Page 28 of Special Agent Isabella

“Bella!” Stacy approached, revealing her no-nonsense face. “It’s been a few days now since the incident. I have to get back to my office. There’s a ton of stuff waiting for me. Go figure, the last Governor didn’t take his job very seriously. He talked a lot of nonsense but never followed up on the actual workload.” The disgust in her expression said more than her words.

Bella’s heart slid downhill. She still hadn’t been able to get Abbie’s attention. The kid had turned away from her every time she’d tried to engage her in a conversation. And for Bella to put herself out there for rejection had been worse than shoving glass fragments up her fingernails.

Stacy’s voice broke into her musings. “Collin and Tanner are waiting to drive me there. Look, I know things have been awkward with you and Abbie, but she’s promised to behave ifyoutake care of her. She refuses to stay with anyone else.”

Shock blasted her apart.What? The kid wanted her?With her nerves screaming for her to run, hide… Bella had a hard time believing it. Hadn’t Abbie refused to even look her way since the shooting happened? She’d buried her face or turned her back every time.

Knowing Stacy didn’t need more trauma, Bella answered. “Glad to stay with her, if she’ll have me.” Bella felt it only fair to leave the decision up to Abbie. After all, how could she babysit a kid smarter than her if she wasn’t wanted.Christ, there goes my self-esteem down the toilet again.

Staring down hardened criminals holding a gun and wearing a mask was easier than facing the kid. She had a job, and those airheads could suck eggs for all she gave a damn. But Abbie… it was different.

Stacy returned a few minutes later carrying her daughter. Abbie shyly lifted her face from her mother’s neck where she’d had it buried. Her voice tentative, she looked right at Bella and spoke softly, in that little-girl way of all children. “You pushed me away. You didn’t want me.”

Totally stunned, Bella forgot to be shy, and her voice registered the shock that she felt. “I did? No way. I’d never do that.”

Gathering confidence, Abbie shot back. “Did so. When you shot that badman.”

“Hell, kid, I wasn’t pushing you away fromme, I was only protecting you fromhim… in case I missed, and he shot our way. I didn’t want you anywhere nearby in case you got injured.”

Everything stopped, as well as Bella’s heartbeats. The thought that she’d hurt Abbie’s feelings didn’t sit well with her at all. Lordy, she’d never do anything to make Abbie feel bad. Hell, she liked her too much.

Abbie’s face broke into a radiant smile. “You did itforme?”

Realizing only the truth would work in this situation, she admitted, “Of course, brat. I’d never push you away for any other reason. I kinda like you.”

Thin arms reached for her, and she gathered the child in close, loving the way soft arms clung around her neck and strong legs circled her waist. “I love you, Bella.” For a minute, she buried her face in Abbie’s hair to hide her tiny gasp of joy.

Stacy waved from the doorway, tears in her eyes. “Have fun you two. See you later, sprout.”

Abbie pulled away so she could look into Bella’s face. “What should we do today?”

Bella wondered if it wouldn’t be the perfect time to start working with Abbie on her idea for some physical training. She’d checked the web and found some sparring routines that would be perfect for a child her age.

They worked together until a sleep-deprived Bella found herself exhausted by a six-year-old’s energy. “Enough for today, Munchkin.”

“Okay. Now what should we do?”

“Hmmm. I have a present for you if you want to come with me to my room?” In a short time, Abbie danced around the space… long, blonde hair floating every which way around her shoulders. “I love it, Bella. I luuuvvv it.”

ChapterTwenty-Four

Tanner followed Stacy from his SUV, letting Collin park the vehicle. They strolled around the building to the side where the Capital museum sat in all its former glory.

“I like to come this way sometimes, see the old beauty here, and remind myself of why I wanted to be involved in the governance of this land where I grew up.”

Tanner liked seeing the softer side of the woman who impressed him daily with her stoicism and ethics. “Where were you born?”

“I understand my mother had me in Casa Grande where she’d emigrated to from Mexico. Eventually she worked there for a wealthy family, taking care of their home. Once they found out she was pregnant, from what I was told, they fired her.”

“Christ.” Tanner revealed his disgust.

“I know, hey? In the group home, she met up with a woman who was also down on her luck. The two women decided to join forces and get a place together, figuring two wages paying the bills were better than one.

“Anyway, Miss Ginny, the woman who helped raise me after Mom had a stroke, kept me with her until she was too frail. I remember, she smoked like a mob boss and surprise… ended up with lung cancer. It was she who believed that the husband had raped my mother, and then forced her to leave when his wife found out about the baby. Seems they didn’t care whose baby it was; she just didn’t want a pregnant woman in her house… period.”

“Some people’s children!” Disgust rang in his tone.

“Right, huh?”

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