Page 7 of Saving Veronica
“Talk to you later, Grandma. Love you.”
“Love you too, Ronnie. We’ll talk about you taking people hostage on Saturday. What will the people at work think?”
“As if I care what people think of me.” Ronnie snorted a laugh. “Besides, it won’t do any good. Remember? Today was my last day, so I’ll never see him again. Spiced up his day I’m sure. Talk to you later.” She laughed as her grandmother sputtered and hung up on her. She looked at the man, and felt an instant punch to her lower belly, and her sex turned wet. “You can get us moving now. Thanks for your help, you’ve saved me a lot of time. I have important places to be and I’m in a hurry.”
“Not a problem. I have to say, I’ve been thoroughly entertained and enlightened.” He turned his key and they both looked up as the numbers on display began to count down.
“What are you doing?” Ronnie asked, when he stopped the elevator at the third floor.
“Sorry, but I need payment for being held hostage. You don’t want me to call the cops, do you?” Before Ronnie could answer, he leaned down, took her jaw in one hand, and placed the other on her hip before he jerked her to him as he lowered his head to kiss her. He took total control of her as well as the kiss. After the initial shock of their lips touching, Ronnie moaned and stood on tiptoe to wrap her arms around him, and lost herself in the kiss. She didn’t even mind when she felt both the man’s hands on her ass as he lifted her to rub the obvious erection he sported against her.
He lifted his head and said, “Ransom paid. If you ever want to take me hostage again, I’m here six days a week.” He grinned and held her elbows, until her legs stopped shaking.
“Sorry, I don’t date suits, but thanks for the kiss. It’ll keep me warm at night.” She sighed as the doors opened and he held his arm out to keep them that way. She hurried out, and as she was hustling through the lobby, she stopped a few feet away from an elderly man with a big beautiful black and tan German Shepherd on a leash. She immediately dropped to one knee and held out a hand.
“Aren’t you a beautiful boy?” She held out her hand and looked at the man holding the leash. When both he and the dog looked to the side, she looked over her shoulder and saw the man from the elevator nod. She looked back and asked the dog. “What’s your name, boy?”
“Major,” the older man said, and gave a hand movement. The dog came forward and sniffed Ronnie’s offered hand, then he was practically on her lap.
“Is that his name or rank?” Laughing, she gave him a total body rub, but when she felt something she had Major turn and she inspected it.
“Gunshot wound?”
“Yes, and it’s both.” At her confused looked, the man holding the leash said. “Name and rank. Up until a month ago, Major was a bomb-sniffing dog in the Marines. He was able to come home with his handler after being shot.”
“And the handler is going to keep him right?”
“He is. The two have been inseparable for the last three years. Living with each other twenty-four seven. I only walk him. He’s a wonderful dog.”
“I can see that.” She gave him one more pat down, then as the man from the elevator watched in shock, she took Major’s face in her hands and kissed him right between the eyes. Even from this far away, he could tell that Major rolled his eyes back in his head. His tongue came out and his tail was wagging about a hundred miles a second. He shook his head and smiled as the woman stood, rubbed Major’s head one last time and strode out. He even heard Major whine as the woman left.
Ronnie pulled her phone out and dialed. She didn’t bother with introductions as the party answered. “I’m on my way. Getting in my Jeep now. Can you pack up Sarge and make sure I have supplies for a week.” She paused as she listened to the other party’s questions.
“Yes, winter camping, and you have my permission to go into my room to get the clothes I’ll need. Thanks Hector. I’ll be home in thirty minutes.” She hung up and swung her Jeep toward home.
Chapter 3
“Hey,” Maggie Pennyworth said into the phone when her husband answered. “Well, I’m getting old.”
Her husband, Gerald Pennyworth, laughed. “You and me both, Baby. But why do you say that?”
“Just talked to Ronnie. She was going on and on about her day, and what she was going to do. She was talking so fast I only caught about every third word.”
“So, nothing wrong there. That’s how she is. But, how does that make you old?”
“She told me she was going to go see if any of Paige’s family wanted to come home with her and she’d be gone a week. Then, she said she had stuff to do at the campus and town. But, it was when she asked what time to be at our place next week for the BBQ that I messed up.”
“She knows?” Gerald asked in concern. It was supposed to be a surprise. They had planned a big BBQ with their friends, neighbors and employees. They had been very secretive and were happy that they’d been able to plan it for almost a year without her knowing. “How did she know?”
“I apparently told her.”
“Explain,” he barked out, and Maggie grinned when he used his military voice.
Maggie laughed when she explained how Ronnie had said what she was doing, and then that she’d be at their place for the BBQ. Then, she went on to explain how she knew about it and how she admitted that she didn’t, not until Maggie confirmed it.
“Damn, that girl would be a great interrogator for the military.”
“Yeah. So, how’s it going with her gift?”
