Free Mistress of Magic by Heather Graham

agree that Max is innocent, then we have to assume that someone else is guilty.”
    “But—” She faltered for just a second. “But we’re not even sure that anything has happened to Daphne—”
    “Oh, come off it! Or save it for the press,” he said.
    Her cracker was in her fingers again, and her fingers were very tense. Oh, no. Lobster shell was flying again, and this time it wasn’t coming his way.
    A piece of Reggie’s claw went flying up, up.
    It landed with a soft thud right in front of the little toddler who was busy decorating his Sesame Street bottle with his applesauce.
    The child looked up instantly, a huge smile spreading across his cheeks.
    His parents were not so amused. Startled, they both stared toward him and Reggie.
    “I’m so sorry—” Reggie began.
    “You can dress her up,” Wes said with an exaggerated sigh, “but you still can’t take her anywhere! Ouch!”
    She had kicked him beneath the table.
    It didn’t matter, but the toddler’s parents were laughing. “Hey, it’s a perfect ending to a perfect meal,” the young father said wryly. The couple were standing, extracting their son from his high chair. “Hey, you’re Regina Delaney, aren’t you?” the man asked.
    Reggie nodded slowly. Wes was startled at the emotion that swept through him as he saw the wariness in her eyes. She was instantly afraid and defensive.
    “Is this a publicity thing?” his wife asked, indicating her costume.
    “No, it’s, er—”
    “It was a late night,” Wes supplied.
    She should have been grateful. She kicked him beneath the table anyway. “I can answer for myself!” she reproached him softly. She glared at him, then smiled at the couple. “It was a late night,” she said pleasantly.
    “Poor thing, you do look tired!” the woman said.
    Reggie was tensing again, aware of the couple’s obvious curiosity.
    “Oh, no. I think it’s her age. She’s just haggard-looking all the time now,” Wes said, sitting back.
    She glared at him. With a look that could kill.
    “Thirty,” she said lightly. “You do have to watch out for it. It’s downhill all the way after.”
    “And she should know. She’s thirty-three,” Wes supplied.
    The couple laughed. “I don’t think you look haggard at all!” the woman said.
    Neither did Wes.
    The woman continued. “Why, every time we’ve seen your picture in the news, my Joe here has commented on what a beautiful woman you are. And your brother, of course, is divine. And—” she hesitated a second, flashing a quick look at her husband “—and you should know that all the local people here are a hundred percent behind you and your brother. The park is wonderful. We love to go there. Our boy—” she glanced down to the baby in her arms “—our boy just loves the little people rides, and he’s crazy about Dierdre and Dolly and David and the rest. And long before this, we’ve seen all the good that your brother tries to do, and we’ll just never believe evil of him, we won’t—”
    “Martha!” the man said.
    “Well, it’s true!”
    Reggie’s lashes were over her cheeks. Then she looked up. “Thank you!” she said quietly. “Really, thank you. That means so much.”
    “Martha, let’s leave them to eat in peace now,” her husband said.
    Wes laughed. “Don’t worry about leaving us in peace. We’re the ones who pelted you with the lobster shells, remember?”
    The couple laughed. Reggie narrowed her eyes. They all said good-night to one another.
    “You really do have to try to control your temper while dealing with lobster claws.”
    “Why?” she murmured, her eyes widening as she stared at him. “When I have such a stalwart and charismatic man to come so chivalrously to my defense?”
    He laughed. “The most stalwart of defenders has to admit to the truth. You did pelt them with lobster shells.”
    “Shell. One lobster shell.”
    “Yes, but we’re worried about headlines here, right? Can you imagine this one? R. Delaney