Connelly's Flame by Aliyah Burke

Dezarae just watched the child for a bit. “Why not since then?” she finally
    asked.
    “I ran out of money on the bus,” the girl said as she took a long drink of her lemonade.
    The bus? “I see,” Dezarae said, “that would be the bus you took to get here?”
    “Right,” she nodded. “But I didn’t get off at the right place and ended up in Idaho so I had to come
    back and that is why my money ran out.” Brown eyes looked across the table at the woman her daddy had
    spoken of so highly.
    Running a hand over her face, Dezarae couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “How did you get on
    the bus?”
    “I bought a ticket at home, printed it out, and went to the station. When I was boarding, I waved at an
    old woman who waved back and I just told the man there that was my nanny seeing me off.” She shrugged.
    “It was no big deal.”
    “Wow, well I must say I’m impressed. That was smart.” Dezarae stood up and took her plate to the
    sink and returned with two pieces of chocolate pie. “You know, though, that you have to call your mother.”
    The child shook her head. “Don’t shake your head no at me; you need to call your mother. I’m sure she is
    worried sick.”

    43
    CONNELLY’S FLAME
    Aliyah Burke

    Charmane looked into the dark brown eyes of the woman who had shared a dinner with her. “My
    mama isn’t at home. She and her boyfriend took another trip.” She took the pie and dug in eagerly.
    “So you what…ran away from your nanny?” Dezarae asked as she cut into her pie.
    “Yep,” Charmane said.
    Jesus, this kid has balls. “Well, then, we are calling her,” Dezarae dictated.
    Those big eyes grew sorrowful. “It doesn’t matter, nobody wants me around.” She picked at the
    remaining crumbs of her pie. “Except my daddy.”
    “Why would you say that?” Aside from the whole prima donna act I think you are adorable. “I’m
    sure many people want you around.”
    Charmane shook her head. “No, they don’t. And you don’t want me to stay. I am just good to yell at
    and hi—” she stopped abruptly and clamped her mouth shut.
    Dezarae sat forward in her chair. “Are you saying they hit you?”
    Eyes wide with fear the child shook her head back and forth furiously. “Just that they don’t want me
    around.”
    Leaning back Dezarae said, “You need to call your nanny. Go on, make the call.” She gestured to the
    phone. Like a whipped puppy, Charmane walked over there and picked up the receiver. “And, I will want to
    talk to the nanny as well, Charmane,” Dezarae added.
    Thin shoulders slumped even more as she dialed a number. “It’s ringing,” her dejected tone fell.
    Rising, Dezarae took the phone and waited. “What is your nanny’s name?”
    “Jamie Riley,” the reluctant response came.

    “Can I speak to Jamie Riley, please?” Dezarae said in her business like tone when someone finally
    answered.
    “Speaking,” a nasally voice said. “Who is this?”
    “My name is Dezarae Kerry. I am a…a friend of Ross Connelly and his daughter, Charmane is with
    me.”
    The gasp was loud. “You have Charmane? Is she okay? Let me talk to her,” Jamie ordered.
    “I must say I am a bit concerned over the fact that you couldn’t keep track of a child. Especially
    Ross’s child,” Dezarae stated, ignoring the woman.
    “That child is a menace, always getting into trouble. No one can keep an eye on her,” the voice
    hissed, full of venom.
    Dezarae tsked, “Now, that’s not true. She has been here for about five hours now and I have always
    known where she was. And don’t call her a menace.”
    “Let me talk to her,” the woman yelled.
    “I think it would be best if you told her mother, if you know where they went, that she will be
    staying.” Dezarae caught gaze of the young girl pointing around her home and waited until she got a smile
    and nod, “With me until her father comes home.”
    “You can’t do that, that’s kidnapping,” Jamie