Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 46805 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 187(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46805 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 187(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
That last statement repeated in Brooklyn’s mind. Take your power back. Giana was right. For too long Brent had threatened and harassed her. Who gave up everything in their life to follow someone out of spite? Maybe it was possible to live without fear. Swallowing hard, she decided.
“Is there a coffee shop far from our old apartment complex?” Brooklyn asked. “It was on the east side of town.”
“Of course. There’s one about five blocks from Caden’s house. A small independent shop. I like those better than the big chains. Are you thinking we could zip in and out?” Giana asked with a hopeful tone.
“Yes, but Caden and Zale say no driving until next week.”
“I’ll come get you. That’s better anyway. We’ll be together.”
Brooklyn exhaled with relief. She’d feel better with Giana. “Okay. Let’s do it.”
“I’ll be at your door in ten minutes.”
Brooklyn ran into the bedroom and raided Caden’s closet. Grabbing an oversized sweatshirt and a hat, Brooklyn tried to camouflage herself as much as possible. Daring was one thing, reckless was another. She’d secured her hair in a ponytail and hid it under the baseball cap after pulling on the bulky top.
She looked at her phone for a few seconds as she debated whether to tell her daddy. He’d worry, and she’d distracted him enough. Her head ached slightly as her thoughts whirled around in her brain. Brooklyn took several deep breaths to relax, and the pain decreased.
A car horn tooted in her driveway, speeding her out the door. Brooklyn didn’t have a key. She hadn’t ever needed to leave alone. An image flashed into her brain of a single key hanging next to the garage. She darted to the keyholder, borrowed it, and secured the front door behind her.
“Caffeine, here we come!” Giana greeted her cheerfully. “Before we go, are you sure you’re ready for this? We don’t have to go. I could come in, and we could splurge on chocolate milk.”
“Can we return if I get scared?”
“Immediately. Tell me and we’re out of there,” Giana reassured her.
Several minutes later, Brooklyn sat focused on the door as she sipped on a sinfully sweet, caffeinated beverage with whipped cream on top. She moaned with delight at the delicious taste. “This is heaven.”
“You’re telling me. I think I was going through withdrawals,” Giana said with a laugh.
“Wait until I tell you about the call we got yesterday.” She launched into a long story about a cat stuck up in a tree and a random dog walker who’d allowed the four dogs he was exercising to wrap around the fireman’s ladder. Of course, they’d yanked the bottom of the ladder out, making the would-be rescuer grab onto the tree to keep from tumbling. The visual image of the fireman left dangling from the limb while the cat nimbly walked over his hands to shimmy back down the trunk had Brooklyn almost rolling from her chair.
“I’m glad your job has some entertaining times as well,” Brooklyn told her. “I’m sure it’s stressful.”
“It is. We see people on their worst days. Not just for fires, but for many medical emergencies as well.”
“Mark did an amazing job, taking care of me. You have to be a special kind of person to reassure people in trouble. Would it be weird if I wrote him a thank-you letter?” Brooklyn asked.
“Not at all. Most of us have a file of special notes we’ve received over the years. Remembering how I made a difference for someone always makes me work harder at the drills to stay in top shape.”
“I bet. I’ll do it and bring it to the next gathering if you’d take it to Mark.”
“Of course. You’ll make his day. Like you made mine by coming out with me. How are you doing?”
“I’ve enjoyed this.” Brooklyn sucked the last of her iced coffee up the straw. She glanced around the coffee shop, making sure no one was paying any attention to them. She’d had fun with Giana, but now wanted to retreat to the safety of Caden’s house.
“Ready to go?” Giana guessed before Brooklyn could ask.
“If you don’t mind.”
“Of course not. Let’s go.”
In minutes, Brooklyn let herself back into Caden’s house. She leaned against the door and stared around the interior. It seemed different somehow. Like the space had changed from a sanctuary to a home. Hugging her arms around her waist, Brooklyn celebrated. The threat of Brent hadn’t ruled her life today.
After returning the key, she skipped down the hallway to return Caden’s things. He’d be home in an hour or so. Brooklyn retrieved Fluffikins from the couch where she’d left him and went to her nursery to play.
Brooklyn had finished putting together the border of a gigantic puzzle when she heard the garage door open. She smiled at her daddy as he walked into the nursery. “Hi!”