Page 56 of Special Agent Jennie

Chapter Forty

Lance couldn’t say goodbye to Lisa, not after the hell he’d been through and having the added stress of Mellie’s future up in the air.

Somehow just being in her presence made the world right itself. Worry had eaten up his confidence over everything that had happened lately, so if he could spend a short time with the warmhearted girl, he’d feel better. Crazy as it seemed, he knew it to be true.

Once they were in the elevator, he looked toward the two women, and before they could say anything, he ventured an offer he hoped they’d accept. “I’d like to take you ladies for a snack… say coffee and pie. I haven’t eaten yet, and I hate to be alone. Plus, there’s a lot of ground to cover over Mellie. And I could—”

Laughing, Jennie stopped his chatter. “Sure. There’s a good spot not far from here. Besides, I have an update we need to discuss.”

Lisa grinned her agreement, and in a short time, they were all seated in a booth while a waitress took their orders. Lance hoped to have Lisa seated across from him so he could look at her, but she came to his side so he had no choice but to slide in next to her.

Trying not to tremble with excitement at her being so close, he held himself stiffly until he felt her hand reach over to touch his thigh. That’s when he lowered his own and reached for hers.

Their fingers clung.

His heart became calm.

And… his universe righted itself – pulse slowing to where he would be able to converse without babbling, and his muscles relaxed the tightness he’d felt for hours.

Jennie’s voice broke into his delight, and he forced his attention to where she sat across from them. “As you saw, I asked Miss Grundy to talk privately with me because I knew by her attitude that the news she had for Melena wasn’t going to be good. Just from working in the system, I get how finely stretched everything is with childcare providers. There’re homes out there I wouldn’t put a dog in never mind a girl on the edge. When I broached the subject to Miss Grundy, she agreed that her placement for Melena might not end up being the most appropriate, but her hands are tied by the system.”

“You did offer for Mellie to stay with us, didn’t you?” Lisa broke in.

“Of course, I wouldn’t have done so until I saw how you and Mellie would get along, but once I knew you would like each other, then it was a no-brainer. The girl’s a near genius, her marks are astonishing, and she wants terribly to go to college. I’m thinking once her father’s property is calculated and she receives her inheritance, it might go toward covering her costs for a good school.”

Lance’s voice cut in with force. “I’ll pay the difference and whatever else she needs.”

Both women looked at him with affection and he blushed. “It’s the least I can do. She came to me because she trusts me. If I had only known what her life had been like with her father, I’d have stepped in earlier. Now I feel guilty and sad whenever I see her trying to be strong.”

Jennie nodded, full of understanding. “I know what you mean, Lance. Sadly, I’ve seen a lot of meanness in my job lately and it’s disheartening. Hearing your offer gives me hope. But until she’s ready to move on, she needs a good home where people will love her and look out for her.”

Lisa stated with conviction, “That’s us. She can stay with me in my room, or we can reno that small room in the basement if you think she’ll need her own space. Truthfully, I wouldn’t mind moving down there myself if you’d rather she stay upstairs. Whatever works best. I’m easy.”

Lance’s excitement spiraled. The worry over Mellie had been eating away at him but now a possible result he really liked hovered in front of him. “I’m pretty handy with tools. I’ve done carpentry work in the past if you need any help with the basement room.”

Jennie’s smile made him feel like a king. “You’re on. Baba’s been looking for someone to deal with that area for a while now. When you get a moment, you and Lisa can figure out the best time and we’ll show you the space we’re talking about.”

Lisa laughed out loud. “You mean you’ll finally allow me to live in a room where I’ll have my own entrance? You do realize I can sneak in and out without your knowing? I’ve been after you and Baba for years to let me move down there but you both said no. It’s better for us to all be on the same floor, you said.” Giggling, Lisa turned to Lance and added, “They tried to tell me they wanted us to be together in case of a fire. When I pointed out there’s a perfectly good door down there, they’d always poo-poohed the idea and change the subject.”

Jennie chuckled too. “We had enough trouble keeping track of your trying to escape when you were close, imagine us trying to do so if you’d have had your own exit.”

“Yeah, just imagine. Then I wouldn’t have had to climb down the tree.”

Eyes popping wide, Jennie’s head swung to her daughter. “Lisa! You didn’t?”

Grinning mischievously, Lisa smirked. “Didn’t I?”

Jennie snorted. “I told Baba after I grew up and stopped using it, we should cut the sucker down.”

***

Jennie went back to work after lunch, thankful that the short conversation with Baba who she’d stopped by the hospital to see had been so positive. She’d known her grandmother couldn’t withstand a sob story like Melena’s. But the home she’d offered did belong to the old woman, and she respected her too much not to give her the final say.

Once she spotted her grandchild, Baba proudly shuffled Jennie into one of the doctor’s rooms she’d finished cleaning and then pointed her to a chair. “Sit. Tell me problem.”

“What makes you think I have a problem?”

“You come here. Only once before you come.”

---