Disclaimer: The Third Watch characters are not mine.
PROLOGUE
"I hate you!" the little girl screamed at the teenage boy who stood grinning at her..
The insult didn't faze the fifteen year old. He seemed to be enjoying the torture he was inflicting on the dark haired girl.
Giving up her effort to inflict the same torture on the boy, Gracie Boscorelli stomped past her mother and Kim Zambrano without a word.
The two mothers exchanged looks. They knew what was going on. Kim's son, Joseph Doherty, was teasing Gracie again. It has been going on for the last - oh - six years, beginning from the time they had been old enough to acknowledge the existence of the other as a nine-year-old boy and three- year- old girl. Usually they screamed at each other and then proceeded to ignore one another until the next encounter. Their parents had become experts at ignoring them when it happened.
"Dare we try to figure that one out?" Sophia Boscorelli asked her friend.
"I don't think we need to look too far," Kim said, watching her son. "Joseph Doherty!"
Sophie watched Kim talking to her son - again. She knew no matter how much Kim and Jimmy talked to their son; and she and Bosco talked to Gracie, the two always seemed to pick at each other.
She supposed it would always be that way between the two of them.
*********************** CHAPTER 1
FIFTEEN YEARS LATER
Spying the young woman talking to his mother when he rounded the corner to the firehouse, Joseph Doherty stopped suddenly. Most likely a former patient, he thought. Sometimes they came around to offer thanks for any help that had been given. However, he thought this former patient looked pretty healthy to him. He took in her dark hair and petite stature, which, from this distance, appeared to be all female.
"Son, you standin' for a reason or just enjoyin' the view?" Jimmy Doherty asked from behind.
A replica of his father at the same age, the younger Doherty flashed the dimpled grin he'd inherited from this father and returned his gaze to the woman talking to his mother. "A little of both I guess."
Jimmy looked past his son and let out a low whistle. "Not sure I'd go there, son."
"You know who she is, Dad?" Joe asked, following Jimmy to the firehouse where they both worked.
Jimmy was trying to hold back his laughter. His son had absolutely no idea. "Yeah, I know her but I'm tellin' ya not to go there."
They were getting closer and Joe didn't want her to overhear him. Just in case he was supposed to know who she was. Like a dog with a bone, Joe persisted. "Who is she?"
Jimmy didn't get a chance to answer.
An ambulance slowed and Belle Boscorelli practically fell out the back in her rush to exit.
"Gracie!"
The young woman turned.
Joe's mouth dropped.
Jimmy let go of his amusement and had a good laugh at his son's expense.
PROLOGUE
"I hate you!" the little girl screamed at the teenage boy who stood grinning at her..
The insult didn't faze the fifteen year old. He seemed to be enjoying the torture he was inflicting on the dark haired girl.
Giving up her effort to inflict the same torture on the boy, Gracie Boscorelli stomped past her mother and Kim Zambrano without a word.
The two mothers exchanged looks. They knew what was going on. Kim's son, Joseph Doherty, was teasing Gracie again. It has been going on for the last - oh - six years, beginning from the time they had been old enough to acknowledge the existence of the other as a nine-year-old boy and three- year- old girl. Usually they screamed at each other and then proceeded to ignore one another until the next encounter. Their parents had become experts at ignoring them when it happened.
"Dare we try to figure that one out?" Sophia Boscorelli asked her friend.
"I don't think we need to look too far," Kim said, watching her son. "Joseph Doherty!"
Sophie watched Kim talking to her son - again. She knew no matter how much Kim and Jimmy talked to their son; and she and Bosco talked to Gracie, the two always seemed to pick at each other.
She supposed it would always be that way between the two of them.
*********************** CHAPTER 1
FIFTEEN YEARS LATER
Spying the young woman talking to his mother when he rounded the corner to the firehouse, Joseph Doherty stopped suddenly. Most likely a former patient, he thought. Sometimes they came around to offer thanks for any help that had been given. However, he thought this former patient looked pretty healthy to him. He took in her dark hair and petite stature, which, from this distance, appeared to be all female.
"Son, you standin' for a reason or just enjoyin' the view?" Jimmy Doherty asked from behind.
A replica of his father at the same age, the younger Doherty flashed the dimpled grin he'd inherited from this father and returned his gaze to the woman talking to his mother. "A little of both I guess."
Jimmy looked past his son and let out a low whistle. "Not sure I'd go there, son."
"You know who she is, Dad?" Joe asked, following Jimmy to the firehouse where they both worked.
Jimmy was trying to hold back his laughter. His son had absolutely no idea. "Yeah, I know her but I'm tellin' ya not to go there."
They were getting closer and Joe didn't want her to overhear him. Just in case he was supposed to know who she was. Like a dog with a bone, Joe persisted. "Who is she?"
Jimmy didn't get a chance to answer.
An ambulance slowed and Belle Boscorelli practically fell out the back in her rush to exit.
"Gracie!"
The young woman turned.
Joe's mouth dropped.
Jimmy let go of his amusement and had a good laugh at his son's expense.
