Ciela flopped down beside her grandmother and lifted the bottle to her lips.
Noelle tried to get Ciela to slow down.
“Don’t drink too fast, baby.”
The nickname did the trick.
Ciela pulled the water bottle from her mouth and looked at her mother with a pouty lower lip. “I’m big now, Mama. Not a baby.”
Noelle’s indulgent smile did something to Duval.
What?
He couldn’t pin point or put his finger on it.
He just knew that something had shifted inside of him.
Noelle looked up at him and for a moment, he wondered if she saw it.
Or saw something different in him.
Her look was curious with just the hint of a frown around her brows.
It didn’t last long at all.
She gave him a nod, encouraging him to come over.
Patricia didn’t miss the exchange either.
She turned her head toward him and greeted him with a smile.
He was grateful to both of them for making this opportunity possible.
It wasn’t just that he was worried about Ciela’s reaction to him, but to anyone with a badge..
He wanted people to feel like they could seek help from law enforcement officers in all of their forms. If Ciela had this kind of instinctive terror of a Texas Ranger badge it might hurt her even more in the future.
Duval wasn’t sure that he could be the one to help her with this, but he knew he had to try.
Walking up, he held the stuffed animal between his hands.
He made every effort to keep his hands relaxed.
He didn’t want to squish the animal and he certainly didn’t want to get his sweat on the velvety soft surface.
When he was about twenty feet away, he slowed his steps and waited.
Noelle sat up straighter on the bench and lifted her arm above her head. “McCrae! Hello!”
Less than a breath later, Patricia greeted him as well.
“McCrae! Come and have some water.”
The last thing he wanted was something to drink at a that moment. He was afraid that he’d choke on it and upset Noelle’s daughter even more, but he was glad to have a reason to move closer.
He nodded and kept his voice as gentle as he could. “Thanks, Patricia.”
Ciela stopped drinking from the bottle and turned her head in his direction. “Not Patricia,” she frowned at him. “That’s Abuelita,” she pointed at Patricia.
