Page 94 of Protected By Duval
Since that story came out, the press had been trying to hound Noelle.
And while Chief Fagan had put a quick ending to them surrounding her house, Noelle felt the additional pressure to produce a usable image for the investigation.
Duval had already been spending a good amount of his free time with the Garcias, but after the news stories came out, adding a ton of public interest to Noelle, he’d been spending every possible spare moment at the house to make sure that no one bothered her or her family.
Well, that and he just wanted to spend time there anyway.
Patricia set down a tray on the coffee table in front of him as he sat beside Ciela. “How are you doing, McCrae?”
He smiled at her words.
The Rangers all called him Duval, but his family called him McCrae. His mother, his sister, and now... Noelle and her family.
It made him feel... so many things.
“I’m okay.” He lifted a hand and touched the top of Ciela’s head where she sat beside him. “I’m better than okay, now.”
“She does that... for all of us.”
Ciela leaned forward, reaching for something on the tray and he had to catch her around the waist before she pitched head-first off of the couch.
Duval kept one arm around her, reached forward, and picked up the snack tray. When he sat back, Ciela settled on his lap and pulled the tray up in front of her.
All he could do was hold the tray and the little princess on his lap.
“Yeah,” he touched a kiss to the crown of her head and looked up at Patricia, seeing the resemblance to Noelle in her warm eyes and the thick waves of her hair. “She’s sweet. Just perfect.”
Patricia shook her head. “You’ve seen her when she’s tired and hungry, right? How sweet is she then?”
“You haven’t seen me tired and hungry, yet. That would send most people running.”
Patricia laughed softly. “We always have something in the house to warm up for just such an occasion.”
Smiling, she gestured to the cushion beside him.
“Would you mind if I-”
“Mind?” His brow furrowed. “This is your house, please. Have a seat.”
She settled beside him, reaching out to tuck a stray lock of Ciela’s hair behind her ear. “I’m glad you’re here, McCrae.”
He swallowed, unsure of what to say. Or how to react.
“It feels like we’ve known you and your family for... for years.”
He looked at Patricia, his brows slightly raised. “I hope that’s a good kind of ‘years’ and not the ‘we’ve outstayed our welcome.’”
Patricia laughed, shaking her head. “Very much the welcome kind. I was a little concerned at first, knowing the connection that Ciela’s had in the past with other Rangers.”
Duval looked down at the little girl sitting in his lap. She picked up a piece of fruit from the snack tray and took a bite of it. She didn’t seem to react at all to their conversation literally going on over her head.
He smoothed his hand over her hair and felt the weight of Patricia’s words settle over him.
He was all too aware of Ciela’s prior connection to the Rangers and he thanked the heavens every day that she didn’t react badly to him now that she knew that he was a Ranger.
“Time,” he spoke softly, “can heal a number of things.”
“Time, yes.” Patricia set her hand on his arm. “But in your case, I think it also has to do with the person. With you.”
