Trish skipped every third stair until she came into the den.
"Ally," Trish whispered, creeping through the den with her back pressed against the wall.
She clutched the stuffed dolphin in her hands when she reached the kitchen, and then ducked down to crawl into the room. Crouched behind the counter, she could see the hooded figure walking up to the French doors with the ball of light.
With the figure closer up, she saw the broad shoulders and unshapely hips of the person.
So the lady hunter is not ruled out, Trish thought.
The person opened the door and walked through with the ball of light.
Some caretakers! They just leave the kitchen door unlocked when there are people out there trying to kill me!
Trish leapt up from behind the kitchen and let out a battle cry.
The person shrieked right before Trish swung the dolphin, knocking the ball of light and sending it crashing against the tiled floor. She jabbed her knee into the person's crotch then rammed into him with her shoulder to knock the person to the floor. She straddled the creeper and wielded her dolphin.
"Where's my family, you jerk!"
"Stop! Please!" the person shouted between smacks.
Ally flipped on the kitchen lights and she and Dez ran in. Ally wore a sundress even though it was the middle of the night and Dez had on shorts and a tank top.
"Trish! What are you doing?" Ally shouted.
"You made me leave my car!" Trish yelled as she continued beating the man.
"Please make it stop," the man cried.
The hood fell off and revealed a man with chubby cheeks stained with tears.
"Dad?" Ally said, rushing over to him and Trish.
Dez wrapped his arms around Trish's waist and pulled her off the man on the ground. Ally helped the man up.
"Hands off," Trish grumbled, shooing away Dez's hands. She turned to Ally and the man. "You know this guy?"
Ally put her hand on her father's shoulder and checked his face for stuffed animal bruises.
"Dad, what are doing here?"
"Getting beat up by your assignment, apparently," the man said. He crossed his hands over his pants and asked, "Do you have any frozen vegetables?"
Ally nodded and led him to a kitchen chair.
"Why'd you hurt Ally's dad, Trish?" Dez said.
"Shut up. I'm not the guilty party this time. This guy was creeping around in all black with a magic ball of light," Trish shouted.
Ally handed her father a bag of frozen peas. "Magic ball of light?"
"New technology developed by the team from Miami. The power core is what caused the glow. It was actually," Ally's father began, but was cut off by Dez.
"Great job, Trish. You destroyed magic!"
"Excuse me for being afraid of some jerk trying to kill me after a weekend full of jerks trying to kill me!"
"Enough, you two. Please, just go wait for me in the den," Ally instructed.
Dez and Trish opened their mouths to protest but Ally gave them a stern look.
"Fine," Trish grumbled. She picked up her fluffy weapon. "But I'm keeping the dolphin."
"Bye, Mr. Uh Ally's Dad," Dez said.
Her father lifted the peas from his pants to his forehead and said, "Dawson."
"Bye, Mr. Dawson," Dez said before following Trish out of the kitchen.
Trish and Dez sat on opposite ends of the largest couch in the now well-lit den. She held the dolphin in her lap and sighed impatiently.
"It is so hot in this house," she said.
She tilted her head back against the couch and turned her eyes to Dez. His hair was damp and his pale arms shinned with sweat. Trish just now noticed the bagpipes slung over his shoulder.
"I probably shouldn't ask, but what were you doing?" Trish asked.
Dez wiggled the instrument and said, "Ally was about to teach me. We're pretty tight; she took me to her secret music room."
"Well I've already been in Ally's secret music room," Trish said, lifting her head from the couch.
"No you haven't. You're just jealous that Austin and Ally are my friends and now I'm the popular one and you're the loser with no friends."
"Good job, freckles. You just called yourself a loser with no friends. I don't even have to insult you; you do the work for me."
Dez crossed his arms, squishing the bagpipe in his pit, and said, "Jealous. And you have not been in Ally's secret music…"
"There's a huge piano in it and a cute purple rug."
"I wouldn't say it was a cute rug," Dez pouted. "Why'd she show you first?"
Trish rolled her eyes.
"Poke your lip back in, you big baby. I found it by accident. She didn't show me. Your lame caretakers still like you better than me. Woo hoo."
Dez uncrossed his arms and took off his instrument.
"Good. And they are your caretakers too."
"Mr. Dawson is nursing his peas right now. I can take care of myself."
Dez chuckled and Trish couldn't help but laugh a little too.
He scooted closer to Trish's side of the couch and said, "I'm glad you admitted it."
Trish put the dolphin down between them, making a barrier even though he wasn't that close.
"Admitted what?"
"That you're afraid. It makes you seem more human."
Trish narrowed her eyebrows and picked the dolphin back up.
"Don't make me use this, freckles."
Dez pointed his finger at Trish and raised his brow.
"Don't make me take that away, sweat drop."
Austin walked in behind the couch and said, "Dude, we have to work on your pet names."
Dez yelped, jumped to the side, and nearly squished Trish into the corner of the couch.
"Get off, scaredy-cat," Trish mumbled and pushed Dez away. "You take being afraid to the next level."
Austin chuckled and bit off the slice of pizza in his hand.
"What are you laughing at, blondie? Where have you been? I was nearly killed by Ally's weird dad."
"Pizza," Austin said between chews.
"In the middle of the night?" Dez asked.
"Dude, pizza," Austin repeated.
"Good point," Dez nodded.
Trish stood up then snatched the dolphin and Austin's pizza.
"I'm going to bed," Trish said. She pointed the dolphin at Austin, "You, turn on some air conditioning or your assignments are going to be dead by morning. Shesh, we're melting." She took a bite of pizza and then pointed the crust at Dez. "You, walk me to my room."
Dez grinned and said, "Cause you're still a little scared, huh."
"Never mind, stay here," Trish said before taking the stairs two at a time.
Austin hoped over the back of the couch and sat beside Dez.
"Mr. Dawson is here?" He asked Dez.
"Yeah, Ally kicked us out. It must be important."
Austin nodded. "I better go check it out then. And I guess turn on the air conditioning. Can't have you melting," he joked.
Austin stood but Dez gripped his arm.
"Hey, um, I know we are all still getting to know each other and it's part of your super cool farmer spy job to take care of me and Trish, but would you keep me in the loop about our families. If Mr. Dawson is here to tell you guys something is wrong, please don't keep it a secret."
Austin patted Dez's hand and gave him a gentle smile, but didn't say anything.
Dez let go and let Austin walk into the kitchen.
"The last thing I need is more secrets," Dez said to himself.