in his car seat and then got in the driver’s seat.
Fearing Jade might spot him following her, he sped down a side street to reach her apartment before she did. After pulling to the curb, he looked into his rear view mirror and saw the silhouette of Jade’s SUV approaching. He ducked down in his seat as she whizzed by. He watched her park and smiled as she hustled Donnie out of the car and into the building’s interior. Shortly thereafter, the lights were on in her apartment and the blinds drawn. He felt better; she’d gotten home safely.
Just the same, he sat in his truck watching for whoever was bringing the flowers to make an appearance. Mac had been there a couple of hours when noisy gurgling in his stomach made him realize how hungry he was. Calling it a night, he drove to a diner near his house.
About an hour later he sauntered back to the parking lot. His truck sat low to the ground. Something was wrong.
Jogging toward his vehicle he registered that all four tires were flat. He quickly scanned the other cars near his. None of them had any damage. His truck had been singled out. He turned his gaze across the lot and into the surrounding shadows looking for a suspect. Nothing.
Muttering an oath, he used his cell phone to call a tow truck. Then he went back in the restaurant to see if they had video surveillance cameras in the parking lot.
# # #
“Hurry, Donnie, hurry.” Jade grabbed her son’s hand and tugged him towards her SUV. “Mommy has to drop you off, then go pick up a man from work. We’re going to be late.”
“What man, Mama?”
Your father, she thought, strapping Donnie in his car seat. The one who doesn’t even know he has a son. The one who was so intoxicated he doesn’t even remember a night with your mother.“Mama, what man?” Donnie’s tone was insistent.
“Mr. Stryker. The man who ate pizza with us the other night.”
“Oh, I guess that’s okay. He gotted rescued by firemen. He told me he’d try to get me a fireman’s hat. Do you think he’ll give it to me today?”
“I wouldn’t count on it, Sweetie,” she replied, throwing the car in gear and racing toward her father’s house. As she drove, she wondered what would possess Mac to offer to bring her son a gift. He shouldn’t be expecting to see her son again, although once she told him the truth, she wasn’t sure what his reaction would be. What if Mac demanded joint custody? She wasn’t going to turn her son over to a recovering alcoholic. What if he tried to take Donnie away from her? Instead of carpooling with Mac, she should be avoiding him at all costs. Oh, what a mess.
Once she’d left Donnie with her father, Jade sped to a neighborhood not far from the station.
Mac’s condominium complex was one of the nicest she’d seen. A private security guard checked her in and the resplendent wrought-iron gates silently swung open, allowing her to drive down tree-lined streets. Set back from the curb, Spanish-style stucco buildings joined at odd angles, forming several residences per building. Gardeners wearing wide-brimmed straw hats swung earsplitting leaf blowers, causing clouds of dust and cut grass to billow into the street.
Jade’s knock at the door was answered, not by Mac, but by a smiling Hispanic woman.
Fearing she’d gotten the wrong house, she searched the pockets of her sweatpants for the paper containing Mac’s address. She verified the location was correct.
Utilizing her weak Academy Spanish, she inquired if Mac was at home. “Senor Stryker, aqui?”
“Si, si, uno momento, por favor,” the woman replied, disappearing down a short hallway.
Within seconds Mac, holding a steaming mug, popped his head around the door. The aroma of French Vanilla mixed with coffee wafted to her nose.
“I see you’ve met my housekeeper, Irma. Come in and make yourself at home. There’s coffee in the kitchen. I’ll be with you
Fearing Jade might spot him following her, he sped down a side street to reach her apartment before she did. After pulling to the curb, he looked into his rear view mirror and saw the silhouette of Jade’s SUV approaching. He ducked down in his seat as she whizzed by. He watched her park and smiled as she hustled Donnie out of the car and into the building’s interior. Shortly thereafter, the lights were on in her apartment and the blinds drawn. He felt better; she’d gotten home safely.
Just the same, he sat in his truck watching for whoever was bringing the flowers to make an appearance. Mac had been there a couple of hours when noisy gurgling in his stomach made him realize how hungry he was. Calling it a night, he drove to a diner near his house.
About an hour later he sauntered back to the parking lot. His truck sat low to the ground. Something was wrong.
Jogging toward his vehicle he registered that all four tires were flat. He quickly scanned the other cars near his. None of them had any damage. His truck had been singled out. He turned his gaze across the lot and into the surrounding shadows looking for a suspect. Nothing.
Muttering an oath, he used his cell phone to call a tow truck. Then he went back in the restaurant to see if they had video surveillance cameras in the parking lot.
# # #
“Hurry, Donnie, hurry.” Jade grabbed her son’s hand and tugged him towards her SUV. “Mommy has to drop you off, then go pick up a man from work. We’re going to be late.”
“What man, Mama?”
Your father, she thought, strapping Donnie in his car seat. The one who doesn’t even know he has a son. The one who was so intoxicated he doesn’t even remember a night with your mother.“Mama, what man?” Donnie’s tone was insistent.
“Mr. Stryker. The man who ate pizza with us the other night.”
“Oh, I guess that’s okay. He gotted rescued by firemen. He told me he’d try to get me a fireman’s hat. Do you think he’ll give it to me today?”
“I wouldn’t count on it, Sweetie,” she replied, throwing the car in gear and racing toward her father’s house. As she drove, she wondered what would possess Mac to offer to bring her son a gift. He shouldn’t be expecting to see her son again, although once she told him the truth, she wasn’t sure what his reaction would be. What if Mac demanded joint custody? She wasn’t going to turn her son over to a recovering alcoholic. What if he tried to take Donnie away from her? Instead of carpooling with Mac, she should be avoiding him at all costs. Oh, what a mess.
Once she’d left Donnie with her father, Jade sped to a neighborhood not far from the station.
Mac’s condominium complex was one of the nicest she’d seen. A private security guard checked her in and the resplendent wrought-iron gates silently swung open, allowing her to drive down tree-lined streets. Set back from the curb, Spanish-style stucco buildings joined at odd angles, forming several residences per building. Gardeners wearing wide-brimmed straw hats swung earsplitting leaf blowers, causing clouds of dust and cut grass to billow into the street.
Jade’s knock at the door was answered, not by Mac, but by a smiling Hispanic woman.
Fearing she’d gotten the wrong house, she searched the pockets of her sweatpants for the paper containing Mac’s address. She verified the location was correct.
Utilizing her weak Academy Spanish, she inquired if Mac was at home. “Senor Stryker, aqui?”
“Si, si, uno momento, por favor,” the woman replied, disappearing down a short hallway.
Within seconds Mac, holding a steaming mug, popped his head around the door. The aroma of French Vanilla mixed with coffee wafted to her nose.
“I see you’ve met my housekeeper, Irma. Come in and make yourself at home. There’s coffee in the kitchen. I’ll be with you
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