Flynn(17)

“You girls mind if I leave you for a bit and go and get the truck cleaned at the wash that’s a block from here?” asked Flynn.

“Sure,” said Natalie.

“Okay, how about I meet you by the information desk in say, thirty minutes?”

She watched him walk away, his cute butt in those tight jeans, the short suede jacket, the boots and most of all, the cowboy hat. She wouldn’t have guessed a cowboy would have been her type, but there was something about Flynn Malone that made her heart miss a beat.

He finally disappeared out of sight.

I’m on my own with her daughter.

Natalie knew it was wrong to think along those lines. He and his wife had been kind enough to give her baby a home. His wife. He didn’t talk about her. In fact, Natalie hadn’t seen any photos of her in the house. Maybe he didn’t want to be reminded that she was gone. And why did he say she was dead when Natalie’s PI had said they were divorced? Maybe they’d been two previous wives.

Natalie suddenly realized that Emily no longer had hold of her arm. She looked around but couldn’t see her anywhere, just lots of other people milling around in front of the stores.

Five minutes alone with her and she’d done the unthinkable. She’d lost her daughter.

Did she know her way around this mall? What if she couldn’t find her, or if Emily couldn’t find her way back to her? Bile rose in her throat. As Emily had special needs, should she go to the security office straight away, and not even bother to look for her?

Running her hands through her hair she felt hot and cold at the same time. Emily was a friendly girl and what if she’d gone off with someone who meant to do her harm?

Natalie made her way through the throngs of people, looking everywhere but seeing no sign of her. She glanced in stores hoping to see the blue quilted coat and the red hair somewhere in the crowd but still nothing. Making her way out into the center of the mall, she glanced at her watch. Thirty minutes had passed. Flynn would be back soon and what was she going to tell him? I’m an idiot. I’ve lost your daughter.

She rushed back to where they were the last time she’d seen Emily, hoping for some miracle and she’d simply be standing there waiting,

Still no sign of her.

Glancing to her left, she saw Flynn heading to the information booth. She walked over there too, taking deep breaths rehearsing how she was going to break the news to him.

She walked up behind him, he turned and smiled.

Here goes, and I hope he doesn’t hate me.

“Flynn, I’m so sorry. I let Emily out of my sight for just a second and now…”

He put his hand on her arm. If only the situation wasn’t so dire, she could appreciate his touch so much more.

“It’s okay. It’s my fault because I should have warned you that if she finds something that interests her more than what she’s doing with you, she takes off without warning. Don’t worry I gave her a cell phone and she has my number, her grans, and also her two uncles’ numbers on speed dial. We’ve always told her if she gets lost to take a photo of where she’s at, and call one of us so we can find her. The fact that she hasn’t tells me she’s all right and somewhere she feels perfectly safe.”

How had her baby been so lucky to find Flynn for a dad? Maybe her mother had handpicked him. Not likely, but either way her and Jon’s daughter had found the best home a baby could possibly get.

He put his arm around her. Just the touch of his body made her legs shake and her heart pick up its tempo. “Let’s go look for her. I’m betting she’s close by,” he said.

Together they searched the stores, but no Emily. A band was playing on a stage at the end of the mall. Natalie looked their way and there she was all by herself swaying and dancing to the music just a few feet from the stage.

Flynn walked up behind her and whispered in her ear. “She loves music. I think it’s because I sang to her every night when she was a baby.” An image of Emily small and fragile being rocked in Flynn’s strong arms sprang into her mind. She would have loved to have seen it. She watched as two small children joined Emily and danced with her as she grabbed their hands.

“She loves children too. Loves being around them, so I’m glad she’s finally getting a cousin,” he said.

“You and your wife never had any other children?”

He looked down at the ground and then up and shook his head.

“And you’re never thought about remarrying?”

This probably wasn’t the place or time to ask him, but she wanted to know.

“Been too busy with the ranch and Emily,” he said watching this daughter and smiling. Pure pride was written all over it.