Chicago Hope by Carmen DeSousa

Author:Carmen DeSousa [DeSousa, Carmen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Written Musings
Published: 2020-11-17T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

Ben rushed ahead, running to the end of the block. He wasn’t allowed to cross the street without her, but he liked to leave her in the dust.

“Don’t step off the sidewalk!” she called behind him, quickening her steps. She didn’t like him out of reach, but she also knew she couldn’t smother him. If his father were here, he’d race him to the end of the block. Big Ben would always win, but he wouldn’t win by so much that their little Ben would be discouraged.

Maura sighed. Her son was too young to be without a father. But … she wasn’t going to let just anyone fill that role.

“Your boss is really gonna build a park, Mom?”

She wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “That’s what he said. Of course, we don’t count our chickens before they hatch, do we?”

Ben shrugged. “I don’t know what that means, but you said not to do it, so I don’t.”

“Well, you know I grew up on a farm, and grandma used to say that all the time. You know that not all eggs turn to chickens … So, basically, you don’t want to count on something that may not happen, or spend money you don’t have.”

Ben stared up at her. “You have some weird sayings.”

She ruffled his hair. “I know. Comes with growing up in the South. Hey, let’s not worry about this until it happens, okay? It’s our day together. Let’s go —”

A car engine turned off behind her, and Maura instinctively turned. The hand not holding Ben immediately reached for her pocketed pepper spray, while the one holding him moved him behind her. Instinct. She was always ready.

She eyed the Tacoma, then the man who stepped out. “Rick?”

Rick smiled. “Hey … what are you doing here?” He leaned sideways, taking in her son. “Hello, young man.”

Maura held in her sigh. “Ben, this is Mr. Figueroa.”

Rick dipped his head. “Hi, Ben! My last name is a mouthful. Feel free to call me Rick. Everyone does.”

Ben waved. “Hi, Rick.”

Rick smiled, but then cocked his head and narrowed his eyes, taking in the street. His was the only vehicle near the empty lot. “What are you doing here? How did you get here?”

“There’s a bus stop at the corner,” she said truthfully. “I was showing Ben the future home of the community park.”

“So, you live in the neighborhood, too?” He dropped his eyes to Ben. “And, Ben … What do you think about the park? Was this your Dear Santa idea?”

Ben looked up at her and then the stranger he’d never met. “No, this was my cousin’s idea. I don’t believe in Santa, but I did write a letter to my Mom’s boss. Are you my Mom’s boss?”

Rick laughed out a breath, then flashed his million-dollar smile. To her, he flashed a wink. “I work with your mom, but I wouldn’t say that I’m her boss. This project was her idea.”

“But you read the letters?”

Rick nodded. “I do … as many as I can.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.