Page 109 of A Dream for Daphne

A few minutes went by. “What is that smell?”

“What?” she asked and opened her eyes.

“It’s you. Your shirt.”

“The reason I was walking home. It’s a combination of formula and vomit. See, bet you can’t say you come home with that on your clothes.”

He laughed. “No,” he said. “You’ve got me there.”

36

HELPLESS FEELING

“Iwant to go in with you,” Abe said when he pulled in front of Theo’s office. Thankfully Poppy had called and said Theo was in his office and to go right there; they were expecting her.

“Sure,” she said. “I might need you to hold my hand. The one that works.”

“I’m glad you’re joking about this,” he said.

He wasn’t sure his heart could take another second of it.

He kept seeing Daphne in a dead sprint beating him and his men to Holly, then diving through the air and catching the little girl as she slipped and fell.

Daphne’s body hit the ground hard and he heard Holly yelling. He thought they were both hurt.

The fact Holly was just scared made sense, but then he’d seen Daphne’s arm and knew something wasn’t right.

“There’s not much more I can do. I’m worried I’m going to get fired over this.”

“What?” he asked, as he parked the car. “Don’t get out. Let me help you.”

He stalked over to the other side, opened the door, and helped her get down.

“I wasn’t watching Holly close enough. I would have been fired for that at my other job. Or placed on leave pending an investigation.”

“That isn’t going to happen,” he said. “No way. You know that.”

“I don’t know anything,” she said, sniffling. “I know what the facts are and the fact is I messed up.”

He wanted to tell her to stop, but he really couldn’t.

It wasn’t his place to say she might not get fired, but he knew in his heart that wouldn’t happen.

He’d make sure he talked to Reese about it too.

The guy was thankful on the phone with him that his kids weren’t hurt and was upset that Daphne had gotten hurt in the process.

“You didn’t mess up,” he said. “Kids are kids and Holly is an active child. You know that. You can’t be in two places at once. She knows not to do what she did.”

“I know,” she said. “But she’s two.”

“That’s right. And Tatum is a baby and you were dealing with that and preventing him from choking on what he’d thrown up. Don’t even think of beating yourself up over this.”

“Thank you,” she said. “I know. It’s just...”

He hugged her to his side and helped her to the front desk. “Daphne Allen,” he said. “Dr. James is expecting her.”

“Yes,” the woman said. “I have some paperwork for you if you can fill it out. The nurse will be out to get you in a minute.”

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