Page 68 of Special Agent Isabella

His shaken mother added her request in a distinctly whiney tone, “Just give her the apple, baby boy. I’ll get another piece for you.”

Slowly, much paler now, he reached out his hand to Abbie, the crushed apple clenched in his fingers. “Here then. Have the dumb ole thing.”

Like a lady, Abbie took it and smiled. “Thank you, Freddy.”

Bella let the mom go, picked up the fallen purse and handed it to her. “Have a nice day.”

Then she took Abbie’s hand and they both returned to Collin who’s grin would have lit up a dark room. Bella approached… her warning finger pointed at his chest. “Not a word.”

He nodded, his chuckles breaking the silence, but he followed orders, and nothing was said.

She knew by his teasing look that he got a kick out of her getting involved.And using force.Jesus… who would ever think that Special Agent Isabella Mendez would use her well-known skills to break up a kids’ scrap.

Later in the car, Abbie shared the moment. “Freddy was big, wasn’t he Bella?”

“Yep, a real toughie. And you stood up to him.”

“Only because of my hair.” She patted the blonde wig surreptitiously. “It makes me strong just like Beth Anton.”

Bella glanced over at Collin, her quizzical look asking what she didn’t put into words.

When his serious expression turned her way, he cleared up her silent inquiry. “She’s the little girl in Abbie’s class that she thinks is so special, the one with hair to her waist.”

Right. Now she remembered the conversation they’d had about why Abbie had wanted her hair to grow.

Without any intention of getting involved, Bella’s mouth broke free before her brain could shut it down. “Do you think having long hair is magical, Abbie?”

Abbie looked at her for a few moments, her mood serious. As if she were organizing her thoughts, Bella just knew the child was thinking about the right response. Finally, she began. “No one ever disagrees with Beth. When they do, she stands up to them, and they listen. I can’t do that. Not without my new hair. I would have run away from Freddy before. But with my beautiful hair, I can tell people what I want. I’m not scared. I’m just like Beth now.”

Bella turned fully to the back so she could look at the serious child safely harnessed into her car seat. “Munchkin, you know I’m an FBI agent… that’s like a policewoman, right?”

“Yes.” Abbie nodded, a smile lighting up her face. “You’re very brave.”

“Honey, I work with many other girls who don’t have long hair and they are still as strong and smart as the ones who do. A person doesn’t need a wig like yours to be brave. You need this and this.” She pointed first at her heart and then at her head. “And it helps to be able to use this.” She pointed next at her mouth.

“Like when I told Freddy he should give me the apple because he was being bad?”

“Exactly. When you speak the truth, and stand up for it, others never really know how far you’ll take it, and that scares them. Rather than find out, they often back off.”

“Cause their fraidy-cats, like me.”

Bella heard Collin’s chuckle. Rather than give up, she said, “That was no fraidy-cat who told Freddy he was being naughty. That was a very brave little girl. I was proud of you.”

“You were?”

“Absolutely.”

“Me too, Missy.” Collin spoke loud enough for her to hear the words. “You were fearless.”

Bella watched the indecision written over the child’s face. She saw the small hand reach up and caress the long curls. Rather than say more, she turned back around and let silence reign.

Sometimes words have a place and other times it’s better to leave room for self-reflection.

ChapterFifty-Five

It was late afternoon by the time they returned, and Nan greeted them with smiles. “I’ll take the wee one for her bath now, Bella. You might like to check out the new windows. They ran out of time and said they’d be back after supper to finish off the transom above the front door.”

In an aside not meant for Abbie to hear, she added, “Look for the fellow I was telling you about earlier, the one in the wheelchair. He’s back.”

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