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“It is. You want a fresh sheet to start your own and you can practice on this one?”

“No, thank you,” he said as he started laying out the pastels in a perfect line.

“I’ll leave you to it, then. Can I go back and talk to your dad for a second?”

“He’s probably right there. He always watches me.” With that Carson more or less dismissed her as he lost himself in experimenting with the pastels.

“If you want a new sheet, just take one out of the sketch book, okay?” she said, then walked out of the room and went back to the front room, Carson’s father was just a few steps ahead of her the entire way.

When they reached the main room he stopped and turned around to face her.”That was amazing,” he said.

Daisy smiled. “It was easy. He’s a very sweet kid.”

“He gets picked on so badly. It takes every ounce of where-with-all I have to leave him at school every day. He’s just not like other kids and they give him no break at all.

I’ve always taught him that he doesn’t have to like everybody, but has to be decent to everybody.

Seems he must be the only one who’s taught that. ”

“I’m sorry, I know his name is Carson, but I didn’t catch your name,” Daisy said.

“Sorry, I often introduce him and forget to introduce myself. I’m Charlie, Charles Blessey.”

“Hi, Charlie. I’m Daisy Marchande’.”

“It’s good to meet you. You seem to have a way of winning Carson over. I’m impressed. It’s all I can do to get him to talk to anybody but me.”

Daisy smiled softly. “Well, he said something to me that struck a note. He said that the colors of the pastels he chose make him breathe better. Which I get. I often chose colors and clothes and anything at all really, based on how they make me feel. Not to the touch, but in here,” she said, touching her chest. “I’d like a chance to teach him how to draw and use the pastels to help him express himself.

I think it might make a huge difference in how he interacts with the world around him.

If that’s alright with you and your wife. ”

“Oh, it’s just me and Carson now.”

“I’m sorry,” Daisy said.

“It’s alright. Been a long time.” Charlie looked over Daisy’s shoulder toward the art room Carson was in using the pastels Daisy had given him.

“It’s not that I don’t want him to have the experience, it’s just that I’m so busy at work, it might be hard to get him here every day at the same time.

I never know when I’m going to have to work overtime. ”

“I’m done,” Carson said, walking into the room with his sheet of paper in his hand, his hands and clothes stained with pastel dust. He walked right up to Daisy and handed her his page, then went to stand next to his father.

Daisy looked down at the page in her hand, then quickly glanced up at his father. Slowly she extended her hand, showing him the drawing. It was a perfect portrait of her. It was done in brown and tan and gold, but there was no doubt it was her. “Maybe he could teach me a thing or two,” she said.

Charlie looked closely at the page, then at her before focusing on the page again. “I’ll find a way to get him here.”

“It doesn’t have to be every day. Just whenever you find the time. I’ll make time.”

“Is it okay?” Carson said.

“Carson, it is the most beautiful picture of me that I’ve ever seen,” Daisy said.

“I didn’t know you could draw like that, buddy,” Charlie said.

“I like to draw.”

“I hope you’ll come back to draw with me again,” Daisy said.

“Maybe,” Carson said.

Charlie rested a hand on his son’s shoulder and smiled at Daisy. “This has been very interesting, Daisy. We’ll definitely see you again soon.”

“Looking forward to it,” she said, extending her hand to shake his.

Charlie held her hand a little longer than was comfortable for her.

She ended up backing up a step as she took her hand back. Visibly shaken, she clasped her hands together behind herself and smiled nervously at the father and son as they started toward the door. “Bye, Carson.”

He didn’t look back, but he lifted his hand and waggled it in her direction.

As soon as they got in their car and started it up, she immediately went back to cleaning, studiously ignoring everybody around her.

“So, what was that all about?” Hellen finally asked.

“All what?”

“The little bit of interest at first, then the total slamming of the brakes and practically breaking out in a cold sweat there at the end?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Daisy said.

“Sure you do. What’s going on, Daisy?” Hellen pushed.

“Nothing. I just really like the little boy, and I’d like to work with him.

He’s obviously dealing with some issues, but is so talented.

Look at this — he did it in about five or six minutes.

There must be at least half a dozen shades in this.

And it’s accurate! When did he even look at me?

” Daisy said, handing over Carson’s drawing to Hellen.

Hellen took it from her and looked down at the small sketch Carson had put in the upper right corner of the page. “Oh, my God. He’s some kind of genius. It looks like a photo. Look at this y’all.” She showed it to Lucien, then Brandt, who walked it over to show Tempest.”

“He’s very special. And he’s very lonely,” Tempest said.

“The boy or the father?” Daisy asked.

“Yes,” Tempest said, smiling exaggeratedly at Daisy.

“Hey, Daisy. It’s okay to be attracted to Carson’s dad. He’s a good looking guy. Looks a little tired and harried, but I’d date him,” Hellen said.

Daisy started shaking her head really quickly, almost manically as she swallowed repeatedly. “I can’t. I can’t date. I just, I need to focus on my studio and if I can help Carson, that’s fine. But I’m just not up for dating. Matter of fact, I think I might just be an old maid.”

“You liked him. When he walked in. I could tell.”

“I just thought he was cute. Doesn’t mean I want a relationship.

Now, if y’all are going to help, help. If not, go on home.

I got to get this place cleaned up before I can go home.

” Daisy walked out of the main room leaving them all there looking questioningly at each other while she went in the back to clean up those rooms and bring the platters of left over food back to her kitchen to package up and put in the fridge.

Hellen stared right at Tempest. “What the hell?” she whispered.

“She’s terrified. It’s like the minute he showed a brief flare of interest in her she panicked and shut it down,” Tempest said.

“Afraid of him in particular? Did she pick up on something?” Hellen asked.

“No. Something from inside her snapped. Her apprehension was not triggered by Charlie himself. Just by the fact that he’s a guy and she realized she found him attractive.”

“Seems to me it’s time to take a road trip to New Orleans,” Lucien said, looking over at Brandt.

“Couldn’t agree more. I’ll find out from Mama the name of the dorm she stayed in.”

“Don’t take too long. Whatever the fuck has her so messed up is overdue a visit from Karma,” Lucien said.

“Karma and her little brother.”

“Are we talking about Daisy, dears?” Delilah asked, walking into the room again like she owned the place with Janie right behind her.

“Where did y’all get off to?” Brandt asked.

“We were relaxing in Daisy’s office.”

“You were snooping in Daisy’s office,” Brandt said.

“Same thing. Now, are you going to look into what has our Daisy so off kilter?”

“Yeah. But don’t tell her,” Brandt said.

“Wouldn’t dream of it. She keeps telling Janie that there’s nothing wrong,” Delilah said.

“I can feel it. I don’t like it when nice people hurt,” Lucien said.

“I’m not even a shifter and I can feel it,” Janie said. “I don’t care what you have to do. Find out what hurt my girl. And then kill it.”

Delilah did a little shimmy dance. “Ohhh, I just adore this new version Janie. She’s so much fun!”

~~~

Thank you very much for reading Hell’s Gator.

I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

I appreciate you and hope you’ll check back for the next book in the series — it’s already in progress.