Page 106 of Guarding Over You
“Gracie, let me put this back in the car. I need to run to the bathroom quick, so come in the house with me and then we’ll go out the front door.”
“I’m going to bring my car home,” Blaze said. “I’ll be back.”
Now was the time he wanted to lean in for that kiss. Even though he wasn’t going that far.
When he walked back down, Arden was opening the front door and frowning.
“Where’s my bike?” Gracie asked.
“I don’t know. It was here on the porch.”
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“My bike is gone,” Gracie said, her eyes welling with tears. “Where is my bike?”
“Relax,” he said. “Did you put it in the garage?”
“No,” Arden said, shaking her head. “It’s been hidden here on the porch in the corner the whole time. I should have put it in the garage. I guess I just thought nothing would happen to it here.”
He’d never heard of anyone having something stolen since he’d lived here.
“Why don’t we just take a walk and look around?” he said. He wasn’t sure why, but maybe they’d catch sight of it or could ask anyone they saw. “Do you remember the last time you saw it?”
“I honestly don’t know. I can’t say for certain since I leave through the garage. I just know that she rode it three days ago. So Thursday. We’ve been coming and going through the garage now in my car. Or you through the backdoor.”
“Moooommmmm,” Gracie wailed. “I don’t have a bike now.”
“Hey,” Blaze said, picking her up. It’s the first he’d attempted it and he wasn’t sure she’d go to him, but she did. She curled into his neck and cried and it broke his heart. “We’ll find it.” Or he’d go buy her another one tonight if they didn’t. He wouldn’t add that though.
“Let’s just walk and look around,” Arden said. “Maybe someone is playing a joke.”
In poor taste in his eyes. He also didn’t like the fact that, though things had been quiet with Arden lately, and isolated to work, now it could have bled over to her home.
Yeah, he didn’t like that at all.
He continued to carry Gracie while they walked around the development, the little girl’s tears not really stopping. “Did you see a pink bike around here?” he asked someone who was outside a few buildings over.
The woman looked at Gracie crying in his arms. “Sorry. I didn’t. I’ll keep an eye out for it though.”
“Thanks,” Arden said.
He looked over Gracie’s head to see Arden’s concerned eyes. He wanted to say something but knew it wasn’t the time.
They circled back around, and Arden asked another person closer to their unit, who said they thought they saw one in the trash bins when they went there earlier. “At least the handlebars were hanging out.”
Blaze nodded. “Let’s check it out.”
“Why don’t I take Gracie home while you do it? Just in case.”
It was the unspoken words that maybe she was feeling the dread creep into her bones as much as he was.
“Good idea.”
“Come to me, Gracie,” Arden said, reaching for her daughter.
“No. I want Dr. Blaze to carry me.” Back to Dr. again. It just recently slipped that she’d dropped it.
“I’ll bring her home for you,” he said, walking back, then bringing Gracie in the house, leaving and half jogging to the dumpsters.
