Read Online Pieces of the Past (Witness Security Book 1) by Jamie Hill - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jamie Hill
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“Just yanking your chain. I need your keys, please. Then get the kids and your bags together. We’ll leave in just a few.”
She headed into the other room , and he turned to Olivia. “Any questions on your end?”
“ Nope, I’m good. I’ll drop off the car and my ride will pick me up. I think we’ve got it under control.”
“ Keep your eyes open and call me if you see anything suspicious.”
Olivia nodded as Christine returned, holding out her keys. “My house keys are on there.”
“ That’s fine.” Doug glanced out the window one more time. “She’ll leave them at the office where they’ll be safe. Olivia, you’re good to go.”
“ All righty folks. Travel safe.” She snatched the ring and tossed it in the air on her way to the garage.
“ Thank you,” Doug called after her, and watched his co-worker drive away.
“Why did she call you ‘cowboy’?” Christine asked.
He shook his head, not wanting to start a long story at that moment. “Later. Right now, it’s time to go.” He motioned to Christine to wrap it up. “I’ll pull into the garage, you bring the kids and the bags.”
She nodded wordlessly.
He hated seeing the expression on her face at that moment. As he jogged out to the driveway, he wondered how it would feel to pull her into his arms and kiss away all her fears.
Stupid, stupid, stupid . He had to keep his head in the game. Wondering what Christine’s lips tasted like was not where his mind should be.
Doug drove in and parked, then hopped out to help her load the bags. “Everybody in.” He lowered the hatch, watching as the kids got settled in the back, fastening their seat belts. Looking across the top of the SUV at Christine, he raised his brows. “Ready for this?”
She nodded. “Ready as I’ll ever be.” They both climbed in and buckled up.
“ Where are we going?” Ethan asked, before they were out of the driveway.
“ To a safe house. The service keeps a few different places around town. It won’t be fancy, but it’ll have the necessities.”
“ Like air conditioning?” Peyton sounded irritated.
He glanced in the rearview mirror and saw her fanning herself. Doug turned on the switch to send A/C to the back seat. “Yes, it’ll have air conditioning, and running water. Some gruel and hardtack to eat.”
“ Delightful,” Christine deadpanned.
Ethan piped up, “What’s hardtack? Is it like beef jerky?”
Doug smiled at the boy ’s reflection in the mirror. “Hardtack is a type of cracker made from flour, water and salt. It’s non-perishable, so sailors used to take it on long sea voyages. Cowboys and soldiers packed it, too. It was easy to carry.”
“ Cool.” Ethan leaned forward, looking around, trying to capture every sight and sound.
“ Who cares?” Peyton muttered. “I don’t eat hardtack .”
Doug shrugged. “Well, you’re not getting any of my Ho Hos or Ding Dongs.”
“ Oh for Pete’s sake.” Christine stared out her window. “You sound like another one of my children. I’ll bet you drive your daughter crazy.”
Doug blinked. “My daughter?”
She looked at him. “Daisy, isn’t that her name?”
He smiled. “Daisy. Oh, yeah.” He thought for a moment about what to say, then decided not to let her off the hook so easily. If she assumed Daisy was his daughter, he’d play along. “Daisy and I have an understanding. She knows better than to stick her paws into my snack foods. We got that straight right from the beginning.”
“ But you give her Cheetos?” Christine’s expression was that of the perfect reproachful mother.
He almost couldn ’t keep from laughing. “Absolutely. She loves it when I toss them up in the air so she can catch them with her mouth.”
Christine looked as if she wanted to say something, but Peyton leaned forward and spoke up first. “Did you flash your gun and badge at her, too?”
He winced. That one stung . But the girl was intentionally being a pain, and he wasn’t going to
She headed into the other room , and he turned to Olivia. “Any questions on your end?”
“ Nope, I’m good. I’ll drop off the car and my ride will pick me up. I think we’ve got it under control.”
“ Keep your eyes open and call me if you see anything suspicious.”
Olivia nodded as Christine returned, holding out her keys. “My house keys are on there.”
“ That’s fine.” Doug glanced out the window one more time. “She’ll leave them at the office where they’ll be safe. Olivia, you’re good to go.”
“ All righty folks. Travel safe.” She snatched the ring and tossed it in the air on her way to the garage.
“ Thank you,” Doug called after her, and watched his co-worker drive away.
“Why did she call you ‘cowboy’?” Christine asked.
He shook his head, not wanting to start a long story at that moment. “Later. Right now, it’s time to go.” He motioned to Christine to wrap it up. “I’ll pull into the garage, you bring the kids and the bags.”
She nodded wordlessly.
He hated seeing the expression on her face at that moment. As he jogged out to the driveway, he wondered how it would feel to pull her into his arms and kiss away all her fears.
Stupid, stupid, stupid . He had to keep his head in the game. Wondering what Christine’s lips tasted like was not where his mind should be.
Doug drove in and parked, then hopped out to help her load the bags. “Everybody in.” He lowered the hatch, watching as the kids got settled in the back, fastening their seat belts. Looking across the top of the SUV at Christine, he raised his brows. “Ready for this?”
She nodded. “Ready as I’ll ever be.” They both climbed in and buckled up.
“ Where are we going?” Ethan asked, before they were out of the driveway.
“ To a safe house. The service keeps a few different places around town. It won’t be fancy, but it’ll have the necessities.”
“ Like air conditioning?” Peyton sounded irritated.
He glanced in the rearview mirror and saw her fanning herself. Doug turned on the switch to send A/C to the back seat. “Yes, it’ll have air conditioning, and running water. Some gruel and hardtack to eat.”
“ Delightful,” Christine deadpanned.
Ethan piped up, “What’s hardtack? Is it like beef jerky?”
Doug smiled at the boy ’s reflection in the mirror. “Hardtack is a type of cracker made from flour, water and salt. It’s non-perishable, so sailors used to take it on long sea voyages. Cowboys and soldiers packed it, too. It was easy to carry.”
“ Cool.” Ethan leaned forward, looking around, trying to capture every sight and sound.
“ Who cares?” Peyton muttered. “I don’t eat hardtack .”
Doug shrugged. “Well, you’re not getting any of my Ho Hos or Ding Dongs.”
“ Oh for Pete’s sake.” Christine stared out her window. “You sound like another one of my children. I’ll bet you drive your daughter crazy.”
Doug blinked. “My daughter?”
She looked at him. “Daisy, isn’t that her name?”
He smiled. “Daisy. Oh, yeah.” He thought for a moment about what to say, then decided not to let her off the hook so easily. If she assumed Daisy was his daughter, he’d play along. “Daisy and I have an understanding. She knows better than to stick her paws into my snack foods. We got that straight right from the beginning.”
“ But you give her Cheetos?” Christine’s expression was that of the perfect reproachful mother.
He almost couldn ’t keep from laughing. “Absolutely. She loves it when I toss them up in the air so she can catch them with her mouth.”
Christine looked as if she wanted to say something, but Peyton leaned forward and spoke up first. “Did you flash your gun and badge at her, too?”
He winced. That one stung . But the girl was intentionally being a pain, and he wasn’t going to
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