Page 39
Story: Chance
The idea that Sam, Detective James, or anyone else would talk to his gypsy without him being there had Chance’s hackles rising. She was such an innocent. The wrong kind of man could lead her into saying anything.
Chance was much harder to lead. It was his job to protect his Little girl from any and all threats. That was a job he took very seriously.
If Detective James wanted to talk one-on-one with someone, that someone was gonna be him.
Twenty minutes later, Chance had the schedule worked out. The dinner bell rang downstairs as he finished, just in time to head to the table.
Joy met him at the bottom of the stairs. "Daddy, I got to ring the bell. Did you hear it?"
She was bouncing with excitement. Then again, Chance had never met a Little yet who could resist ringing the dinner bell.
Smiling down at her, he tapped her nose with his finger. "Well, I'm here, right? You did a great job ringin’ that bell. Now, what was that I heard about Ruby asking you to fix deviled eggs?"
She nodded. “I did, too. I used my own recipe and she said they were amazing.”
She was too damn adorable for words. It took too much effort to resist kissing her, so he didn’t try. Too soon, they were interrupted by a knock at the door. Although the massive double doors were solid wood, long etched glass windows framed each side, allowing Chance to see he was opening the door for Sam and Detective James.
"Thanks for having us out, Chance," Sam said. "This is Detective Chris James from the Nameless, Texas Police Department."
Chance shook the detective's hand. "You fellows got here just in time. Come join us at the table. You can sit anywhere you like."
"Obliged," the detective said, not waiting for Sam before he headed for the dining room.
Sam threw a look at Chance, as if to say,Texans, before following the detective to the dining room.
When Joy saw Detective James, she flew across the room and threw herself into his arms. "Detective James, you're here! I can't believe you're really here! Wait, is anything wrong?"
It was easy to read the relief the detective felt at finding Joy safe and unharmed. He hugged her just as hard as she hugged him. Too hard in Chance’s opinion.
"It is good to see you, Joy. I can't tell you how worried I've been. When you stopped checking in and stopped taking my calls, I didn't know what to think. I was afraid Eddie or one of his cronies might have caught up with you."
Chance watched a blanket of guilt settle on his Little girl's shoulders. He wasn't going to have anyone making Gypsy feel guilt-ridden. Especially not this guy.
"Well then, Detective," Chance said as he crossed to his girl. "Iguess it's good you only had to suffer a few days before you figured out where she was. At least, I hope you were the only one who figured that out. But if this Eddie Sharp thinks he can come on this ranch and hurt Gypsy, he has another thing coming. I assure you, she's in good hands now. Mine."
Frowning, Detective James turned his gaze to Chance. After a long pause, the detective smiled. "I see that," he said with a grin. "It looks like she picked the perfect place for a new home."
Chance did not return the man's smile. "It looks like she did."
Sam's gaze bounced between Chance and the detective before stepping in. "Well, now that we have that settled, let's not keep Miss Ruby and the other ladies who made this fine meal wait any longer. Who’s hungry?"
The detective nodded and held out his hand. Chance had lost his appetite.
CHAPTER 17
Once everyone had finished eating, Joy moved with the rest of the family to the adjoining gathering room where Sam had questioned her before. This time, Chance led her to the rounded leather love seat and, again, pulled her onto his lap. She liked this seat better than the armchair. From here, she had a view of the snowcapped mountains and could watch the sunlight sparkle and dance on the frozen pond just behind the lodge.
Stress had no place in this meeting, Joy reminded herself. Detective James was a nice man who had looked after her from the minute she ran screaming and crying into the police station. When he heard her story, he insisted on handling her case personally.
And he had. She couldn’t have asked for anyone more attentive and helpful than he had been ever since that night when everything in her world had fallen apart. The least she could do was answer a few more questions. She could handle it. Talking about all the details wasn’t that big a deal. It wasn’t like anyone, not even Eddie or any of his henchmen, could hurt her.
But that didn’t mean she was looking forward to talking about this. Her hands trembled, and if she was going to talk a lot, sheneeded a cup of water. Hopefully, her Daddy would put it in her water bottle with the whale that blew bubbles every time she sipped.
Unlike Sam had done, the detective took out a voice recorder instead of a notebook and placed it on the coffee table in front of her. A cold knot of dread dropped into her stomach. Why was that so much more intimidating?
What if she said something wrong? Would she get in trouble? She hadn’t realized her foot was bouncing on the floor so fast it shook the chair until her Daddy lifted her legs and lay them over his lap. He rubbed her legs, giving her a feeling to center on.
No one had ever done anything like that before. Closing her eyes, she tried to recreate the scene of him wrapping his ropes around her. It had been so centering and relaxing. Maybe she could ask him to do it again?
Chance was much harder to lead. It was his job to protect his Little girl from any and all threats. That was a job he took very seriously.
If Detective James wanted to talk one-on-one with someone, that someone was gonna be him.
Twenty minutes later, Chance had the schedule worked out. The dinner bell rang downstairs as he finished, just in time to head to the table.
Joy met him at the bottom of the stairs. "Daddy, I got to ring the bell. Did you hear it?"
She was bouncing with excitement. Then again, Chance had never met a Little yet who could resist ringing the dinner bell.
Smiling down at her, he tapped her nose with his finger. "Well, I'm here, right? You did a great job ringin’ that bell. Now, what was that I heard about Ruby asking you to fix deviled eggs?"
She nodded. “I did, too. I used my own recipe and she said they were amazing.”
She was too damn adorable for words. It took too much effort to resist kissing her, so he didn’t try. Too soon, they were interrupted by a knock at the door. Although the massive double doors were solid wood, long etched glass windows framed each side, allowing Chance to see he was opening the door for Sam and Detective James.
"Thanks for having us out, Chance," Sam said. "This is Detective Chris James from the Nameless, Texas Police Department."
Chance shook the detective's hand. "You fellows got here just in time. Come join us at the table. You can sit anywhere you like."
"Obliged," the detective said, not waiting for Sam before he headed for the dining room.
Sam threw a look at Chance, as if to say,Texans, before following the detective to the dining room.
When Joy saw Detective James, she flew across the room and threw herself into his arms. "Detective James, you're here! I can't believe you're really here! Wait, is anything wrong?"
It was easy to read the relief the detective felt at finding Joy safe and unharmed. He hugged her just as hard as she hugged him. Too hard in Chance’s opinion.
"It is good to see you, Joy. I can't tell you how worried I've been. When you stopped checking in and stopped taking my calls, I didn't know what to think. I was afraid Eddie or one of his cronies might have caught up with you."
Chance watched a blanket of guilt settle on his Little girl's shoulders. He wasn't going to have anyone making Gypsy feel guilt-ridden. Especially not this guy.
"Well then, Detective," Chance said as he crossed to his girl. "Iguess it's good you only had to suffer a few days before you figured out where she was. At least, I hope you were the only one who figured that out. But if this Eddie Sharp thinks he can come on this ranch and hurt Gypsy, he has another thing coming. I assure you, she's in good hands now. Mine."
Frowning, Detective James turned his gaze to Chance. After a long pause, the detective smiled. "I see that," he said with a grin. "It looks like she picked the perfect place for a new home."
Chance did not return the man's smile. "It looks like she did."
Sam's gaze bounced between Chance and the detective before stepping in. "Well, now that we have that settled, let's not keep Miss Ruby and the other ladies who made this fine meal wait any longer. Who’s hungry?"
The detective nodded and held out his hand. Chance had lost his appetite.
CHAPTER 17
Once everyone had finished eating, Joy moved with the rest of the family to the adjoining gathering room where Sam had questioned her before. This time, Chance led her to the rounded leather love seat and, again, pulled her onto his lap. She liked this seat better than the armchair. From here, she had a view of the snowcapped mountains and could watch the sunlight sparkle and dance on the frozen pond just behind the lodge.
Stress had no place in this meeting, Joy reminded herself. Detective James was a nice man who had looked after her from the minute she ran screaming and crying into the police station. When he heard her story, he insisted on handling her case personally.
And he had. She couldn’t have asked for anyone more attentive and helpful than he had been ever since that night when everything in her world had fallen apart. The least she could do was answer a few more questions. She could handle it. Talking about all the details wasn’t that big a deal. It wasn’t like anyone, not even Eddie or any of his henchmen, could hurt her.
But that didn’t mean she was looking forward to talking about this. Her hands trembled, and if she was going to talk a lot, sheneeded a cup of water. Hopefully, her Daddy would put it in her water bottle with the whale that blew bubbles every time she sipped.
Unlike Sam had done, the detective took out a voice recorder instead of a notebook and placed it on the coffee table in front of her. A cold knot of dread dropped into her stomach. Why was that so much more intimidating?
What if she said something wrong? Would she get in trouble? She hadn’t realized her foot was bouncing on the floor so fast it shook the chair until her Daddy lifted her legs and lay them over his lap. He rubbed her legs, giving her a feeling to center on.
No one had ever done anything like that before. Closing her eyes, she tried to recreate the scene of him wrapping his ropes around her. It had been so centering and relaxing. Maybe she could ask him to do it again?
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