He followed her into the roomy kitchen.
Sam opened the fridge and took out a pitcher of ice tea.
She poured two glasses and handed one to Bailey.
Her finger tip touched his hand during the transfer, and she
was jolted by the feel of his warm skin.
"Please sit down, tell me what brings you out this way?"
Bailey waited for her to sit down then, pulled out the chair
across from her.
"Just wrapping up a case from a few months ago." He didn't want
to talk shop with Sam, that wasn't why he'd come.
'Why did you come Malone?' he thought to himself, 'did you think
if she saw you again she'd just throw herself into your arms?'
"What have you been doing to keep busy?" He supposed she had gone
back to her photography.
"I've taken up my old hobby, taken photos of everything in sight,
but I've managed to sell a few here and there."
"That's good to hear Sam, I'm glad you're happy here." He sipped his
ice tea, and exhaled.
"Chloe should be home soon, her meetings are usually only two hours
after school.
"I'll bet she has grown since I saw her last." He was making small
talk, because he was afraid to tell her why he'd really come.
Sam was studying him with the eye of a photographer, he was a handsome
man, he had strength in his face, and she was noticing in his build
too. She couldn't believe she'd never known his arms were so huge.
They flexed with every move he made, she couldn't keep herself from
watching. Bailey had always been one to talk with his hands, but
she'd never had the treat of admiring his strength while he talked
before.
"How is everyone? John, George?" she asked, she talked with Grace every
so often but she never said much about the men she worked with.
"George is working on a new program for weeding out just the right
information.
John is the same as always, dating ten different women a year, or
more."
Bailey laughed at his own joke.
"I'll bet, he should settle down one of these days. He just hasn't met
the right
person." Sam said and as she looked up at Bailey her gaze locked with
his.
She was looking into his expressive dark eyes, there was something
there,
something she'd never noticed before. But it couldn't be, not Bailey.
Sam blinked and the moment was gone.
"Mom! Mom! is that… it is, Bailey you came to see us." She jumped into
the
kitchen and rushed forward to hug her favorite 'uncle'.
"Hey, slow down," Bailey welcomed her into his embrace, hugging her
close.
He kissed the top of her head.
"When did you get here? Did mom know you were coming?" She rushed
through
her questions.
"A few minutes ago, and no it was a surprise." He laughed.
Sam smiled, he had the most wonderful laugh. She hadn't heard it often
enough
during all those years they had worked together.
"Bailey you are planning on staying for dinner I hope?" Sam asked, she
hoped
he would stay.
"Yeah, you have to stay, I have so much to tell you." Chloe grabbed
hold of
his hand like she use to do when she was little.
Bailey smiled, "I can't turn my two favorite girls down."
"Come on I want to show you my room."
"You two go ahead, I'll check on dinner." Sam waved them off.
::::::::::::::::::::
"I'm so glad you came, I've got stuff I need to tell you. I thought
about
calling you and telling you, but it didn't seem like the kind of stuff
I should talk about on the phone." Chloe lead him to her bedroom.
Bailey was instantly on guard, had Chloe had problem she wouldn't talk
with
her mother about?
"See we really like it here, I mean I didn't at first but I do now. But
mom
has been kind of unhappy. I mean it's been almost two years since we
got
here and she never does anything but take photos. Angel comes to visit
all
the time and we go to the movies and shopping and stuff like that. But
she
hasn't had even one date."
Bailey nodded, know he understood why Chloe hadn't wanted to tell him
on
the phone.
"You think you are a good judge of when your mother is ready to start
seeing
men again?" Bailey tried not to chuckled as he asked her this question.
"I don't know if I am or not, but I know she's sad still. I haven't
seen her
smile hardly at all in months."
Bailey had seen her do nothing but smile at him since he had arrived.
"Can you stay a few days? You aren't in the middle of a big case or
anything?"
Chloe asked, her hands held together in front of her like she was
praying for
him to say he could stay.
"I can stay a day or two. But that isn't going to solve you mom's
dating
problem."
"You can take her out, with you it's not a date. It's just friends
doing
stuff together." Chloe had a plan up her sleeve and she wasn't above
lying to him if it meant getting Bailey and her mom together.
Sam opened the fridge and took out a pitcher of ice tea.
She poured two glasses and handed one to Bailey.
Her finger tip touched his hand during the transfer, and she
was jolted by the feel of his warm skin.
"Please sit down, tell me what brings you out this way?"
Bailey waited for her to sit down then, pulled out the chair
across from her.
"Just wrapping up a case from a few months ago." He didn't want
to talk shop with Sam, that wasn't why he'd come.
'Why did you come Malone?' he thought to himself, 'did you think
if she saw you again she'd just throw herself into your arms?'
"What have you been doing to keep busy?" He supposed she had gone
back to her photography.
"I've taken up my old hobby, taken photos of everything in sight,
but I've managed to sell a few here and there."
"That's good to hear Sam, I'm glad you're happy here." He sipped his
ice tea, and exhaled.
"Chloe should be home soon, her meetings are usually only two hours
after school.
"I'll bet she has grown since I saw her last." He was making small
talk, because he was afraid to tell her why he'd really come.
Sam was studying him with the eye of a photographer, he was a handsome
man, he had strength in his face, and she was noticing in his build
too. She couldn't believe she'd never known his arms were so huge.
They flexed with every move he made, she couldn't keep herself from
watching. Bailey had always been one to talk with his hands, but
she'd never had the treat of admiring his strength while he talked
before.
"How is everyone? John, George?" she asked, she talked with Grace every
so often but she never said much about the men she worked with.
"George is working on a new program for weeding out just the right
information.
John is the same as always, dating ten different women a year, or
more."
Bailey laughed at his own joke.
"I'll bet, he should settle down one of these days. He just hasn't met
the right
person." Sam said and as she looked up at Bailey her gaze locked with
his.
She was looking into his expressive dark eyes, there was something
there,
something she'd never noticed before. But it couldn't be, not Bailey.
Sam blinked and the moment was gone.
"Mom! Mom! is that… it is, Bailey you came to see us." She jumped into
the
kitchen and rushed forward to hug her favorite 'uncle'.
"Hey, slow down," Bailey welcomed her into his embrace, hugging her
close.
He kissed the top of her head.
"When did you get here? Did mom know you were coming?" She rushed
through
her questions.
"A few minutes ago, and no it was a surprise." He laughed.
Sam smiled, he had the most wonderful laugh. She hadn't heard it often
enough
during all those years they had worked together.
"Bailey you are planning on staying for dinner I hope?" Sam asked, she
hoped
he would stay.
"Yeah, you have to stay, I have so much to tell you." Chloe grabbed
hold of
his hand like she use to do when she was little.
Bailey smiled, "I can't turn my two favorite girls down."
"Come on I want to show you my room."
"You two go ahead, I'll check on dinner." Sam waved them off.
::::::::::::::::::::
"I'm so glad you came, I've got stuff I need to tell you. I thought
about
calling you and telling you, but it didn't seem like the kind of stuff
I should talk about on the phone." Chloe lead him to her bedroom.
Bailey was instantly on guard, had Chloe had problem she wouldn't talk
with
her mother about?
"See we really like it here, I mean I didn't at first but I do now. But
mom
has been kind of unhappy. I mean it's been almost two years since we
got
here and she never does anything but take photos. Angel comes to visit
all
the time and we go to the movies and shopping and stuff like that. But
she
hasn't had even one date."
Bailey nodded, know he understood why Chloe hadn't wanted to tell him
on
the phone.
"You think you are a good judge of when your mother is ready to start
seeing
men again?" Bailey tried not to chuckled as he asked her this question.
"I don't know if I am or not, but I know she's sad still. I haven't
seen her
smile hardly at all in months."
Bailey had seen her do nothing but smile at him since he had arrived.
"Can you stay a few days? You aren't in the middle of a big case or
anything?"
Chloe asked, her hands held together in front of her like she was
praying for
him to say he could stay.
"I can stay a day or two. But that isn't going to solve you mom's
dating
problem."
"You can take her out, with you it's not a date. It's just friends
doing
stuff together." Chloe had a plan up her sleeve and she wasn't above
lying to him if it meant getting Bailey and her mom together.