Come Toy with Me. Cara Summers

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      JAMES MCGUIRE ROSE as his daughter threaded her way through the packed restaurant. The crowd was a lively one, and the noise level nearly succeeded in muting the tinny-sounding Christmas carols that poured through the speakers. He’d arrived half an hour early and tipped the hostess to find him a table.

      This wasn’t the type of place hewould have chosen, but he’d learned years ago to pick his battles with his daughter. And a pretty little waitress named Colleen had informed him that the Mulligan’s stewhere had been written up in the Zagat’s guide.

      A rush of love moved through him when Cat wrapped her arms around him in a warm hug. When he drew back, he held on to her for a moment and studied her face. Just as he’d suspected, there were circles under her eyes. Even as a child, she’d always given every project she worked on her all. It was high time she had something in her life besides that toy store. “It’s been too long, little girl. You have to get away from that store sometimes. I miss you.”

      “You could always come down to this end of town and visit me in the Cheshire Cat,” she said.

      McGuire winced a little. “Touché. One guilt trip deserves another. Sit down. I ordered you a glass of your favorite wine. Pouilly-Fuissé, right?”

      “Right.”

      “Colleen here recommended the Mulligan’s stew, so I took the liberty of ordering that, too. I’ll bet you didn’t take time for lunch today.”

      Cat narrowed her eyes on her father. “You want something. Why don’t you just come out with it?”

      “Now, Cat, can’t you believe your dad just wanted to see you?”

      Her eyes narrowed even more. “Maybe when pigs fly.”

      He threw back his head and laughed. “Never could put one over on you, could I?”

      “Maybe when I was six.”

      He raised his glass. “At least take a sip of that wine. It costs the earth.”

      Cat’s brows shot up as she reached for her wine. “And that single malt Scotch you’re drinking doesn’t?”

      He merely smiled as he touched his glass to hers. “To a very happy holiday season.”

      Cat sipped her wine. “You’ve got that gleam in your eyes. You’re up to something. If you came all the way down here to make sure I’m going to Gianna’s big charity ball on Thursday, I’ll be there. I also bought tickets for Adelaide, Josie and Matt. He should be back from Mexico by then.”

      “Mexico?” He had to tread carefully. He wasn’t supposed to know much about her store.

      She smiled as she took another sip of wine. “He’s in this little village. I’ve told you about Paxco, haven’t I?”

      “Remind me,” he said. She actually started to glow when she talked about her business. It was something she rarely spoke of when the family gathered because of Gianna’s preference that she get out of retail. His wife had even gone so far as to offer her a job at Merceri Bank.

      “Matt had to fly down there yesterday because this one shipment of dolls has been delayed. If it doesn’t get here, there are going to be twenty-four little girls who won’t get what they want from Santa.”

      No wonder she was worried, McGuire thought. Her mother had died on Christmas Eve, and ever since then, Cat had put a lot of effort into making sure that everything was perfect at Christmastime. He’d done the same for her. But he couldn’t read any sign that she suspected something other than dollmaking was going on in Paxco. He placed a hand over hers. “Don’t worry, little girl. They’ll get here.”

      She lifted her chin. “I know that, and that’s exactly what I told my worried customers. I’m hoping they shipped today and they’ll arrive tomorrow or Thursday. Friday at the latest.”

      She sipped more wine. “Still, I’ll feel better when Matt calls back and gives me a tracking number. The connection I had with him was very bad.”

      McGuire studied his daughter. He didn’t like it one bit that one of the shipments from Paxco was delayed. If something happened to prevent the drugs from arriving, СКАЧАТЬ