Local Hero by Nora Roberts Page B

watch it whenever it came on TV. My father’s a big movie buff. You can name almost any film, and he’ll tell you who was in it. But his first love was always the musical.”
    Mitch fell silent again. It took very little to learn how one person felt about another—a mere inflection in their voice, a softening of their expression. Hester’s family had been close, as he’d always regretted his hadn’t been. His father had never shared Mitch’s love of fantasy or film, as he had never shared his father’s devotion to business. Though he would never have considered himself a lonely child—his imagination had been company enough—he’d always missed the warmth and affection he’d heard so clearly in Hester’s voice when she’d spoken of her father.
    When the credits rolled, he turned to her again. “Your parents live in the city?”
    “Here? Oh, no.” She had to laugh as she tried to picture either of her parents coping with life in New York. “No, I grew up in Rochester, but my parents moved to the Sunbelt almost ten years ago—Fort Worth. Dad’s still in banking, and my mother has a part-time job in a bookstore. We were all amazed when she went to work. I guess all of us thought she didn’t know how to do anything but bake cookies and fold sheets.”
    “How many’s we?”
    Hester sighed a little as the screen went blank. She couldn’t honestly remember when she’d enjoyed an evening more. “I have a brother and a sister. I’m the oldest. Luke’s settled in Rochester with a wife and a new baby on the way, and Julia’s in Atlanta. She’s a disc jockey.”
    “No kidding?”
    “Wake up, Atlanta, it’s 6:00 a.m., time for three hits in a row.” She laughed a little as she thought of her sister. “I’d give anything to take Rad down for a visit.”
    “Miss them?”
    “It’s just hard thinking how spread out we all are. I know how nice it would be for Rad to have more family close by.”
    “What about Hester?”
    She looked over at him, a bit surprised to see how natural Radley looked dozing in the crook of his arm. “I have Rad.”
    “And that’s enough?”
    “More than.” She smiled; then, uncurling her legs, she rose. “And speaking of Rad, I’d better take him in to bed.”
    Mitch picked the boy up and settled him over his shoulder. “I’ll carry him.”
    “Oh, that’s all right. I do it all the time.”
    “I’ve got him.” Radley turned his face into Mitch’s neck. What an amazing feeling, he thought, a little shaken by it. “Just show me where.”
    Telling herself it was silly to feel odd, Hester led him into Radley’s bedroom. The bed had been made à la Rad, which meant the
Star Wars
spread was pulled up over rumpled sheets. Mitch narrowly missed stepping on a pint-size robot and a worn rag dog. There was a night-light burning by the dresser, because for all Radley’s bravado he was still a bit leery about what might or might not be in the closet.
    Mitch laid him down on the bed, then began to help Hester take off the boy’s sneakers. “You don’t have to bother.” Hester untangled a knot in the laces with the ease of experience.
    “It’s not a bother. Does he use pajamas?” Mitch was already tugging off Radley’s jeans. In silence, Hester moved over to Radley’s dresser and took out his favorites. Mitch studied the bold imprint of Commander Zark. “Good taste. It always ticked me off they didn’t come in my size.”
    The laugh relaxed her again. Hester bundled the top over Radley’s head while Mitch pulled the bottoms over his legs.
    “Kid sleeps like a rock.”
    “I know. He always has. He rarely woke up during the night even as a baby.” As a matter of habit, she picked up the rag dog and tucked it in beside him before kissing his cheek. “Don’t mention Fido,” she murmured. “Radley’s a bit sensitive about still sleeping with him.”
    “I never saw a thing.” Then, giving in to the need, he brushed a hand over Radley’s hair. “Pretty