Read Online Hot Pursuit by Suzanne Brockmann - Free Book Online Page B

fine,” he said. “Just leave me the f—”
    He’d opened his eyes just before he dropped the F-bomb, and good thing, because it wasn’t Lopez or Tony or even Izzy staring down at him.
    It was a very little girl in a pink dress, complete with a bow in her barely there, baby-fine hair. She couldn’t have been more than two, maybe three at the most. She wore shiny black shoes and white tights that were doing a kind of an MC Hammer thing with the crotch down around her knees, but she didn’t seem to care. She was holding what looked like a blue stuffed bunny, clutching it to her chest.
    Her eyes were blue and wide and she stared with unabashed curiosity. “Are you a soldja?”
    He was dressed in civvies—well, mostly anyway. His pants were BDUs, but nothing that a civilian couldn’t pick up at an Army/Navy store. His bag was military, though, with his name lettered on it—and yeah, that was what she was looking at.
    “I’m in the Navy,” he told her, even though she probably didn’t know what that meant.
    But she did. “Momma’s a Ahmy soldja,” she informed him solemnly. “In Wack. Her foot got bwohed up. They gon’ make her a new one an’ we gon’ pway tag again an’ wun an’—”
    “Mindy!” A boy, maybe twelve or thirteen—about Dan’s brother Ben’s age—and clearly related to Mindy, had overheard what she’d said, which Dan had finally translated into their mother was getting a prosthetic foot, which would allow her to play tag again and run. But the boy was horrified, his thin face pale. “He doesn’t want to hear about that!”
    “It’s okay,” Danny sat up. “I’ve, um, been over there. It’s … rough. Where’s your mom now?”
    “Landstuhl Hospital,” he said. “In Germany. She was supposed to come home last month, but…” He shook his head, his mouth tight.
    “I’m sorry,” Dan murmured.
    “Gwamma tooked us to Jahminny,” Mindy announced, “and I kisseded Momma an’ she cwied, cuz she wuvs me and Daddy stayed cuz she gotta hohd his hand and we don’t gots to send her teeny shampoos no more an’ hand wahmahs an’ books to wead cuz the nurses wash her hair and her woom has a TV but she don’t turn it on cuz she’s sweepin’ and I wan’ say
wake up, Momma!
But gwamma won’ wet me.”
    “Mindy, come on,” the boy said. “Gram’s going to be worried.”
    “Your mom’s lucky,” Dan told the little girl, “to have you and your brother and your dad taking care of her. I bet she liked those packages you sent her when she was in … Wack.” It was a good name for it.
    “Do you got packages?” she asked him.
    “Yeah,” he lied. “I get lots of packages when I’m over there. I’ve mostly been in Afghanistan, but… It’s great to get packages wherever you go, so … I know your mom loved yours. Hand warmers—at this time of year, and books …”
    “Mindy,” the boy said again, but she didn’t move.
    She just stood there, looking at Dan, and as small as she was, she must’ve had a heavy-duty bullshit meter, because she held out her bunny, pushing it into his hands. “Now you gots a package too,” she announced. “A bunny name Fwed, to wuv you.” She patted the bunny’s head. “Bye, Fwed. Give the Naby soldja wotsa kisses in Anastan.”
    And with that, she was gone.
    “Mindy!” Her brother turned to follow her.
    “Kid,” Dan called, and then turned back after making sure his little sister found their grandmother. Dan tossed him the rabbit. “Tell your sister thank you, but I’m pretty sure Fred will be happier staying with her.”
    “The real Fred’s at home,” the kid said. “Dad says she’s the Johnny Appleseed of stuffed bunnies. He buys ’em in bulk becauseshe leaves ’em everywhere.” The boy threw it back at him. “She wants you to have it, so …” He shrugged. “If you don’t want it, just toss it. She won’t know.”
    He turned away, but Dan called after him. “Kid. I hope your mom comes home soon.”
    The boy