Local Hero

her robe and went to see if Radley wanted breakfast.
    She found them together, hunched over the keyboard of Radley’s computer while graphics exploded on the screen. “This thing’s defective,” Mitch insisted. “That was a dead-on shot.”
    “You missed by a mile.”
    “I’m going to tell your mother you need glasses. Look, this is definite interference. How am I supposed to concentrate when this stupid cat’s chewing on my toes?”
    “Poor sportsmanship,” Radley said soberly as Mitch’s last man was obliterated.
    “Poor sportsmanship! I’ll show you poor sportsmanship.” With that he snatched Radley up and held him upside down. “Now is this machine defective, or what?”
    “No.” Giggling, Radley braced his hands on the floor. “Maybe
you
need glasses.”
    “I’m going to have to drop you on your head. You really leave me no choice. Oh, hi, Hester.” With his arm hooked around Radley’s legs, he smiled at her.
    “Hi, Mom!” Though his cheeks were turning pink, Radley was delighted with his upside-down position. “I beat Mitch three times. But he’s not really mad.”
    “Says who?” Mitch flipped the boy upright, then dropped him lightly on the bed. “I’ve been humiliated.”
    “I destroyed him,” Radley said with satisfaction.
    “I can’t believe I slept through it.” She offered them both a cautious smile. It didn’t seem as though Radley was anything but delighted to find Mitch here. As for herself, she wasn’t having an easy time keeping the pleasure down, either. “I suppose after three major battles you’d both like some breakfast.”
    “We already ate.” Radley leaned over the bed to reach for the kitten. “I showed Mitch how to make French toast. He said it was real good.”
    “That was before you cheated.”
    “I did not.” Radley rolled on his back and let the kitten creep up his stomach. “Mitch washed the pan, and I dried it. We were going to fix you some, but you just kept on sleeping.”
    The idea of the two men in her life fiddling in the kitchen while she slept left her flustered. “I guess I didn’t expect anyone to be up so early.”
    “Hester,” Mitch stepped closer to swing an arm over her shoulders. “I hate to break this to you, but it’s after eleven.”
    “Eleven?”
    “Yeah. How about lunch?”
    “Well, I . . .”
    “You think about it. I guess I should go down and take care of Taz.”
    “I’ll do it.” Radley was up and bouncing. “I can give him his food and take him for a walk and everything. I know how; you showed me.”
    “It’s okay with me. Hester?”
    She was having trouble just keeping up. “All right. But you’ll have to bundle up.”
    “I will.” He was already reaching for his coat. “Can I bring Taz back with me? He hasn’t met Zark yet.”
    Hester glanced at the tiny ball of fur, thinking of Taz’s big white teeth. “I don’t know if Taz would care for Zark.”
    “He loves cats,” Mitch assured her as he picked up Radley’s ski cap off the floor. “In a purely nonthreatening way.” He reached in his pocket for his keys.
    “Be careful,” she called as Radley rushed by, jingling Mitch’s keys. The front door slammed with a vengeance.
    “Good morning,” Mitch said, and turned her into his arms.
    “Good morning. You could have woken me up.”
    “It was tempting.” He ran his hands up the back of her robe. “Actually, I was going to make some coffee and bring you in a cup. Then Radley came in. Before I knew it, I was up to my wrists in egg batter.”
    “He, ah, didn’t wonder what you were doing here?”
    “No.” Knowing exactly how her mind was working, he kissed the tip of her nose. Then, shifting her to his side, he began to walk with her to the kitchen. “He came in while I was boiling water and asked if I was fixing breakfast. After a brief consultation, we decided he was the better qualified of the two. There’s some coffee left, but I think you’d be better off pouring it out and starting again.”
    “I’m sure it’s fine.”
    “I love an optimist.”
    She almost managed a smile as she reached in the refrigerator for the milk. “I thought you’d gone.”
    “Would you rather I had?”
    She shook her head but didn’t look at him. “Mitch, it’s so hard. It just keeps getting harder.”
    “What does?”
    “Trying not to want you here like this all the time.”
    “Say the word, and I’ll move in, bag and dog.”
    “I wish I could. I really wish I could. Mitch, when I