her and set her gently on his lap. She wrapped an arm around his shoulder. It felt good.
She didn’t say anything just snuggled closer her head underneath his chin, as he bit into the fabulous cookie. He offered her a bite and she shook her head.
“You’re really missing out,” he said, as he finished the last bite. She twined her other arm around his waist.
“I’ve got a pretty good deal going on right here.” Mason wanted to let out a whoop at her admission.
“I noticed you took one of my W.E.B. Griffin books last night. Have you read him before?”
“No. But I was studying history. We were getting into some of the battles of the Civil War and I found those pretty interesting. So I thought his books about World War II would be good too. I didn’t know they’d be so entertaining.”
“Still didn’t stop the bad dreams though did it?” She shook her head, sadly.
“I can’t imagine how bad it is for the girl who was in the car. Can you imagine how awful her life must have gotten for her to make the decision to be a prostitute?” Sophia’s face was a mask of concern. He hugged her closer, and she let out a deep breath. “I hope the police find her. I told them to call me if they do I want to talk to her.”
“I don’t remember you saying that when you gave your statement at the hospital.”
“They called today.” She looked at him with a look of apprehension. “I meant to talk to you about it.”
“Okay.”
“I forgot until now.” She seemed nervous.
“Honey, with everything going on today no wonder you forgot to tell me.”
“The men who did those things. Well, they got out on bail and they can’t find the girl. They said your testimony isn’t going to be enough so I’m going to be their big witness. They said I have to meet with the D.A.” He could see she was upset by everything she’d said.
“What has you most afraid?” he asked as he stroked from the nape of her neck down to her lower back. She didn’t answer, and he watched as she gathered her thoughts and courage. He continued stroking, up and down and then back up again.
“I worry for the girl, she seemed so young. But I didn’t see her like you did. Was she young?” He thought back to those horrific moments and he saw them all clearly. The girl screaming and running up to him, begging him to call the cops, all but dragging him to the car. Sophia was right she’d been young, probably just out of high school if he had to guess. But as soon as he’d seen those men on top of Sophia his entire focus centered on her.
“You’re right she was young and I worry for her too, honey. But there’s more than just that. What else has you nervous?”
“It’s stupid.”
“Is it about those men being out of jail? Because it sure as hell makes me mad.”
“But it makes sense. It should make you mad. It should make me mad.” Both of her hands gripped his shirt.
“Ah, baby.” He shifted so he could look into her eyes. “Are you afraid those men can find you?”
“Can they?” she asked in a hushed voice.
“I don’t think they tell your identity until the D.A. has to tell the defendant’s lawyers. When do you meet with the D.A.?”
“They want me to come in this week or early next week.” He hated the defeated sound in her voice.
“We’ll go together.”
“We will?” She looked at him with a hopeful expression.
He smoothed her hair. “Yes we will.”
“Damn, I forgot. They need to take your statement too.”
“I would have gone whether they needed my statement or not.” He bent and brushed a kiss against her forehead. He wasn’t quite sure how it happened but from now on when Sophia Anderson needed something he was going to do his damnedest to provide it.
****
They left the house while it was still dark and drove north on the Five Freeway up to San Onofre. Mason checked and the surf was going to be perfect for Billy, who hadn’t been on a board for over three years.
When they got to
She didn’t say anything just snuggled closer her head underneath his chin, as he bit into the fabulous cookie. He offered her a bite and she shook her head.
“You’re really missing out,” he said, as he finished the last bite. She twined her other arm around his waist.
“I’ve got a pretty good deal going on right here.” Mason wanted to let out a whoop at her admission.
“I noticed you took one of my W.E.B. Griffin books last night. Have you read him before?”
“No. But I was studying history. We were getting into some of the battles of the Civil War and I found those pretty interesting. So I thought his books about World War II would be good too. I didn’t know they’d be so entertaining.”
“Still didn’t stop the bad dreams though did it?” She shook her head, sadly.
“I can’t imagine how bad it is for the girl who was in the car. Can you imagine how awful her life must have gotten for her to make the decision to be a prostitute?” Sophia’s face was a mask of concern. He hugged her closer, and she let out a deep breath. “I hope the police find her. I told them to call me if they do I want to talk to her.”
“I don’t remember you saying that when you gave your statement at the hospital.”
“They called today.” She looked at him with a look of apprehension. “I meant to talk to you about it.”
“Okay.”
“I forgot until now.” She seemed nervous.
“Honey, with everything going on today no wonder you forgot to tell me.”
“The men who did those things. Well, they got out on bail and they can’t find the girl. They said your testimony isn’t going to be enough so I’m going to be their big witness. They said I have to meet with the D.A.” He could see she was upset by everything she’d said.
“What has you most afraid?” he asked as he stroked from the nape of her neck down to her lower back. She didn’t answer, and he watched as she gathered her thoughts and courage. He continued stroking, up and down and then back up again.
“I worry for the girl, she seemed so young. But I didn’t see her like you did. Was she young?” He thought back to those horrific moments and he saw them all clearly. The girl screaming and running up to him, begging him to call the cops, all but dragging him to the car. Sophia was right she’d been young, probably just out of high school if he had to guess. But as soon as he’d seen those men on top of Sophia his entire focus centered on her.
“You’re right she was young and I worry for her too, honey. But there’s more than just that. What else has you nervous?”
“It’s stupid.”
“Is it about those men being out of jail? Because it sure as hell makes me mad.”
“But it makes sense. It should make you mad. It should make me mad.” Both of her hands gripped his shirt.
“Ah, baby.” He shifted so he could look into her eyes. “Are you afraid those men can find you?”
“Can they?” she asked in a hushed voice.
“I don’t think they tell your identity until the D.A. has to tell the defendant’s lawyers. When do you meet with the D.A.?”
“They want me to come in this week or early next week.” He hated the defeated sound in her voice.
“We’ll go together.”
“We will?” She looked at him with a hopeful expression.
He smoothed her hair. “Yes we will.”
“Damn, I forgot. They need to take your statement too.”
“I would have gone whether they needed my statement or not.” He bent and brushed a kiss against her forehead. He wasn’t quite sure how it happened but from now on when Sophia Anderson needed something he was going to do his damnedest to provide it.
****
They left the house while it was still dark and drove north on the Five Freeway up to San Onofre. Mason checked and the surf was going to be perfect for Billy, who hadn’t been on a board for over three years.
When they got to
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