Take Her Home – Part Four…
She understood, she could see it on his face and by his body language. He was attracted to her and frankly, it gave her confidence as long as he didn’t do anything threatening. “I appreciate you being a nice guy. That’s also new for me and I don’t know how to deal with the way it makes me feel, so I tell you what. Let’s just ride together. As long as you’re willing to put up with us and not hurt us, we’ll go where you’re going. I don’t have a better plan anyway.”
They were just finishing their food and the waitress came with their check and picked up some of the dishes they were done with. She smiled at Jordan. “Your daughter is adorable.”
Before her mother could correct her, he smiled back and replied. “I’ve always thought so.”
As the young woman spun away from the table, Lydia gave him a stunned look. He smirked and shook it off. “Sometimes it’s easier to go with it, than to try and explain.” Chloe watched the two of them with amusement, not really understanding what had passed between them. All she knew was that she got pancakes for breakfast and French fries for dinner the night before. Not much more was needed to satisfy her that this was a fun trip, especially since her father wasn’t there, and her mom was so relaxed.
As they walked to the car Jordan asked, “So what’s your last name?”
“Oh my gosh, I guess we skipped right past that part.” She turned and held out her hand. “I’m Lydia Lightfoot and this is my daughter Chloe. I’m twenty-three and she’s six. We’re happy to meet you and thank you for all you’ve done for us.”
He shook her hand and countered her introduction with, “I’m Jordan Sabina. I’m 26 and I am employed by Booker Consulting Services, a security consulting company. I’m on my way to Tennessee but decided to take the long route and see some of the country. On the way, I intend on stopping off in Kansas to see my mom. I would be pleased if you would accompany me.?
Giggling at the formality of their belated introduction, she curtsied. “We accept, kind sir. Is there anything we may do to assist you on that adventure?”
“Now that you mentioned it, there is something you can do, and I insist on it. We need to take you two shopping to get you some new clothes. In case Carl puts out a description to track you, we can’t have you wearing anything that he could use to identify you two.”
The thought troubled her. Riding with him was one thing, allowing him to feed them only made practical sense, but to have him spend his money on their clothing didn’t seem right and she didn’t want to feel obliged. If she decided she didn’t like him and she wanted to be left somewhere, she didn’t want to feel obligated to stay. After a moment of consideration, she nodded her head. “Okay, but under the condition that we keep the receipts, and I sign my name to them so you will be paid back. I don’t want to be indebted to you in case you decide to leave us somewhere.”
Knowing that he was very unlikely to dump her on the side of the road, regardless of their compatibility, he agreed, and they headed into town to find the nearest department store.
Handing her his phone, he asked her to do a search for a store where she would like the clothes. She held the phone in her hand and looked at him, obviously embarrassed. “I don’t know how.”
He wasn’t sure what she meant. “You don’t know how to what?”
She giggled. “Just about anything, actually. I’ve never had a phone or been allowed to use a computer. I don’t know how to use them or do a search.”
He felt horrible for not understanding her plight. “I’m sorry, here, let me show you.”
While he drove, he described how to open his phone and perform a search using the Waze app to get directions to the closest store. She learned quickly, which impressed him although he wasn’t sure why he would expect anything else since she seemed intelligent.
They drove down Old 84 and ended up in nearby Nampa before they found a Target store, which is where Lydia preferred to shop. As they walked through the parking lot to go inside, Chloe sidled up to Jordan, looking up at him expectantly. He smiled and reached down so she could grasp his hand and walk in together. Her mom was mildly shocked that her daughter had made up to him so fast, holding hands was a demonstration she would never have extended to her father. As they got closer he asked her what she wanted to get inside. She didn’t hesitate for an instant before replying “A doll”.
“What kind of a doll?” he asked, charmed by her confidence.
“I don’t know,” she replied directly. “I’ve never had one, You asked me, so I told you.”
Her mom tried to intervene and explain that they couldn’t get a doll that day, but Jordan looked at Lydia with accusations in his eyes.
“Well,” he clarified the situation. “I’m going to buy a doll today and somebody’s going to have to take care of it. I don’t know how, and I’ll be driving, so I guess you two will just have to sort that out.” The message was clear, and she blushed and shrugged her shoulders; he understood that it wasn’t from her restriction that the child had been neglected.
“A girl doll, or a boy?” he asked the girl who held his hand firmly.
She was resolute. “A girl. I always wanted a baby sister, but momma said it wasn’t the right time.
“Really. That is so interesting.” He looked over at Lydia, but when the subject came up she looked straight ahead and refused to make eye contact with him. “A doll it is, then. That will be our first stop. First the doll, then we’ll get you some pretty dresses and nice shoes and after we’re done, I think ice cream on the way out of town.”
Walking beside them, with Chloe in the middle, Lydia shook her head and rolled her eyes. At this rate it wouldn’t take long for her daughter to learn how to manipulate him into getting whatever she wanted. She figured that Karma was due some balance for the little girl.
It didn’t take long for Chloe to choose, once they were in the doll aisle. She instantly saw a popular series and focused on one with brown skin and dark hair, just as she imagined her sister would look like. Jordan approved and they picked out some outfits for it also before heading off to find some things for the two of them. Strolling through the store, no reason to hurry as they looked things over, the girls tried on pants,
shoes, tops, and several dresses. Lydia kept fussing about how much money they were spending and commenting that it would take forever to pay him back. He just chuckled and teased her that it might have been the whole idea. She wanted to fight the idea that he was flirting with her, but the truth was that she was so hungry for positive attention that she couldn’t bear to resist him.
Soon she was looking through the intimate apparel area of the store, picking out some under things for herself. As she held them up to imagine how they would look, she made a point of asking him what he thought. He scowled at her in mock umbrage.
“Now you’re just being cruel,” he admonished.
She laughed and responded, “Serves you right for fighting me on the doll issue.”
He looked at Chloe and shook his head. “Is she always like this?”
She giggled and nodded her head, eager to side with him in the playful battle with her mom.
As they walked to the checkout area, he grabbed a towel as they wanted through the bed and bath area. He looked at Lydia and grinned. “Ice cream. My car needs some protection against drips.”
She laughed and shrugged her shoulders, again; wondering if he was always so fun and accommodating.
It wasn’t long after that before they were going through the checkout line, Lydia putting their things in a new suitcase while he checked them out and paid. Everything got packed except the doll; Chloe hadn’t let that out of her hands for the past two hours except when her mom insisted she try something on. The clerk smiled at her and looked at Jordan.
“Your daughter is beautiful,” she admired.
“I know,” he agreed. “She’s a pretty amazing girl.”
Again, Lydia just shook her head and pursed her lips at Chloe. As they walked out of the store she wrapped her arm through his as he pushed the car. Grinning at him she teased, “I think you’re enjoying that a little too much.”
“Nope,” he argued. “Can’t enjoy it too much. It’s not every day that I get to take a girl shopping for her first doll. This is a special occasion.”
She thought about that, as they went to the bathroom before leaving; how he could get so much enjoyment and pride from the experience of taking them shopping and buying that doll. The thought stuck with her for hours afterward, drifting through her mind as she reflected on the experience. She was having some difficulty making sense of it, wondering at the difference between two men, one so cruel and the other so generous. In her mind she questioned what made them different and how she could identify a good one in the future, when she was looking to settle down.
It was late morning, almost noon as they slipped into the drive through lane of a burger joint and ordered lunch, complete with bowls of ice cream sundaes. Lydia slipped into the back to help Chloe with her food and Jordan eased onto highway I84 to head south towards Utah.
They had made good time, stopping after they ate to let Chloe go to the bathroom again before she settled in for a nap. Lydia shifted to the front seat, and they were back on the road shortly after with a full tank of gas. They were headed to Brigham City, Utah for the night and could have made it with the fuel they had, but there was no sense in not filling up as long as they were at a station. They enjoyed the views and talked about the things they might want to see on their trip. It shocked him that she didn’t have a cell phone, but when he commented that he hadn’t seen her use one since they met. She explained that it was just part of Carl controlling her access to the outside world. Jordan had her look up different places to visit using his phone as they traveled south on highway 84. After about an hour his phone rang, startling her as she handed it to him as she said, “It’s Paige Booker?”
Answering the call, he cheerfully asked, “How you doin’ Paige? Everything okay?”
“We’re fine but we were concerned about how you’re doing.”
Jordan looked at Lydia and smiled. “Yeah, all good. I’ve got the girls with me, and Lydia is listening in.”
“Hi Lydia,” a woman’s voice called out. “This is Paige Booker; Suraya is here also and Gary as well. We just wanted to make sure you and Chloe are alright.”
Lydia was confused as to how they knew she was there, but she figured Jordan must have given them some details when he’d talked to them earlier. “Hi Paige, and is it Suraya? Nice to meet you, Gary too of course. Yes, everything is fine, thanks for checking on us. We’re on the way to Utah but Jordan took us shopping at Target first. It was really nice of him.”
There was laughter on the other end of the phone. “Target, huh? Might as well start planning the wedding.” They all laughed but Lydia stated emphatically that wasn’t in their plan, that they were just traveling together until Jordan got tired of them. Paige laughed again and explained, “Sorry for being so forward, but it’s kind of a thing on this team. When one of the guys takes a girl shopping at Target after they’re rescued, they seem to fall in love. Anyway, I want you to know that anything you need, any time of the day or night, you can call us. You have a team supporting you now and you never have to be abused again. Jordan’s a great guy or he would never be on this team, so you can rest assured that you’re in good hands.”
She was embarrassed and humbled, feeling short of words that would explain her feelings. “Thanks you guys. I don’t know you, or why you’re all so nice, but for a single mom with a little girl it means a lot to know that we’re not completely alone.”
“We understand, more than you know. We were both rescued, now we help others, so we wanted you to know that you can just relax and in a few days we’ll check in again and see what we can do to help more.”
She really was speechless at that point, and said so, “I’m just without words, but thank you again.” Then she handed the phone back to Jordan because she was about to cry.
He felt her sincerity of emotions as she simply couldn’t continue the conversation. Taking back the phone he thanked the Bookers and hung up the call with a promise to keep in touch. After a few minutes composing herself, she asked him, “They really just help people like this? People they don’t even know?”
Looking down the road, he nodded his head. “Yep, they are billionaires, and they rescue mostly girls and women, helping them get a fresh start. They even purchased two schools where kids can live and get educated, then when they graduate they have job opportunities in the industries they own. It’s an incredible honor to be selected to work with them.”
She watched him drive for a long time after that, just enjoying the pleasure of being with him. The more she got to know him and his friends, the more she struggled to understand it all, though. The day before, she and Chloe were on the run hitching a ride with a trucker. Now they were in an expensive sedan, traveling with a man that they’d known less than twenty-four hours, but it seemed like she’d known him for years. It was comfortable, felt secure and protected, and she didn’t trust for a minute that it would continue.
To be continued in part five…
This is from the soon to be published book, "Take Her Home" by V S Campbell.
Come read the other books in the Gary Booker series of novels, available on Amazon!
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