
    â€œHi,” said Harry. “What’s your name?”
    â€œAl.”
    â€œI never met a kid named Al before.”
    â€œIt’s short for Alcindor but the other kids make fun of that.”
    â€œThey shouldn’t act mean.”
    The boy smiled. “What’s your name?”
    â€œHarry. Like Houdini.”
    â€œWho’s Houdini? I mean—Who Dini?”
    They both laughed.
    â€œHe’s a guy who used to work magic tricks, just like—” Harry remembered his promise to Chance about keeping a secret. “Like at the circus.”
    â€œWanna play tetherball?”
    Harry didn’t like knocking a ball around a pole, but who cared what they did, as long as he had a friend? “Sure.”
    They ran out of the lunchroom together, ignoring the looks from a couple of their classmates. Harry hoped there weren’t any bullies who would pester him and Al.
    That might make it hard to keep his word. He didn’t want to let Chance down.
    B Y THURSDAY, Tara had begun to feel comfortable with Chance’s