“Some of you might be thinking that Officer Pierce is the exception to the rule – that you can vote in a policy and make an exception for her and any others with her proficiency. But I’ll bet if you ask your City Attorney, he’ll tell you that exceptions expose you to the most liability.
“So, if you want to punish a heroic officer who willingly puts her life on the line for citizens every day, you go ahead and vote in this policy. But before you do, think about her and think about the loss this city will suffer if you do.”
Jake turned and walked out, hailing another taxi to take him to the hospital. When he walked through the lobby, he saw a young girl arguing with a volunteer at the front desk. When he overheard Lucinda’s name, he stopped and entered the fray.
Jake stepped into the room assigned to Lucinda after her surgery. She opened her eyes at his approach and gave him a weak smile. “Hey,” she said.
“Guess what I found in the lobby?” He stepped to one side and revealed Charley.
Charley tore across the room. “Lucy, Lucy, are you okay?” She skidded to a stop beside the bed, her exuberance intimidated by the IV tube.
“Yeah, Charley, I’m just fine. C’mon, c’mon, get up on the bed.”
Charley eased up beside her. “Lucy, you gotta get better.”
“I will, Charley. But how did you get here?”
“I saw the news about the bad man you caught and, instead of getting on the school bus, I got on the city bus and came here.”
“Does your dad know where you are?”
“I called him,” Jake said. “He wasn’t real happy about her independent decision to head over here on her own but he was glad to know where she was.”
“Oh, he’ll get over it,” Charley said with a roll of her eyes.
Affection swelled up in Lucinda’s chest. If there had ever been time for a child in her life, here was the one she would want. She sighed at the thought.
“Did I hurt you, Lucy?” Charley said in response.
“No, Charley. Not at all.”
“I’m going to go get a cup of coffee and let you two have some time alone.”
They listened to Jake’s footsteps go down the hall. “Lucy?” Charley asked.
“Yeah?”
“I was scared when I saw the news. They showed the stretcher putting you into the helicopter.”
“I’m fine, Charley.”
“I know. But I can’t lose you, too, Lucy.”
Lucinda grabbed the little girl’s hand and squeezed. “I’m still here.”
“Sometimes I make believe that you are really my mommy and that you live with me.”
“You had a wonderful mommy, Charley.”
“Oh, I know. I’ll never forget her. But sometimes I pretend that you marry Daddy and become my second mommy.”
“Well, that’s a pretty complicated situation.”
“You don’t want to live with me?”
Lucinda ached. As much as it would complicate things, having this child in her life, in her home, every day, would be the answer to a long-forgotten dream. “Oh, Charley, it’s not about you. I would love to live with you.”
“You don’t like my daddy?”
“It’s not that either, Charley. It’s just that your dad needs to have some time to grieve for your mom and put his life back in order before he makes a decision about another wife. He just hasn’t had enough time.”
“I think he likes you.”
“Yes, he does and I like him. But that is not enough. You can’t rush these kinds of decisions. There needs to be something deeper than just liking each other. If you don’t take care, a lot of people can get hurt.”
“Do you think you’ll marry my daddy one day?”
“I don’t know, sweetie. It’s not going to happen any time soon if it ever does. But what happens between your daddy and me doesn’t matter. You will always be a part of my life – even if your daddy marries someone else.”
“Promise?”
“Yes. I promise.”
“I think that Special Agent man likes you, too.”
“Jake?”
“Yes. We had a long talk while we waited for you to wake up.”
“You think he likes me?”
“Yes. Will you marry him?”
“Charley, I just met him a couple of days ago.”
“Oh. There’s that time thing again. It’s not easy being a woman is it?”
Lucinda’s career and relationship choices ran through her head – and with them, the realization that neither had gone the way she’d planned.
“No, girlfriend. It certainly is not.”
Punish the Deed (A Lucinda Pierce Mystery) Page 25
