by Naomi Niles
“For me?” she asked, immediately excited.
“Uh huh,” Vanessa nodded. “We have a little play area set up in that corner over there. They have a bunch of fun games you can try, and there’ll be other kids you can play with, too.”
Renni looked up at me instantly.
“Come on,” I said. “Let’s go see what it’s all about.”
Once I had her settled in the play area, I turned to Vanessa. “This is a really nice gallery,” I said. “And Renni was right, your paintings are perfect. They seem different somehow, displayed like that.”
“I thought so, too,” she beamed. “I’m so glad you came. There’s someone I want you to meet.”
Instantly, I tensed. “Who?”
“His name is Garret,” she said. “He’s a lawyer, too; he’s thirty-one, handsome, and very accomplished.”
“Vanessa,” I said warningly.
“Just talk to him, Mia,” she said, in a reasonable voice. “Five minutes. If you don’t like him, you can move on.”
“Promise?”
“Cross my heart and hope to die.”
I rolled my eyes and nodded in defeat. Instantly, Vanessa turned to her left and gestured over a tall man sitting by the bar. He had strawberry blond hair and pearly blue eyes. He was good looking all right, but he didn’t do anything for me. I realized I had become exceptionally critical about men lately, but told myself that it was just good sense to be picky. I had Renni to think of.
“Mia Dennis, this is Garret Cooper,” Vanessa introduced. “His firm is one of the sponsors for this exhibit.”
“Nice to meet you,” he said with a charming smile.
I nodded, returning his smile reluctantly. The moment we had shaken hands, Vanessa made some transparent excuse and disappeared, leaving us alone.
“So, have you always been interested in art?” I asked. I tried hard to sound interested in the conversation.
“Not particularly,” he replied. “I sort of have to be here…for obvious reasons.”
“Right,” I nodded.
“But I was impressed with Vanessa’s collection,” he said quickly. “I don’t know much about art, but I liked her work.”
“She’s a fantastic painter,” I said, with feeling. “She always has been. I’m glad she’s finally getting recognized for her work.”
“You two have been friends for a while?”
“Since college,” I said. “We started our freshman year in the same dorm.”
“Lucky you.” Garret smiled, as he took a step closer. “Most people aren’t so lucky with their first roommates.”
“I’ve heard,” I nodded.
I was trying to find a way to end the conversation when Renni walked up to me. She stuck out like a sore thumb with her blue dress and yellow boots, but she still looked cute as hell. And, I didn’t think I was biased in believing that.
“Hey, angel,” I said. “Finished with the play corner?”
“I want to see Aunt Vanessa’s paintings again,” she said, slipping her hand into mine.
I looked up at Garret and I saw his expression change instantly as he eyed her. “This is my daughter,” I said. “Renni.”
Garret’s eyebrows rose slightly and he seemed taken aback by that information. “I see,” he said. After a moment, he smiled, but it was a forced smile that clearly told me he had lost interest the moment he knew I had a child.
“If you’ll excuse me,” I said. “Renni and I are going to look around a little more.”
He seemed all too eager to say goodbye, and he walked away without a second glance. I tried not to roll my eyes as I made my way to the section where Vanessa’s paintings were displayed.
“Who was that, Mommy?” Renni asked curiously.
“No one important, darling,” I said, squeezing her hand.
After we had eaten a few canapés and had circled the gallery once more, I found Vanessa. “Hi,” I said. “Just wanted to let you know that we’re heading out.”
“Already?” she said. “I haven’t had a chance to talk to you properly.”
“It’s a busy night for you,” I said. “You should be networking. We’ll catch up another day.”
Vanessa gave Renni a little smile. “You spoke to Garret?”
“He seems nice,” I said. “But ultimately not for me.”
“Did you give him a chance?”
“You didn’t tell him that I had a kid, did you?”
Vanessa leaned in a little. “He was bothered by that?”
“Apparently.”
Her face crinkled. “Well, then… I’ll do better next time.”
“I really wish you wouldn’t.”
She smiled and gave me a wink. “Talk soon?”
“Of course,” I nodded.
Renni and I hugged her goodbye and then made our way to the car. It was a cold night and the roads seemed to have a layer of frost over them. Conscious of that fact, I decided to reduce my speed and drive as slow as I could manage.
We were almost home when I took a corner and the car hit an ice patch I hadn’t seen.
My heart froze in shock as I lost control of the wheel, and the car skidded out of my control. I heard a scream from the backseat and felt terror grip my body as the car spun across the road and into a ditch. The car spun, and it felt as though we were upside down. My hair was in my face, and the side of my head was aching. I realized I must have hit it when we had skidded.
I felt the car stop violently, and black spots pulled up across my eyes. I realized I was about to lose consciousness, but it was the thought of Renni in the backseat that gave me the strength I needed to claw myself back to lucidness.
“Renni,” I said softly, hoping that my voice wasn’t shaking. I tried to turn back to look at her, but I couldn’t seem to angle my body or my neck in that position. “Sweetheart? Are you okay?”
First I heard the sound of her tears, and then I heard her voice. “Mommy,” she sobbed.
I knew she was scared, but I prayed that that was all it was. If she were hurt, I would never forgive myself. I tried to move and realized we were on a slant.
“My phone,” I said, to no one in particular. “Where is my phone?”
I looked around, but I could see nothing from my vantage point. The world seemed black around us, and I wasn’t sure if I could move. The only thing I wanted to do was to make sure that Renni was all right.
“Honey,” I said, trying to keep calm. “Honey, does anything hurt?”
“Mommy… I’m scared,” she sobbed in response.
“I know, darling, I know… Just hang in there,” I said, desperately trying to locate my phone.
And then, out of nowhere I heard voices. Suddenly the side of my door was wrenched open and light flooded in. The man looking down at me was dressed like the EMTs on television, and he had a calm look on his face.
“Are you alright, ma’am?” he asked.
“My daughter’s in the back,” I said immediately. “Please, make sure she’s ok.”
“Of course, ma’am,” he said. “We’re getting her out now.”
I heard another loud sound and a bunch more voices. “What’s happening?” I asked.
“Don’t worry, ma’am,” the EMT replied. “We got your daughter out.”
“Is she okay?”
“She’s being examined now,” he replied. “Hang in there, I’m going to try and get you out, alright?”
“I… Okay,” I nodded, desperate to be free of the car.
It took them what seemed like an eternity, but they finally managed to get me loose from the seat. I was surprised to find that once I was on my feet, I actually felt pretty okay. I was led to the back of an ambulance where one of the EMTs checked my vitals and examined me closely.
“I need to see my daughter,” I kept saying the whole time they examined me.
“She’s with one of my colleagues, ma’am,” a female EMT told me. “She’s safe. I don’t think there was anything wrong.”
“Not at all. Just a little shaken up, that’s all. You were very lucky – the car took the brunt of the damage.”
“How did you get here so fast?” I asked.
“A neighbor saw the car skid, and she called nine-one-one.”
“Thank God,” I breathed, saying a silent prayer of thanks to God and the stranger who had helped us.
“You have a small bruise on the side of your head,” the EMT told me. “But you don’t seem to have a concussion. Like I said, you’re very lucky.”
“Can I see my daughter now?”
“Yes, of course.”
She took me around the ambulance, and the moment I turned the corner, I saw Renni. She was seated in the back of a fire truck with one of the firemen and seemed to be laughing at something he was saying. I felt relief wash over me and it was all I could do not to run over and grab her.
“Renni,” I called as I rushed over to her.
“Mommy,” she yelled, as I gave her a huge hug.
I pulled back and stared down at her. “Are you alright?”
She nodded with a smile. “I was scared, but Sam saved me.”
I turned to the fire fighter sitting next to my daughter. He was young and handsome, and he was smiling at me with beautiful hazel eyes that managed to be kind and light-hearted at the same time.
“Thank you,” I said fervently.
And then in an act of pure impulse, I threw my arms around him and gave him the biggest hug that I’d ever given a stranger in my life.
Chapter Seven
Sam
The car had slid off the road and into a narrow ditch. It was in a precarious position, but at least there was no chance of it falling any further.
“There’s a child in the back seat,” Mitch told me. “No older than five or six.”
“I’ve got this,” I assured him, heading towards the back of the car.
The child in the backseat was sobbing uncontrollably. She had her hands over her face as though she were scared something was going to fall on top of her. I lowered my voice and spoke to her calmly while Sean helped the child’s mother in the front seat. I didn’t even glance in that direction. My only focus was the child in front of me.
“Hey, kiddo,” I said, trying to keep my tone light so that she wouldn’t freak out further. “I’m going to try and get you out, okay? But I’m going to need your help.”
At first I thought she hadn’t heard me, but then she dropped her hands from her face and nodded. She was a cute kid, with a long face and rounded rosy cheeks. Her eyes were a light green, and her hair was dark and dusky. The tears marring her innocent little face made me want to do my very best for her.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“Renni,” she hiccupped.
“Renni,” I repeated. “I’m Sam. You ready to get out of that seat?”
She nodded once. I gave her a small smile. “I’m going to try and open this door, okay? There might be a big sound. Why don’t you close your ears and eyes?”
She did as she was told and then I wrenched the door apart. Her little body shook, and I knew the sound had frightened her anyway. Her mother gasped from the front seat, but I let Sean handle that situation.
I angled my body into the tilted car and reached for Renni. She was strapped in, but seemingly unhurt. I unbuckled her slowly and then put my arms around her.
“Okay, Renni,” I whispered to her. “We’re getting out now.”
With a small amount of effort, I pulled her tiny body free from the car, and then we were on flat ground, where I breathed a sigh of relief. Renni clung to me, but I noticed that her sobs had subsided a little.
“I want my mommy,” she said with her arms around my neck.
“My friend is helping your mommy out now,” I told her. “They’re going to check to make sure she’s alright. And, I’m going to check to make sure you’re alright.”
I carried her to the back of our truck and set her down on the back rig. I checked her vitals first and then examined her body.
“How old are you, Renni?” I asked, trying to distract her a little.
“Five,” she replied shortly. “Am I okay?”
She had the face of an angel, but I could tell from the awareness in her eyes that she was a mature child. “You’re perfect, Renni,” I told her. “You’re a strong girl.”
“Really?”
“See for yourself,” I said, pulling out the stethoscope from my medical box and handed it to Renni. She placed it gingerly in her ears and then placed the end on her heart. After a few moments, she actually smiled.
“I can hear my heartbeat,” she said. “It’s really, really loud.”
“I told you,” I smiled. “That’s because you’re strong. Just like I told you.”
Renni dropped her hands from the stethoscope, but she kept it fastened around her neck. Every so often, she looked around for some sign of her mother. I sat with her and tried to keep her distracted until the EMTs were done examining her mother.
“Why are you wearing that?” Renni asked after a moment.
I looked down at my bulky gear. “It’s what fire fighters wear,” I told her. “It protects us from dangerous places.”
“I thought fire fighters go only when there’s a fire?”
I smiled. “We go for any emergency,” I explained. “Car accidents, fires, cats in trees...”
“Really?” she asked, looking at me with wide eyes. “You rescue cats?”
“Of course,” I nodded seriously. “I can’t even count the number of cats I’ve rescued.”
She smiled. “I bet their owners are happy when you do.”
“Sure,” I nodded. “Very happy.”
“I would be happy,” she said thoughtfully.
Just at that moment, we heard someone call out Renni’s name and her face broke out into a huge smile. “Mommy,” she said, as her mother approached with happiness etched across her face.
I straightened up a little, noticing how very attractive Renni’s mother was. She had the same coloring as her daughter: dark dusky brown hair combined with those beautiful green eyes. She was slim, tall, and very young to have a five-year-old daughter.
She rushed towards Renni and grabbed her in a tight hug. When she finally pulled away, her eyes were fixed on her daughter, trying to make sure that she was completely fine.
“Are you alright?” she asked.
“I was scared,” Renni replied. “But Sam saved me.”
It was only then that she turned to me. I felt my breath catch a little as her eyes met mine.
She had the looks of a Victoria Secret model. Her hair fell uncaringly around her shoulders, framing the perfect oval of her face and lighting up those pale green eyes, which were in equal measures mysterious and seductive. I smiled instinctively, trying to think of something appropriate yet impressive to say. But before I could speak, she did.
“Thank you,” she said with a fervency that dripped of sincerity. Then to my complete surprise, she threw her hands around me and gave me a huge hug.
I froze in place for a few seconds before my hands came up around her, and I returned the unexpected hug. Her body felt surprisingly good against mine and when she broke the hug and stepped away, I dropped my hands reluctantly.
“It was nothing, ma’am,” I said, with my most charming smile. “All in a day’s work.”
“Is she alright?”
“Perfectly fine,” I assured her. “I did a full examination. She was just a little shaken up, but I managed to calm her down.”
“He let me hear my heartbeat,” Renni said, showing her mother the stethoscope I had given her. “And, it was really loud and strong, Mommy.”
“I’m glad, darling.” She smiled at Renni, before turning back to me. “Thank you so much for taking care of her.”
“It was my pleasure,” I said gallantly, dipping my head down a little.
“Your name is Sam?” she asked.
“I’m Mia,” she said with a smile. “Would you mind staying with Renni for a few more minutes? I need to make a call.”
“Of course,” I nodded.
As Mia walked to a corner to make her call, I sat beside Renni and glanced at her innocently. “I bet she’s calling your dad huh?”
“No,” Renni replied shortly, playing with the stethoscope.
“No?”
“Daddy’s not with us anymore,” she replied.
“Oh,” I nodded. “Well then, she’s probably calling her boyfriend.”
“Mommy doesn’t have a boyfriend,” she replied. “Mummy says she doesn’t have friends anymore except for Aunt Vanessa.”
I suppressed a smile, secretly thrilled that I didn’t have competition to worry about – not that that had ever stopped me before.
“I like your boots,” I told Renni. “Snazzy color.”
“Thank you,” she said, giving me an open mouthed smile that displayed her large front teeth. She looked like a little bunny rabbit in yellow boots. “These are my favorite boots.”
“I can see why,” I nodded. “I wish I had a pair of those.”
“Okay, honey,” Mia said as she approached. “Aunt Vanessa is on her way to pick us up,”
Mia sat down beside her daughter and tucked her protectively under her arm. Renni leaned against her mother and sighed in contentment. There was such a nice symmetry to their relationship; you could sense it almost immediately. I knew I should have walked away and given them a few moments together, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.
“Your sister’s on her way?” I asked.
“She’s not actually my sister,” Mia replied. “She’s a really good friend. That’s just what Renni calls her.”
“Ah,” I nodded. “Do you have any sisters?”
Mia raised her eyebrows slightly, as though she weren’t quite sure why I was trying so hard to make small talk. “No sisters,” she replied. “I have an older brother, though. He lives in Texas with his wife and son.”
“Are you from Texas?”
“California originally,” Mia replied.
“Hey, my mother just moved to Fort Collins from California,” I said, saying the first thing that popped into my head. “And, my older brother just moved out there.”