Page 6

“I really like him, Dad,” she said, seated next to her father once again.

“I could see that,” he said, nodding at his daughter with a sly grin.

“Listen, Tillie, you’re not a child any longer.

You’re a grown woman. You can make up your mind about your life.

But if you’re asking me, Leo’s a good man.

He’s smart, he’s brave, he’s kind. I couldn’t ask for anyone better for my only child. ”

She leaned her head against his shoulder and smiled.

“Thank you, Dad.”

“I think your new beau would like another dance,” he grinned. She nodded, then turned to her mother.

“What do you think, Mom?”

“I feel the same as your father. Leo’s a good man.” She nodded at Micaela and headed toward Leo with his outstretched hand.

“She’s happy,” smiled Tanner.

“She is. She’s happy because she’s in love, and we both know that child has found it difficult to love.

Her expectations of men and what men should be like were set way above the average bar, thanks to you and all the men here,” said Micaela.

“I thank God every day that you found me. My world would have looked very different without you, Tanner.”

“Same, babe. I couldn’t have walked away from you even if I had tried.”

“Maybe we show the kids what real dancing looks like.” He stood, taking Micaela’s hand, and floated around the dance floor with her and about thirty other couples, including their daughter.

“Your parents look good together,” smiled Leo. “As I said, your father is a big man, and your mother is very small. Yet they look like two puzzle pieces made for one another.”

“She is small but she’s tough. I’m grateful that I got her red hair and my father’s eyes. I look different from anyone I know.”

“You look beautiful,” said Leo. “Beautiful and brave.”

“How is it possible for me to look brave?” she smirked.

“Listen, anyone who is able to break the zip ties on their wrists, steal the truck, and get back to a country like Botswana is brave as shit in my book. Plus, you saved your friends.”

“Well, thank you, but they really weren’t my friends. I didn’t know any of them well. As I said, they’d all arrived just three or four weeks before. Brad was a bit of a know-it-all, and Jewel seemed to flirt with anything on two legs. Gemma was okay, but I didn’t know them that well.”

“What were their qualifications?” he asked out of curiosity.

“You know, I don’t know. Usually, the agency I work with vets everyone and sends them based on their skill set or language abilities. None of them spoke any African languages, so I had to assume that they were teachers or medical personnel.”

“So. What now? What’s next for the great adventurer, Tillie Sung?” he said, kissing the tip of her nose.

“Like I said earlier, I think I’d like to stay home for a while,” she smiled. “It looks like there might be new adventures for me. Right here.”

“I’m glad, Tillie. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since I met you. I know this is all new, but I know what I like and what I want.”

“Is that so?” she grinned.

“Yes, ma’am, that is so.” Just as he was about to kiss her again, her phone vibrated in her pocket. “Damn.”

“Sorry,” she laughed. “Oh, it’s Gemma. Hi, Gemma. Is everything okay?”

“No. No, everything isn’t okay, Tillie. Jewel has been kidnapped again.”

“Wait, I need to put you on speaker so that my friends can hear this.” She waved the rest of the team over, and they all quickly stood, moving to encircle Tillie and Leo. “Go ahead, Gemma.”

“Jewel. She’s been kidnapped again. A group of men apparently approached her while she was leaving her home to go to the grocery store. Neighbors said it was four men with hoods. I’m scared, Tillie.”

“Have you spoken to Brad?” she asked.

“No. I tried calling him, but he’s not answering. I told the police that they should check on him.”

“ Tillie, tell her that we can send someone to protect her,” said Tanner.

“I-I heard that. Thank you, but I’m going to stay with my neighbor for a few days. Just be careful.”

“Thank you, Gemma, you too.” Tillie ended the call and looked at her family and friends. “I feel like we should do something. Doesn’t it seem odd that they would kidnap her here? In the states? I mean, as far as I know, she’s not anyone special, wealthy, that sort of thing.”

“It definitely doesn’t make sense,” said Saint. “Let us try to get some background information on them and see what we can find.”

“On them?” she frowned.

“All three of them, Tillie. Jewel, Gemma, and Brad. We need to find out why anyone would want to kidnap them, or are they trying to get to you,” said Mav.

Tillie’s face paled, and she looked at her parents, then toward Leo. He had an intense expression as he squeezed her hand.

“Why would anyone want to get to me?” she whispered. Leo kissed her temple and then looked down at her beautiful face.

“That’s what we’re going to find out.”