Page 14 of Ghost Tour (Haunted Souls Book 19)

13Jude

“I have a surprise for everyone when we’re finished with our ice cream,” Jude said before taking a bite from his cone.

“What kind of surprise?” Wolf asked. “It better not be the trash song.”

“The trash song?” Ronan asked. “What’s that?”

“It’s this stupid song that Daddy sings so that I’ll clear the table after dinner.” Wolf’s lips curled into a sneer. “I hate cleaning up.”

“Me too,” Everly sighed.

“I don’t hate cleaning up!” Aurora said cheerfully.

“What?” Wolf and Everly asked at the same time.

“I’m a princess, and princesses don’t have to clean up, right, Daddy?” Aurora looked up at Fitz adoringly, her green eyes sparkling.

“Is that true, Uncle Fitz?” Everly asked. “I’m a princess, and Daddy makes me clean up after myself and help with the laundry.” She flashed Ronan a dirty look.

“Yeah, Uncle Fitz, is that true?” Ronan asked in a dangerous tone.

Jace snorted. “Looks like you’re in the middle of it now, Fitzy.”

“Every family has different ways of handling chores. I do the laundry and the cooking, and we have a housekeeper who comes in twice a week to mop the floors and whatnot. We haven’t figured out a good chore for Aurora to do yet.” Fitz offered a placating smile.

“Daddy, being this fabulous is a chore!” Aurora grinned at Fitz before she and Everly broke up laughing.

“Let’s play a game,” Ten said. “Whoever cleans up their mess the fastest wins a prize.”

“It’s gonna be me!” Everly grabbed her used napkins and bolted for the nearby trash can.

Wolf and Aurora were hot on her heels.

“What’s the prize?” Jude asked.

“They get to live rent-free for another night at the rental house,” Ronan said on a giggle.

“I win!” Everly said, rushing back. “What’s my prize?”

Ten winked at Ronan. “Well, since everyone did such a great job, you all get to pick out one thing from the gift shop.”

“Really?” Aurora clapped her hands together. “Daddy, I saw a unicorn stuffy that I loved. She’s white with a pink mane.”

“Let’s wash hands first.” Ten handed out wet wipes to everyone. “We don’t want to get your princess unicorn sticky.”

Jude barked a quick laugh. “Princess unicorn sticky. Isn’t that Ronan’s nickname for his—”

Cope wrapped a hand over Jude’s mouth. With one eyebrow raised high, he shook his head.

Jude grabbed Cope’s wrist, pulling his hand away. “You have no idea what I was about to say.”

“Everyone within a one-mile radius knows what you were going to say.” Fitzgibbon grabbed his empty ice cream cup and headed for the trash.

“Yeah, but what I want to know is who told Jude?” Ronan fluttered his eyelashes at his partner.

“Hand wipe,” Ten said, slapping Ronan in the face with the moist towelette. “Stick it in your ear holes to help clean out that dirty mind.” Ten pulled out another wipe and whacked it against Jude’s stubbled chin. “You too.”

Jude cleaned his sticky hands and followed everyone into the gift shop. He knew the kids weren’t just going to get one thing. They’d want T-shirts, stuffies, and a velvet pouch of those colorful tumbled rocks kids were drawn to like fresh baked cookies.

Half an hour later, everyone was loaded into the van with their loot. Jude had been right on the money thinking the kids would walk out with bags of loot. The girls had gotten their unicorn stuffies: the pink mane for Aurora, purple for Everly, and teal for Lizbet. They’d all gotten matching Grand Canyon T-shirts and coloring books. Wolf and Ezra each got a pack of plastic animal toys that included a roadrunner, a Gila monster, and other local wildlife. When no one was looking, Jude grabbed a couple of rubber snakes. He was going to put them on Ronan’s and Fitz’s chairs before they ate tonight. It would be dinner and a show for sure.

“Daddy? What was the surprise you talked about when we were eating our ice cream?” Wolf called from the back row, where he and Ezra were playing with their new toys.

“We’re gonna make one last stop on our way home. You’re always so good when the girls want to watch princess movies and shop for dresses, so I thought you deserved to visit this special place.”

“What is it?” Wolf asked, his eyes wide.

“Hold on a second, we’re here.” Jude pointed to a building up ahead with a giant rattlesnake sign as Fitz pulled into the lot and parked the van. “This is the Rattlesnake Museum.” Jude grinned at his son. “They have all kinds of animals in there for us to see.”

“Oh, wow! This is the best day ever.” Wolf unbuckled himself and gave Jude a hug.

“Wait a second,” Everly said, her eyes wide. “You want me to go inside a place where there are snakes?” She sounded as if she doubted Jude’s sanity.

“The snakes are in tanks, honey. They’re not slithering around on the floor.” Jude had to admit that the idea of the snakes roaming free scared the pants off him, not that he’d voice his opinion out loud.

“It still sounds scary,” Everly said. Aurora nodded along with her.

“Well,” Jude said, drawing out the word. “I wanted it to be a surprise, but they have a Gila monster.”

“The cute pink lizard?” Everly asked.

“Yup.” Jude shrugged, taking off his seat belt. “But if you want to stay out here, I understand.”

Everly and Aurora looked like they were weighing going in or staying outside.

“You’re so strong, Everly, and Aurora is brave. We’re gonna have a great time,” Fitz said before hopping out of the van to open the sliding door.

“Tell you what,” Ten began. “Why don’t we all go inside, and if you don’t like it, I’ll bring you back out to the van. What do you think?”

Jude’s eyes were on Wolf, who wore an anxious look. He couldn’t count the number of times his son did what the girls wanted to do instead of his own thing. If there was ever a time they did something for Wolf, it was now.

“Okay, Woofie,” Everly said, straightening her spine. “I’ll go with you, but if I see one snake on the floor, I’m out.”

“Me too,” Aurora agreed, sounding less enthusiastic than Everly.

Wolf grabbed the girls’ hands and led them out of the van where Fitz and Jace were waiting.

“I thought he was going to give in and say we could just go home,” Cope said.

Jude nodded. “I was thinking the same thing. He’s always so agreeable with the things the girls want to do. It’s nice to see them back him up, even if the place might be a little scary.” He got out of his seat and headed for the van door.

“To tell the truth,” Cope said, sliding the van door closed, “I’m not so thrilled about a building filled with snakes either.”

Jude pressed a kiss to Cope’s forehead. “That’s my brave boy, taking one for the team.”

“Uh-huh.” Cope took Jude’s hand and held on tight.

“Come on, slowpokes!” Wolf waved wildly from the door, where everyone was waiting for them.

When Jude reached the group, the girls had ahold of Ronan’s and Fitzgibbon’s hands in the same death grip Cope was using on him. He knelt low in front of them. “You’re so brave. Thank you for doing this for Wolfie.”

Everly offered a brittle smile. Jude noticed the same look on Aurora’s face. He had a feeling their fathers had given them the grin-and-bear-it speech.

Holding open the door, Jude pulled out his wallet and paid for the tickets with the help of Colin, whose name tag said he was the museum’s herpetologist. There were enough of them that they qualified for the group rate. The museum was one long room with terrariums built into the walls, the kind you’d seen in a pet store, though thankfully, none of the reptiles were for sale. To the left of the door were shelves with books and toys, and beyond that were glass cases containing snake skins that had been shed and an assortment of fangs and rattles.

“Daddy!” Wolf called out. “Come see this!”

Jude hurried to Wolf, who was standing in front of a large glassed-in exhibit. There was a sandy bottom with rocks, a large piece of driftwood, and a water bowl. Sitting in the middle of the desert environment was an albino rattlesnake. “Oh, wow!”

“Isn’t he neat?” Wolf asked, his eyes glued to the snake.

“Actually, he is a she, and her name is Snow White!” Ronan said from behind Jude, pointing to the sign taped to the glass. Everly was in his arms.

“The snake is a princess?” Everly asked, sounding dubious.

“She sure is,” Ronan said. “Look at those pretty pink eyes.”

“I guess she’s not so scary. You can put me down.” When Ronan set Everly on her feet, she walked to Wolf’s side, gasping when the snake slithered forward to get a closer look.

“Can she see us?” Wolf asked.

Jude nodded. “Rattlesnakes see in color, just like we do.”

“Oh. My. God!” Aurora’s voice sounded concerned from across the room. “It’s rattling.”

Wolf took off in Aurora’s direction. “Holy Moley!”

Jude and the others gathered around the terrarium, where a snake named Jake was coiled and ready to strike. He could hear the rattle through the glass. “What do you think?”

“I think Jake’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Do you kids want to meet a snake?” Colin asked. Tangled around his left hand was a small snake.

“I do!” Wolf hurried to Colin’s side. “What kind of snake is it?”

“This is a boa constrictor. Helen came to us from a private collection in New Mexico.”

“Hi, Helen,” Wolf said, sounding excited to make the snake’s acquaintance. “Can touch her?”

“Sure.” Colin knelt beside Wolf. “Here along her back. Use two fingers.”

“Like we did with the stingrays!” Wolf ran his fingers down the snake’s back. “She’s so soft.”

“Great job! Anyone else want to meet Helen?” Colin asked.

“We do!” Ronan said, coming forward with Everly trailing behind him. He touched the snake and turned to Everly. “What do you think?”

“Well, she seems nice. Hi, Helen,” Everly said, holding her hand toward the snake, who flicked her tongue.

“Helen licked me!” Everly wore an enchanted look on her face. “Just like Trixie does.” Everly touched the snake’s back and whispered to the animal.

Jude wasn’t about to tell Everly that the snake was tasting her skin or that the animal didn’t have ears to hear what she whispered. Instead, he snapped pictures of his brave niece. “How about you, Aurora? Do you want to come say hello?”

“Yes!” Aurora’s voice matched the look of fear in her eyes. She stepped up to Ronan, who still knelt in front of Helen. Setting a hand on his shoulder, she reached out to the snake. Jude could see her hand shake. Helen obligingly licked Aurora too, making the little girl giggle. She touched the animal’s back and turned to Fitz. “I did it, Daddy! I touched a snake.”

“You’re so brave, honey!” Fitz grinned brightly at his daughter. With a determined look on his face, he walked up to the snake and gave her a pet. “We’re all brave.” He sounded relieved.

After pictures were taken with Helen and she was put back in her terrarium, Aurora reached for the herpetologist’s hand. “Mr. Simon, can you show us your cute pink healer monster?” Aurora asked.

“Sure thing, little lady. Follow me.” Simon headed across the museum with the kids following behind him.”

“This was a great idea,” Cope whispered to Jude. “Wolf will never forget getting to see all the rattlesnakes and meeting Helen.”

Jude nodded. “Did you see the look on his face when he touched the snake?”

“Uh-huh.” Cope shuddered.

“Looks like we’ve got a budding herpetologist in the family.”

Cope shook his head. “Oh, no. Wolfie’s gonna be a doctor or a lawyer or a dolphin biologist.”

“Weren’t you the one who said that it’s our job to give our kids the tools to make their own decisions about their future?”

“Snakes are not one of those tools. I don’t want a snake in my house, Jude.”

“That’s not true,” Jude said softly. “You had one down your throat last night.” He waggled his eyebrows.

“That’s different,” Cope said, blushing. “That snake isn’t gonna bite me.”

“Not with that attitude, he won’t.” Jude patted Cope’s ass and went to find the kids, who were marveling over the Gila Monster named Gilda. He had a feeling the girls would be asking their fathers to get them one before the day was over.