cowboy hat tilted at a cocky angle and he pushed the brim up, flashing her a smile.
“Did you remember?”
“Of course I did.”
“No, you didn’t.” Slade stepped up on the porch, holding a little backpack with a red car on the front, the other hand holding Caleb’s. “We can do something else.”
“Slade, I did remember and I’m ready. I even called Vera and asked for lunch to be delivered.” She opened the door a little wider. “Come inside. What time do you have to be at work?”
“Soon.” He stopped in the middle of the living room and then turned back to look at her.
Mia followed that accusing gaze and it landed on the weapon she’d left on the coffee table. Unloaded, of course. The bullets were locked in a cabinet in her closet.
“Slade, I had to try.”
“Try?”
She moved her right arm, back in the sling since the failed attempt at holding her weapon. “I can’t hold it. I can’t pull the trigger.”
His look changed, softened. She shook her head.
“I don’t want sympathy.” She picked up the weapon and smiled at Caleb. “Not for little boys to touch, Caleb. Ever.”
He gave her a “duh” look. “I know that.”
“I want to make sure. I wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”
“Mia.” Slade’s voice was soft.
“Slade, please stop. I’m good.”
“You’re always good, aren’t you? You can conquer the world on your own, right? You don’t need us mere mortals to lean on.”
“I do. But I don’t want to cry over it.”
“You’re more than this job.”
She knew that. She had the list. Daughter. Sister. Granddaughter. “So I’ve been told. But could someone please tell me who I am?”
He smiled at her, an easy cowboy smile replacing the soft look of sympathy. He’d always had that easy charm. She thought about being seven, almost eight years old and attending church with the Coopers that first time. He’d smiled like that and told her he could beat her at tetherball. The challenge had pulled her out of her shell. How had he known it would work, just a boy of ten? How had he known her so well?
“Mia, you have to figure out who you are without the job. I can tell you who I think you are. You are the strongest woman I know. You’re so strong you’ve never seemed to need any of us. You plow through life, taking on the world’s problems.”
“I’m not that strong.” She’d just pretended and somehow managed to convince herself. “Let me put this gun back.”
When she walked back into the living room, Slade was hanging the backpack on the hooks by her front door. She watched, unsure, really unsure. Slade turned, caught her watching. He shifted his attention to Caleb who had turned on the television to a kids’ show with dinosaurs.
“Buddy, not too much TV, please, and make sure you’re helpful.”
Caleb nodded but kept watching the show. He had pulled a footstool close to the television and lay flopped over the top of it. His boots were on the floor next to him.
“He’ll be fine, Slade. We’ll be fine.”
He indicated with a nod that she should follow him to the door. Mia glanced back at Caleb and followed Slade out the door.
“Mia, if this gets to be too much, I can call one of the ladies from church.”
“It isn’t too much. Stop worrying.” She watched him frown, look away. “And we’ll be safe.”
“I know I’d be wasting my breath if I told you that you should stay with your parents until we figure out who broke in here and why.”
“Yes, you wasted your breath. If I feel it’s best, I’ll go stay with them. Until then, I’m here and I’m figuring this out.”
“Figuring it out? Mia, are you digging into something you shouldn’t?”
“Maybe. Let me dig. Someone knew how to get here. We need to know who, or how they got that information. Right?”
“Right.” His voice faded. “Stay safe and let me know what you find.”
“I will. You’re the only person I know I can trust right now.”
“There are other
“Did you remember?”
“Of course I did.”
“No, you didn’t.” Slade stepped up on the porch, holding a little backpack with a red car on the front, the other hand holding Caleb’s. “We can do something else.”
“Slade, I did remember and I’m ready. I even called Vera and asked for lunch to be delivered.” She opened the door a little wider. “Come inside. What time do you have to be at work?”
“Soon.” He stopped in the middle of the living room and then turned back to look at her.
Mia followed that accusing gaze and it landed on the weapon she’d left on the coffee table. Unloaded, of course. The bullets were locked in a cabinet in her closet.
“Slade, I had to try.”
“Try?”
She moved her right arm, back in the sling since the failed attempt at holding her weapon. “I can’t hold it. I can’t pull the trigger.”
His look changed, softened. She shook her head.
“I don’t want sympathy.” She picked up the weapon and smiled at Caleb. “Not for little boys to touch, Caleb. Ever.”
He gave her a “duh” look. “I know that.”
“I want to make sure. I wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”
“Mia.” Slade’s voice was soft.
“Slade, please stop. I’m good.”
“You’re always good, aren’t you? You can conquer the world on your own, right? You don’t need us mere mortals to lean on.”
“I do. But I don’t want to cry over it.”
“You’re more than this job.”
She knew that. She had the list. Daughter. Sister. Granddaughter. “So I’ve been told. But could someone please tell me who I am?”
He smiled at her, an easy cowboy smile replacing the soft look of sympathy. He’d always had that easy charm. She thought about being seven, almost eight years old and attending church with the Coopers that first time. He’d smiled like that and told her he could beat her at tetherball. The challenge had pulled her out of her shell. How had he known it would work, just a boy of ten? How had he known her so well?
“Mia, you have to figure out who you are without the job. I can tell you who I think you are. You are the strongest woman I know. You’re so strong you’ve never seemed to need any of us. You plow through life, taking on the world’s problems.”
“I’m not that strong.” She’d just pretended and somehow managed to convince herself. “Let me put this gun back.”
When she walked back into the living room, Slade was hanging the backpack on the hooks by her front door. She watched, unsure, really unsure. Slade turned, caught her watching. He shifted his attention to Caleb who had turned on the television to a kids’ show with dinosaurs.
“Buddy, not too much TV, please, and make sure you’re helpful.”
Caleb nodded but kept watching the show. He had pulled a footstool close to the television and lay flopped over the top of it. His boots were on the floor next to him.
“He’ll be fine, Slade. We’ll be fine.”
He indicated with a nod that she should follow him to the door. Mia glanced back at Caleb and followed Slade out the door.
“Mia, if this gets to be too much, I can call one of the ladies from church.”
“It isn’t too much. Stop worrying.” She watched him frown, look away. “And we’ll be safe.”
“I know I’d be wasting my breath if I told you that you should stay with your parents until we figure out who broke in here and why.”
“Yes, you wasted your breath. If I feel it’s best, I’ll go stay with them. Until then, I’m here and I’m figuring this out.”
“Figuring it out? Mia, are you digging into something you shouldn’t?”
“Maybe. Let me dig. Someone knew how to get here. We need to know who, or how they got that information. Right?”
“Right.” His voice faded. “Stay safe and let me know what you find.”
“I will. You’re the only person I know I can trust right now.”
“There are other
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