Ned stood back with Tommy still sitting on his shoulders, but Adam took note of them and Dog regardless. He fluttered his eyelids as if they were the wings of a butterfly, which was fitting since they were painted a shimmery green and yellow. “And who might that be?”
Cole let Jan shake his hand but glanced over his shoulder, instantly alert. Adam and Jan’s exploits were quite legendary, and he didn’t want Ned wrapped in any of that. He was a simple kind of man, and… well, the show director and his lover didn’t keep their pets for long.
“An old friend. He’s with me,” he added to make sure both men understood Ned was not available to them.
“Pleased to meet you,” Ned said, stiff as if his skill in talking to people was a rusty mechanism.
Adam hummed, never taking his eyes off Ned, but it was Jan who spoke.
“So what brings the three of you here? If your aim is as good as it used to be, you’re always welcome to take on your old gimmick. Brought in a lot of cash.”
“What gimmick?” Ned asked, putting Tommy down at last.
Jan laughed. “You’ve never heard of the great Deadeye? Sharpshooter extraordinaire? Have you been living under a rock?”
Ned pushed his hat lower over his forehead. “Something like that.”
“And that little bag of sunshine?” a high-pitched voice asked. Cole recognized Judith even before he turned around. Like Adam, she was dressed in a robe, though hers was as blue as the ribbons in her wispy beard. She took hold of Tommy’s hands, stilling when she counted all twelve fingers. “Is he why you’re here?”
“Not specifically—” Cole cleared his throat and glanced at Jan, who frowned, taking in the boy. His plain undershirt didn’t match the shiny pants and hat, but in Cole’s opinion the combination of shabby and fancy attire was a perfect representation of life in the circus.
Perhaps leaving the boy here was an idea to consider. Tommy had no one to take care of him, and while a rowdy bunch, the troupe were good people. With other children around, he would have company too. “What do you think?” he whispered, leaning closer to Jan. “The boy has six fingers and toes. And he doesn’t speak.”
Jan tut-tutted, shaking his head. “Cole… A dwarf I could work with, but a mute with six fingers? Not exactly a star attraction. And he’s so young. If he grew up to be handsome, he could be a six-finger masseuse, but it’s not his time yet.”
Adam scooted in front of Tommy and distracted him by showing off the stretchy skin that had given him the moniker ‘Taffy Wonder’.
Tommy blinked, taken aback as Adam pulled on the skin of his neck until it resembled a ruff in some old painting. “Ain’t that fancy? I have many admirers who want to touch me here,” he explained, to Jan’s chuckle. The suggestion behind the words was obvious, and Cole didn’t think it was appropriate in the presence of a child. Luckily, Tommy wouldn’t have understood anyway.
“He was born like that. Just like you were born with six fingers. And Judith here? Her beard’s all real,” Cole said, and gave a little tug to the facial hair when Judith nodded, with a smile spreading on her pale, tired features. If one overlooked the thin facial hair, she looked no different than any other mother of two boys—with bags under her eyes and shallow wrinkles from frowning at the unruly twins, but once the sun was down, the power of face paint and costume transformed her into a mysterious lady with powers of clairvoyance.
“And him?” Jan asked about Ned, who shrugged, stuffing his hands down his pockets.
“Ain’t nothing special about me. Just here to treat the kid to some fun.”
Only that wasn’t true at all. Ned was the Wolfman of the Rockies and more of a magician than Jan was, if he managed to still have such a firm hold on Cole’s mind and body after seven years apart.
Jan squeezed Ned’s hand, casting a glance at it, as if he were assessing the number of digits. “Is the boy yours?”
“He’s an orphan,” Cole explained, to Judith’s exhale.
“Poor little mouse,” she said, holding Tommy’s hand as if she were ready to take him.
Which wasn’t a bad idea. “Your children, how are they? You think they could use another playmate while I visit old friends?” Cole asked.
She looked at Tommy. “Would you like to meet boys your age?”
Tommy nodded with a shy smile. The matter was settled.
Cole turned to Jan. “Have you seen Gavin? Couldn’t spot his booth on the way here.”
“I’ll tell you once I know if you’re staying for a while or not,” Jan prodded.
“Staying?” Cole snorted and watched Judith lead Tommy away, past the group of performers sharing a meal. The boy had to whistle at Dog several times for the beast to stop begging at the table. “No, I just saw your posters and thought I’d come by and reminisce about the old days.”
“You should have seen him in his costume. He had a mask with holes for the eyes and a target painted on it in white paint. Gave me right chills,” Adam said and gave a little shudder, smirking at Ned.
Jan nodded with a fond expression. “The Deadeye never missed his mark.”
“He did once,” Ned said, and a tremble crawled up Cole’s spine as he met the green eyes, which now looked at him with an intensity that made him want to push Ned into the wagon and onto Jan and Adam’s bed.
Cole hadn’t missed what Ned was referring to, though. He’d wanted to shoot Ned so badly when he’d found out about the betrayal. But even at that terrible moment, he hadn’t been able make himself put lead in Ned’s flesh, and had made Ned’s hat the only victim. For years, he’d agonized over proving himself lily-livered, and now Ned was using that moment of weakness against him.
Unaware of the tension brewing in the air, Adam petted Cole’s right arm with both hands. “I refuse to believe it.”
“It’s true though. I missed that one time,” Cole admitted, never taking his gaze off Ned despite his heart sinking with a flutter. Would they really part tomorrow? They’d taken such a roundabout way to Denver, and the journey had felt like in the old days. Cole had secretly welcomed each stop and detour, because they’d meant more time with Ned. And Tommy.
Jan spread his arms with a grin. “As we say in the circus, what the public doesn’t see, doesn’t exist.”
“We might stay the night,” Cole said. “If there’s room for the three of us. I want to show Tommy how it all looks in the evening.”
“Will the two of you need some… privacy?” Jan asked with a broad grin that even Ned should understand, but Cole cleared his throat.
“Whatever accommodation you have, we’ll gladly take it.”
The confused little frown between Ned’s eyebrows was just precious. “We’ve been sleeping in bedrolls for several weeks now, we don’t need much.”
Adam made an exaggerated gasp. “That won’t do! I’ll tell Roger we have friends who need a shower.”
“So… where’s Gavin?” Cole inquired.
This time, Jan made a broad gesture that pointed past the largest tent in the middle. “You’ll find him back there, by Parita’s pavilion. We’ll talk once I’m properly dressed.”