Blue Dahlia

brainstorming. I had a hard time resisting the idea of being a ghostbuster.”
    “I see.” And she did. “I’d best warn you that our Hayley’s got a romantic bent and she currently sees you as Rochester to Stella’s Jane Eyre.”
    “Oh. Uh-oh.”
    She only smiled. “Jane’s still with the boys, getting them settled down for the night. Why don’t you go on up to the West wing? Just follow the noise. You can let her know we’ll entertain ourselves until she comes down.”
    She walked away before he could agree or protest.
    She didn’t pry into other people’s business. But that didn’t mean she didn’t sow the occasional seeds.
    Logan stood where he was for a moment, tapping his fingers on the side of his leg. He was still tapping them as he started up the stairs.
    Roz was right about the noise. He heard the laughter and squeals, the stomping feet before he’d hit the top. Following it, he strolled down the hall, then paused in the open doorway.
    It was obviously a room occupied by boys. And though it was certainly tidier than his had been at those tender ages, it wasn’t static or regimented. A few toys were scattered on the floor, books and other debris littered the desk and shelves. It smelled of soap, shampoo, wild youth, and crayons.
    In the midst of it, Stella sat on the floor, mercilessly tickling a pajama-clad Gavin while a blissfully naked Luke scrambled around the room making crazed hooting sounds through his cupped hands.
    “What’s my name?” Stella demanded as she sent her oldest son into helpless giggles.
    “Mom!”
    She made a harsh buzzing sound and dug fingers into his ribs. “Try again, small, helpless boy child. What is my name?”
    “Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom!” He tried to wiggle away and was flipped over.
    “I can’t hear you.”
    “Empress,” he managed on hitching giggles.
    “And? The rest, give it all or the torment continues.”
    “Empress Magnificent of the Entire Universe!”
    “And don’t you forget it.” She gave him a loud, smacking kiss on his cotton-clad butt, and sat back. “And now you, short, frog-faced creature.” She got to her feet, rubbing her hands together as Luke screamed in delight.
    And stumbled back with a scream of her own when she saw Logan in the doorway. “Oh, my God! You scared me to death!”
    “Sorry, just watching the show. Your Highness. Hey, kid.” He nodded at Gavin, who lay on the floor. “How’s it going?”
    “She defeated me. Now I have to go to bed, ’cause that’s the law of the land.”
    “I’ve heard that.” He picked up the bottom half of a pair of X-Men pj’s, lifted an eyebrow at Luke. “These your mom’s?”
    Luke let out a rolling gut laugh, and danced, happy with his naked state. “Uh- uh . They’re mine. I don’t have to wear them unless she catches me.”
    Luke started to make a break for the adjoining bath and was scooped up, one-armed, by his mother.
    Stronger than she looks, Logan mused as she hoisted her son over her head.
    “Foolish boy, you’ll never escape me.” She lowered him. “Into the pj’s, and into bed.” She glanced over at Logan. “Is there something ...”
    “I got invited to the ... get-together downstairs.”
    “Is it a party?” Luke wanted to know when Logan handed him the pajama bottoms. “Are there cookies?”
    “It’s a meeting, a grown-up meeting, and if there are cookies,” Stella said as she turned down Luke’s bed, “you can have some tomorrow.”
    “David makes really good cookies,” Gavin commented. “Better than Mom’s.”
    “If that wasn’t true, I’d have to punish you severely.” She turned to his bed, where he sat grinning at her, and using the heel of her hand shoved him gently onto his back.
    “But you’re prettier than he is.”
    “Clever boy. Logan, could you tell everyone I’ll be down shortly? We’re just going to read for a bit first.”
    “Can he read?” Gavin asked.
    “I can. What’s the book?”
    “Tonight we get Captain Underpants .” Luke grabbed the book and hurried over to shove it into Logan’s hands.
    “So is he a superhero?”
    Luke’s eyes widened like saucers. “You don’t know about Captain Underpants?”
    “Can’t say I do.” He turned the book over in his hands, but he was looking at the boy. He’d never read to kids before. It might be entertaining. “Maybe I should read it, then I can find out. If that suits the Empress.”
    “Oh, well, I—”
    “Please, Mom! Please!”
    At the chorus on