Page 40 of Zale's Little Girl
We have something to celebrate tonight!
A few moments later, Aspen answered.
What? Did you hear the guys are back?
No. Sorry. I just got a call from the base and get to start in the daycare tomorrow.
That’s amazing. I’ll bring an order of cheesy bread with the pizza. That definitely deserves extra calories.
Pippa sent her emojis of a wedge of cheese and a heart. Aspen answered with a rat and a heart. Immediately, Pippa’s mind went back to the story of Koa in the tree. She sent a picture of a tree, three rats, and a pair of jeans. Crying laughter emojis filled her screen in response.
Wrapping her arms around her chest, Pippa hugged herself. Zale wasn’t here, but he’d left her with more of a support system than she’d had for a while. She couldn’t wait until Aspen got here after work.
Should she have some kind of dessert for them? Drinks? Pippa knew something alcoholic wasn’t a good idea. Aspen would need to drive home. And she started work the next day. Taking care of toddlers with a hangover didn’t sound like a good idea.
Checking for soft drinks or anything other than milk and water, Pippa quickly discovered that Zale hadn’t stocked anything like that in his house. Zale didn’t even have a stray box of brownie mix. Who didn’t have one of those in their pantry for a chocolate emergency?
She checked her phone, searching for the nearest grocery store, and found one just a few blocks away. Surveying the refrigerator, Pippa made a list of a few things she needed to take for her lunch that week. Zale had plenty of things in the freezer to fix, but she wasn’t much of a cook. Some frozen meals or canned soup would be easy for her to make.
When she had a list made and her shoes on, Pippa grabbed her bag, some cash from the envelope, and the Jeep keys from the hook on the wall. With a kiss to Toothie’s smile, she headed outon the biggest adventure she’d had since the whole job fiasco thing. The grocery store parking lot was packed.
Pippa parked in the back, where she found several empty parking spaces together. It was easier to park the large Jeep there. Pippa knew she’d get better at maneuvering the vehicle. After all, she’d only driven it twice.
She was in and out in a half hour. Loading more bags than she’d intended on needing into the Jeep, Pippa climbed in and turned on the engine. Just in case, she pulled up Zale’s address on her phone’s GPS.
A loud knock on the passenger window made her jump. Looking up, she saw a dark-haired man scowling at her. Without thinking, Pippa pulled forward. Thankfully, no one had parked in front of her. She drove for the exit with the man yelling behind her. A glance in her rearview mirror showed him running for a large white SUV. Was he associated with Jacob Scroggins? Pippa wasn’t hanging around to find out.
Don’t lead him back to Zale’s house!Her heart racing, she drove the opposite direction from home. She made left and right hand turns randomly, keeping her attention on her mirrors. When she’d had time to pull herself together and hadn’t seen anyone obviously following her, Pippa pulled into a gas station. She sat off to the side to calm down and scanned the area to make sure that the coast was clear.
You totally misjudged that interaction. He probably wanted to tell you he had a Jeep. Or maybe he had a duck to give you?
The thought helped her pull her thoughts together. Zale already had a collection of plastic ducks on his dash. He’d explained how leaving a duck on someone’s vehicle was a fun thing betweenJeep enthusiasts or owners. He even had some in a bag in the glovebox to leave for others. His wore camouflage and a military cap.
The panic that had set her gut to gnawing at itself hadn’t faded entirely. After noting that she’d used some gas driving around, Pippa pulled up to a pump and topped off the gas tank. She wanted to have a full tank if she got into another scary situation. This one might have been okay, but she might be in trouble next time.
Back home, she had time to unload the Jeep and put everything away before sitting down on the couch with Toothie to tell him about the frightening trip out of the house. He hadn’t said anything about the tears that cascaded down her cheeks as she confessed how terrified she had become. Toothie had listened and offered to go with her next time.
Like she was ever going to the store again. Pippa vowed to drive straight to the base for work and back without ever stopping until Zale got home. She’d bought enough to keep her stocked with supplies for several days. Surely, Zale would be home by next week.
Catching sight of the clock, she dashed to the bathroom to wash her face and get ready for Aspen to arrive with pizza. With her tears erased, Pippa fixed herself a soft drink and relaxed by coloring. She left Zale’s picture in the book alone. He’d come back to do that one himself.
Pippa yawned as she closed the door. She’d stared after Aspen’s truck until the taillights had disappeared. They’d had so muchfun hanging out and had already made plans for Pippa to visit Aspen and Jerico’s house next. She crossed her fingers, hoping that Zale would be home by then.
She took a shower and did all the things: hair washed, legs and armpits shaved. Putting on one of Zale’s T-shirts, she climbed into bed on his side and inhaled. His familiar scent filled her senses. Comforted, she hugged Toothie to her chest and fell asleep.
A noise made her stiffen. She peered into the darkness. Why hadn’t she left a light on? When she failed to pinpoint the direction it came from, Pippa forced herself out of bed and crept down the hallway. It seemed to be outside the kitchen.
Staying in the darkest shadows, she debated whether to look out the window. Hearing the noise again, she slowly opened the blinds a small amount and peeked out. Nothing. The patio outside the door seemed completely empty. She sagged against the wall, considering how silly she was to have thought someone was out there.
“Ahhh!”
Pippa backpedaled away from the window as the two glowing eyes popped up in front of her. Obviously as frightened as she was, the raccoon fled, knocking over Zale’s charcoal tub for his grill as he shot into the darkness. As she pressed her hand to her beating heart, Pippa realized the forager had targeted it as a potential food source—like a trashcan. She laughed at herself.
Deciding not to right the container until it was light outside in case the varmint was still out there, Pippa headed back to bed. This time, she left the light on in the bathroom. She wasn’t going to freak out in the dark again.
After climbing into bed, she pulled the covers up to her nose and closed her eyes. Sleep evaded her as her brain whirled inside her head. All she wanted was for Zale to come home.Please, Daddy.
She tossed and turned for hours, but did wake up to the alarm clock blaring. She must have gotten back to sleep finally. Thankful she’d stocked the house with a caffeine source, Pippa downed a cola and some peanut butter toast before heading to work. She was excited about spending time with kids again and hoped she’d make a good impression.
