Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 93284 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 466(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93284 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 466(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
“Well unfortunately there isn’t much we can do. I’m sorry.” He said, and then left with a nod to Sam.
“Well that was helpful. Thank you, Nina. I am so sorry about this. Not really sure what else I am supposed to do though. If you see her again, call the cops immediately.”
“I’ll do that. I’m sorry too, thank goodness for Sam here. I’ll get right on changing Janie’s code and let you know what it is when you drop her off in the morning.” She said with a wide smile.
Yes, thank goodness for Sam. I took Sam’s hand and headed in the direction of Janie’s classroom. Janie saw me and squealed, launching herself from the toy box where she had been playing. I normally was about three hours later, so seeing me this early was an unusual treat for her. I scooped her up, but went back on my foot with the force that she barreled into me at. Sam’s hand steadied me at the small of my back. She looked at Sam questioningly, so I turned and let her get a better look at him.
“Janie, I’d like you to meet Sam, Sam, this is Janie.” I said to each of them.
Sam held out his hand and Janie gave him a five. I smiled; yes I taught her everything that I know. She stared at him a little longer, and then came to a decision as she launched herself at him. Sam caught Janie without an effort, swinging her to his hip like a pro. Typical Janie, going to anyone that will hold her. Stranger anxiety was not one of her problems.
One time we were in line at the grocery store when a burly, rough looking man with tattoos on his skull and a nose piercing walked up to stand behind me. She stared at him from her place beside me before coming to a decision. She walked right up to him and yanked on his shirt, all the while saying “up” to him over and over. He gave a hearty laugh and looked at Janie like she was the cutest thing in the world. However, I didn’t feel the same way. I didn’t know this guy. There was no way I was letting him hold her. I bribed her with a Hershey’s bar and she dropped him like a hot potato.
We walked together out into the sunlight. Sam kept alert, his eyes searching for any kind of threat. I started to walk to my truck when I stopped dead.
“I don’t have my truck.” I stated the obvious.
“I can take her down the road to Free. I’ll walk, its only two blocks.” He said, coming up with a sound solution.
I took a deep breath and let it out. Good. I wasn’t ready to let her out of my sight. I wanted her to be safe from the crazy bitch that was her mother. I kissed Janie on the forehead, and then leaned up and gave Sam a soft peck on the mouth before stepping away and turning before he could react.
“Okay, I’ll go switch my truck out, and I’ll be there as soon as I can.” I said over my shoulder as I headed to my truck. Once in the truck I gave one last glance at the two of them. I saw him nod his head to a man who was sitting on a bike across the street at the flower shop, the other man raised two fingers and nodded. Hmm, that was weird. I looked back at Sam to see that he was about ready to turn the corner. There was nothing hotter than a man holding a baby. Nothing.
∞
I pulled into the parking lot of Free, parked, shut the truck off, and walked to the building. The building looked like any other garage that you may have seen before. It had a huge bay door that swung shut. Right now it was secured to a post with a chain, keeping it open. The other door slid into the building, like a pocket door. There were two car lifts in the open garage. One had an El Camino in the air with a drain pan underneath of it. The other was empty. There were around three or four bikes being worked on at the moment. Each was in a different stage of completion. One bike caught my eye because it had handle bars that could double as playground equipment. It had a fire paint job that looked brand new, and deadly looking spokes protruded from the wheel of the tire. It looked like a death machine. I could hear little girl laughter coming from the side of the garage and headed into that direction. What I saw when I got there made my breath catch.
Sam was sitting on a stool working on a motorcycle laughing at Janie who was sitting on the seat pretending to drive the motorcycle.
Max walked up beside me and nudged me with his elbow. I turned my back on Janie and Sam and looked at Max.
“Heard what happened. You gonna tell James?” he asked quietly
“Yes, this is important, and he needs to know. Although he told me the other day that he would be out of contact for a while. Guess I’ll just leave a voicemail and explain in more detail when he calls me back.”
“Yea, that’s what I would do. Get any more letters?” he said as he leaned up against a car lift.
“Nope.” I said. “I will definitely let you know if I get one. Do you think that it was Anna who sent that letter? Is there any way that she could know that James is a sniper?”
“No. Why would she know when you didn’t?” Sam said, startling me. He had walked up behind me without me even hearing him. He walked like a freaking ninja.
“Gah! Can’t you freakin’ warn a brotha’?” I said jokingly. I tend to joke when I was scared or nervous, and he made me both.
I shifted from foot to foot; nervous now that I didn’t have the Janie situation to distract myself from the fact that Sam and I had sex, and we have this sexual chemistry that tended to burn bright when we are in the same room as each other.