Chapter 5
Gary headed out with Casey in tow to take care of the paper's work. Casey got excited when she learned that they were going to the park. Unfortunately, that excitement was quickly quashed when Gary told her that they were not there to play.
"Then what are we here for?" She asked, arms crossed.
"Well Casey, I have to stop a man from stealing a woman's purse." Gary said as he pulled the paper from his pocket and scanned the article. He looked around the park to see if he could find the woman.
"Can't we play for a little while." Casey pouted.
Gary squatted down until he was at Casey's eye level. "How about I make a deal with you. If you let me take care of this, I'll take you to the aquarium."
"Okay." Casey conceded.
As Gary kissed her forehead, he heard a woman scream. He turned around and saw a woman fighting with a man. She was struggling to hold onto her purse.
"He buddy, let go of that." Gary screamed. "Miss let go or you're going to fall and hurt yourself."
As Gary ran over to where the woman stood the straps of the purse broke and she fell backwards. Gary got there just in time to cushion her fall with his body. As she lay on top of Gary clutching her purse, the mugger took off running.
After Gary worked his way out from underneath her, he helped the woman to her feet. In the meantime, Casey walked over to Gary and wrapped her arms around his leg.
"Are you alright?" Gary asked.
"Oh, yes I'm fine. Thank you." The woman said. "He didn't even get my purse." When the woman finally looked at Gary, she realized how handsome he was. Her attraction was written all over her face.
"You're welcome." Gary said awkwardly.
"What a cute little girl." The woman said. "What is your name?"
"Casey." Casey said.
"Well your Daddy is quite the hero." The woman smiled seductively at Gary noticing that he wasn't wearing a wedding ring.
"Well Casey we better get going if we want to make it to the aquarium." Gary swallowed hard. "Are you sure you're okay?" He asked the woman.
"I'm fine." She surprised Gary by kissing him on the lips.
"It was nice to meet you Casey." The woman said when she pulled away. She reached into her coat pocket, pulled out a business card, and placed it in Gary's hand.
"Call me sometime." Then turned toward Casey and said, "You have fun at the aquarium."
Gary smiled and led Casey away as she waived good-bye, tossing the business card in the first garbage can they reached.
Gary and Casey headed to the aquarium. Gary knew exactly where they had to go. A five-year-old boy was going to fall into the dolphin tank. When they got there Gary saw the little boy right away. He was hanging over the banister. His pregnant mother was talking to another woman, oblivious to what he was doing. Gary ran over and grabbed his leg just as he began to fall pulling him back over the banister.
"Hey kid. You almost fell in there." Gary said.
His mother turned to see Gary grabbing her son and jumped to the wrong conclusion. "Let go of him." She screamed. The kid then kicked Gary in the shin and ran to his mother's arms. The mother took her son by the hand and hurriedly walked away.
"He almost fell in." Gary screamed after them. "Brat." He mumbled under his breath.
Gary and Casey spent the next few hours at the aquarium. He spent most of the time trying to answer her questions. Though he knew Casey well, he was surprised at how curious she was. Gary would answer one question and she would quickly have another.