Page 28 of Daddy's Little Mama Bear

"Janie. I want you to listen to me. I'm going to come pick you up," he said. "Now, can you tell me where you are?"

Janie rattled off the last mile marker she saw.

"Good girl," he said. "You stay in the car until you see me. Don't open the door until you know it's me."

"You really don't have to come," she said.

"I'm coming and that's it."

"Okay."

"Do you understand not to open the doors until you know it's me?"

"Yes, Da-sir."

HIs heart warmed as he heard her almost call him Daddy. He longed for the day when she would call him that. He wanted it badly.

"I'll be there in a couple of minutes," he said.

"Please don't hang up," her panicked voice came through.

"Shhh, Pinky. I'm not going to hang up. We'll be on the phone until I get to you."

Mac quickly pulled out of his driveway and made his way towards where she was. He was speeding and he didn't care. His girl was on the side of the road and he didn't want her there any longer.

"I'm almost to you," he said. "you're okay."

He didn't know if he was telling her that she was okay or if he was really telling himself that she was okay. What happened to her car? Was she okay? Did anything happen to her? Did she get into a wreck?

Mac spotted her car pulled onto the side of the highway.

"I see you," he said.

He put his car into park, tossed his phone into the other seat and got out of the car. Running towards her, he opened the door.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "Are you hurt anywhere? Let me see you." He gently turned her body to the side and tried to look to see if anything was wrong. So far, he couldn't tell that anything was wrong.

"Pinky," he said. "Answer me." She stared at him with wide eyes. He gripped her chin with his hand. "Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? he asked.

He waited for her to say something, but she continued to stare at him. Mac moved his hand from her chin to her head. Had she hit her head? He had briefly seen the car when he ran up to her car. Nothing looked like it was damaged. He moved his hands gently around her head, trying to see if there were any bumps or liquid.

"Janie," he gently said. "I need you to answer me." He cupped her face with his hands after he didn't find anything. "Are you hurt?" he asked. "Does anything hurt?"

She blinked. "I'm fine," she whispered.

"What happened?"

"My car made a noise. Pulled over and it died."

His eyebrows furrowed. Her car just died?

"Did any of the lights show up?" he asked. Cars shouldn't just make a noise and then die. Something had to be up.

"No," she slowly said. "Or not that I think. I wasn't looking at the dashboard."

"It's okay," Mac said. "It's okay." She leaned into his right hand and closed her eyes.

"I'm going to take you home," he said. "And I'm going to take care of the mechanic. I know someone." Her eyes opened and she shook her head.

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