“Serves Uncle Griff right for not trusting us,” Chelsie said. She looked at Alix. “But we love him anyway, right?”
* * *
When Griff reached Chelsie’s apartment, he found the door ajar. “That woman needs a keeper,” he muttered to himself. A role he wouldn’t mind applying for himself. All afternoon, his mind had been on the two females he’d left behind. Though he trusted Chelsie with Alix, he didn’t trust his niece in Chelsie’s apartment. More than once, his own mother had nearly throttled Griff or Jared if they’d even looked at one of her souvenirs.
The one time Jared had done real damage to a precious trinket, Griff had taken the blame for his kid brother. A mere three days later, his mother had walked out for good. Since then, Griff’s taste and eye had been honed by years of making money and dealing with women who respected little else. The items in Chelsie’s place appeared more valuable than those coveted by his mother.
As he stepped into the tiled entryway, hushed voices and soft giggles drifted towards him. Not wishing to interrupt, Griff entered the apartment quietly and came upon a sight that not only astounded him, but altered his perception of reality.
The glass cocktail tables that previously occupied the center of the living room had been haphazardly pushed aside. Every glass and crystal animal, numbering twenty or more, sat on the carpet surrounding his niece. Alix held two in her hands and proceeded to bang them together like cymbals. He winced each time they struck. The lead inside the crystal must have prevented them from shattering.
“Don’t, sweety. You’ll get hurt.” Chelsie gently pried the animals from the little girl’s grasp. Where he was worried about Chelsie’s things, she was worried about the little girl’s safety. The discrepancy should have surprised him, but didn’t.
“Okay. Teddy bear,” Chelsie said.
Alix lifted an animal off the floor.
“Fish. Try again.”
As he took a step towards them, something crunched under his feet. The noise drew their attention from the menagerie on the floor.
“Griff!” Chelsie jumped up to greet him. The joy in her voice was unmistakable and he was glad he’d entered in silence. She’d had no time to think, so her spontaneous gesture had been genuine. A warm yet alien feeling flooded his heart. For the first time, Griff felt like he’d come home.
Alix darted around Chelsie’s legs and ran into his arms. The child’s unconditional love never ceased to amaze him and enabled him to give in return.
“Hi, ladies. How was your day?”
“Eventful.”
He nodded. Alix pried herself from his grasp and headed straight for the animals. He stepped forward and again, his foot ground something against the floor. “What’s this?” he asked, looking down.
“Nothing important. I just haven’t had a chance to clean up yet.” Chelsie gnawed on her lower lip before rushing on. “But don’t worry. I was with Alix the whole time and she never got near the broken glass. I’ll get it now.”
He stopped her run for the closet by grabbing the tail of her shirt “Relax. It was a simple question, not an accusation. I know you’d never let Alix get hurt. But did she break this?”
“An accident.” Laughter twinkled in Chelsie’s eyes. “The animals wanted to play follow the leader. I’m afraid the rabbit was a bit uncooperative.”
The rabbit. Her favorite piece, yet she seemed not to care. “I’ll replace it.”
“No, you won’t. I don’t care about these things. Alix had fun. That’s all that matters.”
His eyes narrowed as he assessed her sincerity.
“Honest, Griff. Don’t make a big deal about this. I never thought a small accident would affect you like this.”
You affect me. Who was this woman who never reacted in accordance with the standards set by the women in his past? “Okay. We’ll forget it for now.”
A brief flash of relief crossed her face. “Good. You hungry? We could order in pizza before you go home.”
He glanced across the room. Alix still played contentedly in the center of the carpet. “Pizza sounds good.”
Chelsie picked up the phone and placed the order.
“Want to sit?” She flopped down on the couch and waited until he joined her. He groaned, his exhaustion evident in the slouch of his shoulders and the weary expression on his face.
Alix ran to Griff, dumping two animals in his lap. She continued to charge back and forth between her uncle and the pile of crystals she thought of as toys. When Chelsie glanced at the heap in the center of the floor, she decided this activity might take a while. It might take even longer for the memory of Griff and Alix in her apartment to fade, she thought with chagrin.
“What’s our game plan for Amanda Sutton’s case, partner?” he asked.