Page 95 of Protected By Duval
Something about the way she said the words. Or maybe it was just the words. It was hard for him to grasp what had hit him like a brick in that quiet exchange.
It could have been a number of things that had knocked him off kilter, but the easiest thing he could think of... the first thing that popped up in his head was the fact that the Garcia family had become his.
Patricia, Ciela, and definitely Noelle. It wasn’t just that he cared about them, he...
“I think you and Noelle both need a night out.”
He frowned at her words, not because he didn’t want to spend time with her...
He’d learned quickly that Noelle was a woman driven by her work.
He was, too.
There was a difference though.
His work was investigative. He collected facts and put them together.
Noelle’s work was creative in nature.
The concentration that she used to do the magic she did?
He didn’t want to interrupt her.
Patricia gave his arm a couple of pats. “She could use the break. I’ll be here.” She dipped her chin down and looked at Ciela’s face. “She’ll probably go to sleep in a little bit. She’s used to her mom working odd hours when she’s creating.”
Ciela shifted on his lap and looked up at her grandmother first and then up at him. “Mama’s in her cave.”
Patricia’s smile widened. “Her creative cave.” She met Duval’s curious look. “It’s how we describe her workroom toCiela so that she knows that her mother is working on something important.”
Duval nodded slowly, understanding what Noelle’s mother was saying.
Patricia held her arms out to Ciela. “Come here,chachetona.”
Ciela turned her head and puffed out her cheeks before she blew a raspberry. “I’m not chubby, abuela!”
“No,” Patricia shook her head, “but when you were a baby you were round and squishy and perfect.”
Duval kept his hand on the tray and lifted it out of the way as Ciela scrambled over onto her grandmother’s lap.
When she was settled, Duval handed the tray over to Patricia and Ciela put her hand into the little cup of goldfish crackers with a giggle.
Patricia caught his eye and lifted her chin toward the master bedroom of the house.
Her unspoken message was clear and simple.
With a nod, Duval got up from the couch and worked his way around the back, hoping that he wouldn’t disturb Ciela’s snack and tv show.
He made his way to the master bedroom and knocked softly at the door.
“Yeah?”
“Can I come in?”
“McCrae?”
“Yeah, I stopped by to-”
“Come on in.”
