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“I’d appreciate it if you’d do me a favor,” she said to Ty, casting a meaningful glance toward the woman with the notepad and the man with the camera. “Maria and Wanda are out to lunch and I’m conducting business. Ineed you to get this young man started on our San Antonio Fiesta special.”
The man’s pale green gaze switched from the receptionist to pierce Hutch. “Come again?” he asked softly.
“Help him fill out an application for his mother.” Another flashbulb lit up the room. “Please.”
“Willie—”
“It’s not that hard, Ty.” She slapped a multipaged form onto the desk. “Use my office. Have him answer these questions as best he can. Once you’re done, we’ll run his mother through the computer and see who we get for a match.”
“I need a good one,” Hutch inserted determinedly. “The best one in there.”
Willie smiled. “I’ll make sure of it personally. Go with Ty and he’ll help with the forms.”
Hutch slid a longing glance toward the door leading to freedom. He could either make a break for it and run on home or he could go with the human mountain. He weighed his choicesfor an endless nanosecond. Then, settling his glasses more firmly on the bridge of his nose, he nodded at the man. “Let’s go,” hesaid.
Ty took the application from Willie and enclosed it in the biggest hand Hutch had ever seen. He checked out the man’s feet. Jeez. They were every bit as huge. He’d better be careful where he stood. One misstep and he’d be flatter than an amoeba squashed between glass slides. Without another word of acknowledgment, the man started down the hallway. Hutch trotted cautiously behind.
Opening a door, The Mountain waved the application toward a pair of cushioned chairs set at angles in front of a desk. “Have a seat.”
A computer, amodel that could practically run the entire country singlehandedly perched on the broad wooden surface, putting Hutch at his ease. Sidling into the office, he chose the chair closest to the door. His feet dangled ridiculously and he folded them cross-legged beneath him, not caring if his shoes dusted up the cushions. He shot a hard look at the man, daring him to comment. Silence reigned for a full two minutes.
“Why don’t you want to help me?” Hutch finally asked.
“I don’t work here. Iguess you could call me a silent partner.”
“Oh.” He hadn’t offered the expected answer and Hutch took a moment to digest it. “Why did the old lady—”
“Her name’s Willie Eden. She’s the owner.”
“Why’d Miss Willie ask you to help me, then?”
“Like she said, I’m her grandson. Icheck over the business every so often to make sure it’s running smoothly. Today was my checkup day.”
“Bummer.”
A slow smile built across the man’s lean face. “My thoughts exactly.”
“What was with the pictures that guy took of me?”
“More bad timing. They’re reporters here to do a follow-up story on the agency. Isuspect they found you perfect copy.”
Hutch couldn’t conceal his alarm. “Are they gonna put me in the paper? They can’t! This is supposed to be a surprise.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
To his astonishment, Hutch realized he believed the guy. There was something solid and dependable about him. Trustworthy. “So what now?”
“Now we do what Willie said.” He frowned down at the application. “We fill out this questionnaire. It might be a bit tricky. Alot of these questions are personal.”
“No problem. Iknow what I—my mom. Iknow whatmy momwants.” The man’s pale green gaze latched onto Hutch again, as cutting and direct as a laser. He’d be a tough man to fool. In fact, Hutch suspected he’d be near impossible to fool. Best to play this part straight. “Okay... To be honest, Iwouldn’t mind if there was stuff about him I liked, too. I’ll need to get along with him, same as Mom.”
“Not an easy prospect, Isuspect.”
The Mountain’s gaze continued to cut, burrowing in uncomfortably deep. How much could he see with those odd, piercing eyes? Hutch stirred nervously. “I won’t be too picky, ifthat’s what’s worrying you. Ican’t afford to be.” To his relief, the gaze eased enough for him to breathe a little better.
“What’s your name, boy?”
“Hutch Lonigan. And before you bother asking, I’m ten.”
