Missy's Gentle Giant by P D Miller Read Free Book Online

“You’re
telling me the girl who kept me going in Iraq died?  Why?”
    “B—because she’d never be able to
do the things she wanted.”  Missy shook more and swallowed hard.  It
upset her to be so close to Charger, no Ben.  Charger was gone too. 
She didn’t want to lie, but she couldn’t talk about what had happened, what was
wrong with her.
    Ben could feel in his bones there
was more than Gonzalo had told him.  “All right Melissa, I won’t call you Missy,
and I won’t be Charger.”  He smiled.  “Anyhow, you’re very different
from the girl I knew.”  He touched two of his fingers to his lips, then
touched his fingers to her lips and then touched his lips again.  “Melissa
is a very beautiful woman.”  He laughed and shook his head.  “Tiny as
a mite, but very, very beautiful.”
    “Thank you.”  Melissa’s eyes
shot to the floor as her face turned crimson.  Feeling as if he’d actually
kissed her, she swallowed hard, and her cheeks still showed a tinge of pink
when she and Ben walked into the living room.
    “All cleaned up spic and
span!”  Ben smiled.  “It’s the only way I know to thank you for such
a wonderful meal.  Get tired of eating in restaurants.  Let me tell
you.  It sure was great.”
    “Thank you.”  Mrs. Sanchez
grinned.
    Ben stared at Eduardo’s angry
eyes.  The damn guy was still hanging around?  A jealous rage surged
through him.  He turned to Mr. Sanchez.  “Sir, would it be all right
with you if I walked Melissa around the block?”
    Everyone in the room stiffened
except Melissa, for she hadn’t heard.
    “It would not!”  Mr. Sanchez
jumped up.
    Ben blinked.  Damn!  Her
father acted like he asked to take her to bed.  “Oops!”  Ben grinned
and shook his head.
    “Oops?”  Gonzalo looked up
with a frown.
    “Forgot your different customs.” 
Ben smiled and Gonzalo’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.
    “Thanks for helping with the
dishes, Ben.”  Missy smiled.
    He turned toward her and
bowed.  “It was my pleasure, Melissa.”
    Her cheeks turned crimson
again.  “Goodnight.”
    “Yes, goodnight.”  Ben watched
her go upstairs, turned and gave Eduardo a scathing glance, then turned to
Gonzalo.  “Guess I’d better get going too.”
    “Yeah, I’ll take you.  Maybe
we’ll stop and have a beer or two.”
    “Sure.  I want to thank you
again for the dinner.  It was certainly nice meeting you.”  Ben shook
hands with Mr. and Mrs. Sanchez and then stopped in front of Eduardo. 
“Are you sure Melissa’s yours?”
    Gonzalo could hardly get Ben in the
car fast enough.  “Man, Charger what got into you?  My father nearly
had a heart attack when you asked to take Melissa out of the house.”
    “Girls aren’t allowed out?” 
Ben glanced at Gonzalo.
    “Parents have to be prepared
first.  You know, flowers and gifts, so the family is impressed.”
    “For the parents?”
    “No, for the girl.”
    “Why all the stuff?”
    “So they know the guy can afford
taking care of her and he’s not just on the make.”
    “Oh.”  Ben frowned.  “So
when do the girls get to go out?”
    “Not until they’ve been promised to
each other and only then chaperoned.”
    “By promised you mean—”
    “Practically engaged.” 
Gonzalo groaned.
    “My mistake.”  Ben
laughed.  “Let’s just get some beer and go to my room.  I’ve got an
idea.”

 
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Four
     
    “So, what’s going on in your
head?”  Gonzalo settled in a chair in Ben’s motel room and opened a beer.
    “First thing in the morning you
need to point out all the tampering to your brothers and have them take
inventory for repairs.”
    “It takes money to make repairs,
man.”
    “Yeah well, I think you’re going to
come into some.  I have a weird itch in my bones—”
    “Something illegal?”
    “Who me?”  Ben feigned shocked
surprise.  “Do you forget who I work for?  However, someone who planted the
stuff before, might see a