by J. Darling
Junie turned to Dani and whispered rather loudly, “Ith he a nithe man?”
Dani laughed and smiled, then whispered back. “Yes, he’s a nice man.” Turning to the gentleman behind the counter, Dani asked, “Where do we go to get her luggage?”
“There was none,” the clerk answered flatly.
“What?” Dani asked, clearly stunned.
“There were no bags checked for her, ma'am.”
“A booster seat then?”
The guy shook his head.
“Me bag whight here,” Junie said, missing her R and holding up a scuffed and tattered horse print covered backpack.
If looks could kill, Dani’s would have leveled the place. “Let’s go,” she growled.
“Ah, ma'am,” the clerk interrupted, “you’re not done signing and I have papers to give you.”
Stepping back to the desk, Dani grabbed the pen and tried moving Junie to her hip. “Lovebug, I need to put you down so I can sign the papers.”
Junie shook her head and tightened her arms around Dani’s neck.
“I need to set you down, just for a minute.”
Junie shook her head. “I get yost.”
Dani took a deep breath. “You won’t get lost, but apparently our L’s have. Just for a minute, you can hold onto my leg.”
Junie shook her head again.
“We can’t leave till I sign the papers. You want to see Coco don’t you?”
Turning, Junie looked at Kris, then back to Dani. “Can Kwith hoed me?”
Dani’s eyebrows went up. “I don’t know. Kris, can you hold Junie while I sign the papers?”
He didn’t know what the hell to do with a kid. Shit, he didn’t do kids, they were scared of him, and to be honest he was a little afraid of them too. But then again, it couldn’t be that hard, could it? He had held a calf before. He nodded. “Sure.”
Letting go of Dani’s neck, Junie reached for him and slid right into his hold, wrapping her little arms around his neck while hanging on tight as she tucked herself into the crook of his neck. She sure didn’t weigh much, Kris thought, then he heard her stomach gurgle and growl. Well that about explains it.
Finishing up, Dani turned and held her arms out for Junie, but she just shook her head and tightened her arms around Kris’s neck.
“I okay,” she answered soundly.
Huh? Wait a minute, she wanted to stay with him? Kids didn’t normally warm up to him, being how big he was and all. They generally stayed far away watching him with a sharp eye. Surprising himself, Kris felt his arms tighten around the little peanut, and he was stunned at the realization that he felt mighty protective of her at that moment. Well what do you know? He patted her back as they walked towards the parking ramp. If he’d been surprised and stunned before, he was shocked when they reached the truck and he decided he didn’t want to let her go back to Dani. Reluctantly he let her go. Getting the two of them settled, he got in the driver’s seat and took off.
“I need to stop at a Walmart, or something like it, if that would be alright,” Dani said, as he maneuvered the roadway.
“Not till she eats, she’s starving,” he answered.
Looking down at the little girl in her arms, Dani said, “What did you eat today, babybug?”
“Buck gived me chipth and pop for beckfeth.”
What the hell? That was like hours ago, Kris thought irritated, and what kind of breakfast was that?”
“Who’s Buck?” Dani asked.
“Nana’s fwend,” Junie answered.
“Has Sara been coming to see you?”
Who the hell was Sara? he wondered.
Junie shook her head. “Nana say no more.”
Dani growled. “What are you hungry for?”
Junie shrugged. “I okay, we go home.”
Kris wanted to tell her not to get her hopes up because there was no food there either.
Dani rubbed Junie’s back, and held her tight as she gave her a kiss on the head. “We’re going to eat and then stop at the store. We’ll go home when we’re done.”
“Can I get Coco a bone?” she asked, holding onto Dani tight.
Running a hand over her head and down her back, Dani answered her softly. “Yes, how about some stuff for Junie? What would Junie like?”
“Sweep in bed.”
Dani sat up, clearly upset with the answer. “Where have you been sleeping?” she asked, barely masking her alarm.
“On for.”
“You’ve been sleeping on the floor?” Dani repeated, gritting her teeth.
Junie nodded.
Adjusting Junie and pulling her tighter, she asked, “Why not the couch?”
“Wed sweeps on it.”
“Red sleeps on it,” Dani repeated, clearly disillusioned, then asked with trepidation, “Who’s Red?”
“Buck’s fwend.”
There was nothing but silence. Dani sat looking out the passenger window with Junie clamped onto her like a little Koala bear to a limb, and Kris looking straight ahead as he drove on.
The next time he saw his dad, he was thanking him for everything, and he’d apologize for never appreciating it enough. Then tonight when he laid his head on his pillow, he’d thank God for giving him the parents he did. How could she leave her child in the care of that woman while she drove states away finding a new life? Especially after everything she’d been through? Hell, he didn’t even want Dani to have her.
Now what? Call the police? Child protective services? The county? Who? He was beyond pissed right now, he was livid. Linnie, he needed to talk to Linnie. She’s a nurse, she’d know what to do. And Jules, she was smart, she’d had to do the court thing when she was young. And Nate, he had needed an attorney. And his dad, he wanted to talk to his dad. And Jake, and Nik. Hell, he wanted his whole family.
Driving down the hill into Taylor’s Falls, he drove through to the edge of town to a little place called The Drive In. It was just that, an old fashioned drive in with car hop service. Pulling in, they sat staring at the huge menu board in front of them.
“What do you want?” he asked, quickly making up his mind.
“Ahhh, hamburgers are fine, just ketchup though. No onions, pickles, or mustard for us.”
He wanted Junie to have more. “Is cheese fine?”
Dani nodded. “Yes, get Junie a kiddie burger though.”
“She can have a regular burger,” he damn near snapped.
“I know,” she said softly, making him feel bad for overreacting, “but they’re too big and thick for her to bite into, so kiddie is better.”
Okay, okay, made sense, he needed to calm down. A teenage girl came to the car and took their order, and he knew he’d ordered too much, but he didn’t know what would be better for Junie, a homemade root beer, or a chocolate shake, and then he figured probably milk, but then didn’t feel it had enough calories for her. So, he ordered it all, with two kiddie burgers, a quarter pounder for each of them, and a huge basket of fries.
Their food came and he brought it inside the truck, handing stuff over, and putting straws in their drinks. Dani gave Junie a burger and told her she could have fries from the basket, and showed her the different drinks, telling her to pick whichever one she wanted. Then told her she could have more than one if she wanted and could eat as many fries as she wanted too, making him feel a lot better. Junie just nodded as she lay against Dani eating her burger, saying nothing.
With her burger nearly eaten, and nothing else, Dani asked her if she was thirsty, and Junie nodded she was. When Dani asked her what she wanted to drink, she just pointed to the glass of root beer. Picking it up, Dani handed it to her and she grabbed it, taking a quick sip.
“You can have as much of that as you want Junie, it’s just for you,” Dani explained, reassuring her.
Junie nodded, and took another drink, but longer this time.
“How old is she?” Kris asked, watching the spectacle, knowing things were not right.
Hugging Junie an
d putting a kiss on her head, Dani talked to her. “Kris wants to know how old you are. Can you tell him?”
Lifting her little hand, Junie held up four fingers and then put them back, tucking her hand in between them as she lay against Dani. Kris could have sworn she had reached out and taken his heart, because he about died inside.
Doing his best, he used his kindest voice and said, “Wow, really, you’re four? I like four, four is nice.” All he could say was, when she smiled and nodded in agreement, she captured his heart.
Finishing their food, they drove across the river into St. Croix Falls, and Kris headed straight to Walmart. Once inside, they grabbed a cart.
“Here, hold this please,” Dani said to him, as she handed him her purse.
He stood staring at it. She didn’t wait, she shoved it into his stomach and he instinctively put his hands up. Trying to get Junie into the cart, she refused and Dani struggled to get her to sit. Kris hated to admit it but he was thrilled. Dropping the purse in the back of the cart like a hot potato and praying nobody had seen him, he said, “I’ll hold her while you push the cart and shop.”
“Can Kris hold you while I do the shopping?” Dani asked, looking at Junie.
Junie let go of Dani and reached for him, slipping into his hold and wrapping her arms around him. Tucking herself into the crook of his neck, she clamped onto him like she had Dani. Around and around the store they went, sometimes visiting a department more than twice, reminding Kris of why he hated shopping. Women could not make up their minds, and Dani was definitely a woman in this department. She couldn’t make a decision to save her soul. Just to get things over with, he’d ask her what they were looking for and he’d just grab the stuff showing her, and when she nodded, he’d add it to the cart.
They got a toddler bed because it was all they had, a booster seat, shoes, clothes, paper, crayons, a few toys, some children’s books, and thank God, some groceries. Never once did Junie talk or ask for a thing. Kris wasn’t completely sure, but he’d witnessed enough kids in stores to be fairly certain this was not normal behavior. After checking out and offering to help pay for the expenses and being flat out denied by Dani, he loaded up the truck. Getting behind the wheel, he looked at the two of them. “Does she need to be in the booster seat?”
“Yes, but it won’t happen, so we’ll let it go.”
What else? “Does she need to see a doctor?”
Dani nodded. “She’ll see one, just not right now.”
He had never felt so helpless. “Home then?”
Dani nodded, then answered, “Please.”
A half hour later they were pulling into the ranch and up to the house.
“How about you take her in and show her around, while I carry everything in?”
Sitting up, Dani turned to him. “Thank you, Kris, I really appreciate your understanding in all this.”
She couldn’t be serious. He must be a better actor than he thought. “Yeah, I don’t know about understanding, but this sure isn’t her fault and she shouldn’t have been made to suffer.”
She nodded with understanding. “I totally agree. It’s hard to comprehend, I know.”
He snorted with disgust. That was an understatement. “Let her see Coco, then take her inside.”
After carrying everything in and putting away the perishables, Kris went through the storage compartment in the bed of his pickup and found the tools he needed to assemble the bed. Back inside, he looked over the directions and got started. From the sounds of it, Dani was showing Junie a book while she took a bath. Why hadn’t they gotten her some bubble bath? Some ribbons for her hair? He had to of gone off the deep end, because he was seriously contemplating driving back to Walmart to get more stuff.
The bed nearly assembled, the two emerged, Dani holding a freshly washed and squeaky clean Junie, ringlets and all. She was wearing a pink nightgown with a white pony on it. He let out a whistle when he saw her. “Well now, don’t you look all ready to sleep in your new bed?” Junie smiled and nodded, and he wished he could tuck her in.
“You want to help me make up your bed?” Dani asked. “Or sit on the floor while I do it?”
Leaning over, Junie reached for him and he felt like a hero. Taking her, he wrapped her in his arms and gave her a little squeeze as she snuggled up close. They watched as Dani made up the bed with new sheets, a comforter, and a pillow. Why hadn’t they gotten her some stuffed animals? He wanted to kick himself. They should have gotten her something to hug.
“Alright, all done,” Dani said with a smile. “I hope you like it. You ready?”
Junie smiled and nodded.
“Okay, come on then,” she encouraged Junie excitedly.
Letting go of him, Junie slid out of his hold, padded across the room, grabbed her tattered backpack and took it with her as she crawled into bed and covered up. Everything she had in the world was in that backpack, he thought, and he felt himself boil with anger he was so damn mad.
Dani stepped to the bed to tuck Junie in. Grabbing his tools, he headed outside to try and cool off. Standing there, not able to go back in, he contemplated leaving, but decided he was so upset by all this he’d stay and demand some answers. Leaning against his truck, he waited, and waited, and waited, and waited. Finally, she came out and…and…she was smiling! That did it, he felt himself snap.
*****
Staying with Junie until she was asleep, Dani was still in shock she was there with her. It shouldn’t come as a surprise given her mother’s track record, but it was just that she’d pretty much figured she’d never get Junie back. If there were such things as the best days of someone’s life, today would be one of hers, along with the day Junie came into her life.
She needed to check on Kris and thank him for everything. Without him, she’d have never made it to the airport. She didn’t know how he would take to Junie, but he’d been wonderful to both of them. He was upset, he’d pretty much made that clear, and she was too, but she was more thankful to have Junie safe with her, that her happiness overshadowed everything else.
Looking around, she saw him standing outside, leaning against his truck in the glow of the yard light, and she took a moment to really look at him. He was a big man, not overweight, but tall. Six-four she’d bet, with really wide shoulders, and when flexed, he had boulders for biceps. He was long in the waist and narrow in the hips, and he’d been right when he’d said that next to him she was small. She’d never felt small in her life, and she had to admit she liked it. He had a strong jaw, with a dusting of whiskers that matched a head of brown hair, and then there were his eyes, dark brown and intense. A little shiver went through her.
She’d never liked men looking at her, but she’d gotten used to it and simply avoided them at all costs. But ever since the deal with Deegan, she absolutely hated when men looked at her, so much so, she went out of her way to be unattractive in all manner and look. But with Kris, it was like he only saw what was on the inside, and didn’t care about the outside one bit. How scary was that? It made her knees weak, because if he only knew he’d be shocked.
Pausing to take a deep breath, she thought of kissing him on the swing. He had the softest lips, and it had surprised her because until that moment she hadn’t remembered a thing about a man’s lips. She just knew in the moment that her lips touched his, they were different. They weren’t tough, or thin, or hard and scratchy, they were soft and smooth, and they were nice. Smiling, she headed out the door. “Kris, thank—”
“How could you do that to her? How?” he barked angrily as he stood up.
She was stunned by his level of contempt. “What?”
He glared at her furiously. “She’s your own flesh and blood for chrissakes, and after everything you’ve been through, how could you let her be with that woman?”
Slowing her approach, she responded with the hurt his words brought, “I, I didn’t have a choi—”
His eyebrows dropped over angry eyes, as his voice lowered. “We all have choice
s, Dani, don’t give me that bullshit. It was your job to keep her safe!”
He’d interrupted her again! “I tried,” she defended. “I—”
“Oh, like you’re trying to keep her safe by going back to the old business,” he responded with a sneer. “You need to try harder. What if you get hurt or killed? Huh? Who’s going to take care of her then? Huh, who?”
Okay, she would calmly try one more time. “I do what I have t—”
“Oh ho, I just bet you do—”
That did it. “Don’t you judge me!”
“Judge you? Judge you? Dani I’m trying to knock some sense into you. Walmart’s hiring you know, we could get you an application.”
Now he acted like she was the one being offensive, incredible. “Don’t do me any favors,” she snapped.
“That’s it? I’m concerned for the two of you and you tell me no thanks. News flash, Danielle Reed, not happening,” he said with determination.
“You need to leave,” she demanded. No more men, none. She had to remember she was done with them. Yep, over and done with, and that was final.
He threw his hands up and turned from her, grabbing the lip of the pickup bed, he braced his arms straight out and stood shaking his head in disbelief. “Unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable. You’re going to jeopardize everything and take the two of you right back there. Great, just great. So that’s it, that’s all you have to say, ‘You need to leave?’” He turned his head and looked at her with anger and frustration.
Glancing around, she thought about it. Looking at him with sadness, she felt the all too familiar feeling of loss and regret. Looking away before entering the house, she said the only thing her empty, hollow self could. She said, “Goodbye.”
*****
Storming into the farmhouse after having sped away from the ranch, Kris was relieved to see lights were still on and his family still awake. Bounding up the stairs, he headed into the kitchen, stopping just as he stepped inside.
“Kris, what’s wrong?” Linnie asked in surprise and with concern in her voice.
Falling into a chair, he didn’t know what to say or where to start. Hell, he’d wanted to talk with his family so bad, and now that he could, he realized that in doing so he’d be violating the trust and confidence Dani had placed in him. Honestly, who was more important here, Dani or Junie? He warred with himself, shouldn’t his primary focus be on Junie? After all Dani was an adult, whereas Junie wasn’t. Junie needed the protecting. Right?
