Summer's Indiscretion(Divine Creek Ranch 7)(85)
“You can’t just fire people for no good reason! I can’t support my family, and my wife left me and moved in with her mother.”
Duke said, “Ace, he’s maneuvering Leah away from the back of the store. He’s getting nervous.”
George yelled, “I see you there! Get over here. You stand with her.” A woman cried incoherently and struggled when he grabbed her, and Ace took the opportunity to move a little closer.
George fired another terrifying blast which showered bits of ceiling tiles down on the girls. “I don’t care who you are! Get over there with her.” The shooter pointed the gun at them, which put the area the girls were in within firing range.
Duke said, “Ace, the girls are moving. One of them has got a piece of a—Oh, shit.”
* * * *
Summer, Grace, and Rosemary maneuvered away from George, trying to keep as many racks as possible between them and him, hoping that he might not see them. She looked down at the shoe box she still clutched in her hands and tried to relax them because the box was now a mangled mess. She heard a strident, desperate-sounding whisper, a giggle, and the patter of tiny sandals on the carpet. The little boy, Patrick Jr.
Summer got on her knees and looked beneath the racks at floor level. She could see his chubby legs as he made his way through the racks. His mother was several feet away, gesturing for him to come to her, but he evidently was having none of it as he moved farther away.
Patrick was headed straight for Summer when he suddenly veered onto the main aisle. Miraculously, he was silent and didn’t draw the attention of the huge man with the deadly weapon. Summer saw movement beyond Patrick and looked into Ace’s dark, determined eyes. She’d never been so happy to see him. Relief struck her in a sharp, almost bittersweet wave because there was no guarantee this wasn’t the last time she’d ever see him.
Looking at the box in her hands, she did the only thing she could think of to save the little boy from George’s notice. Summer opened the box and removed one of the shoes. She jerked the bejeweled flower from the shoe and waved it at the boy so the jewels would twinkle under the overhead lights.
His eyes got big when he noticed her, and she crooked her finger at him to come to her. Smiling, he reached for the sparkling flower, and she carefully reeled him in until she could wrap her arms around him and put her finger to her lips in a shushing gesture. He took the flower she handed to him, patted her cheek, and crowed at the top of his lungs, “Pretty lady!”
A flurry of movement was heard from the direction George had been standing, and Summer looked into Ace’s eyes as she backed away. She saw movement to her left and couldn’t believe her eyes when she watched Rosemary stand as George passed her. With a determined grimace, her petite friend bashed him over the head with the metal arm from a display rack. The blow didn’t knock him out but clearly disoriented him and gave Ace enough of a chance to jump him. Display racks fell in a jumble around them as they fought for the weapon, and Summer struggled to get away so none of them fell on her or Patrick.
By now Patrick was crying and carrying on, people were screaming, and George and Ace were tussling on the floor. The police rushed in and took over custody of George, whom Ace had disarmed and pinned to the floor. Summer heard Kemp calling out to her. Ace came to her and helped her from the floor where she’d fallen in her attempt to get away.
She clung to the little boy reflexively and allowed Ace to help her to her feet. Patrick wasn’t getting away from her until she knew for certain she could place him in his parent’s arms. His little face was red from crying, and tears rolled down his cheeks.
“Shh, baby. Mama’s coming. Shh.” She hugged him and patted his back as he trembled in her arms.
“You okay, kitten?”
“No, but I will be. I’m so glad you were here, Ace. How did you get here so fast?”
“The woman we are watching is here in the store somewhere. I think this is her child,” he said, indicating the boy in Summer’s arms. She sighed, remembering that she’d just come to the same conclusion before the first shotgun blast. Kemp joined them and closed her in the circle of his strong arms.
“Darlin’, I’m so glad you’re all right.”
She looked up into his sincere, green eyes and said, “It was really scary, but I’m okay.”
Kemp turned to Grace and Rosemary, and asked, “Are you both all right? Grace? Feeling okay?”
Grace was still pale from her fright but patted her abdomen and nodded. “Yes, Kemp. We’re okay. I’m grateful to be able to say so, too.”
“Elizabeth! Elizabeth?” A tall blond man in a suit ran toward them from the front of the store shouting, “Elizabeth! Patrick!” He caught sight of Summer holding the little boy in question, and relief flooded his face as he ran to them. “My wife, Elizabeth, has she been hurt? A friend called me and told me she was here.” His question had a fearful note, and worry filled his eyes.