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bymagajonesDanny always loved the times he spent with his daughter, and this was made better by the fact that they had the freedom to be outside. They’d decided to spend the day fishing, but they ended up just playing in the water until they were both drenched. They returned to the camp to change clothes and have lunch – Danny was determined to do better in that area – before he made her take a short nap.
At loose ends and wanting to keep busy, he sauntered up to JennaKaye. “I don’t suppose you have some maps on you that could help me get home.”
JennaKaye looked at him, her large eyes sad.
“Don’t give me that look,” he said, backing away. “I have to go.”
“I know, but… couldn’t you stay?”
Danny blinked at her.
“I mean, do you really have to go?”
Danny sighed. “Yeah, I really do. I don’t belong here. I don’t have family or history.”
“You have us.”
Danny touched JennaKaye’s shoulder. “I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. You’re a true friend, and I promise, I’ll let you know where I end up. If you ever need me, you only have to send a message.”
“At least let me gather some things for you, food and clothing.”
Danny groaned.
“Think of it was payment for services rendered,” Kono said, appearing from the side of the wagon.
Danny grabbed for his heart. “That – that whole appearing out of nowhere thing? That I won’t miss at all.”
Kono grinned at him before looking him up and down. “We’ll get you a vest, some nice, soft breeches –”
“A what? Some – No, no thank you. You want to help? Keep that stuff. Just a button down shirt, slacks, and a tie. Oh, and shoes and socks would be nice.”
Kono arched an eyebrow and looked him over again. “So you like to let it all hang loose, brah?”
Danny crossed his arms over his waist. “Stop looking at me like that. You’re making me feel dirty. And I figured that undergarments would just be a given.” He rolled his eyes. “Of course, I forgot you’ve been hanging out with Steve, the uncouth bastard.”
JennaKaye had taken the time to root inside her wagon and handed Danny a rolled parchment. “Here’s a map. It’s current with all the new roads.” Danny unrolled it slightly to take a look. “The roads are color coded.” She pointed. “Blue for the safer roads, pink for the more dangerous…” Her face turned pinker than the roads she’d colored.
“Thank you, really,” Danny said, touching a hand to his chest. It had been a long time since anyone other than Grace had cared about him, and while it felt a little strange, he appreciated the warmth. “I’m gonna sit down, figure out a route back.” He smiled at the ladies and headed back toward the tent Steve had used as his impromptu war room.
“… saw her heading that way, toward the dragon.”
“And you say she was alone?”
Danny was looking at the map, trying to find Jersey and didn’t pay much attention to the conversation until he recognized the princess’ voice. He stopped, not wanting to intrude on a private conversation; although, he thought, there were plenty of other places around to go if they didn’t want to be overheard.
“Completely alone.”
“Where is her father?”
At this, Danny frowned. As far as he knew, he was the only one with a child around, but Gracie was asleep in their tent.
“I don’t know. I just know that he’s not with her.”
“For some reason, his highness is enamored with her. You and I are going to go rescue her from the dragon, maybe after it singes her a little, and he’ll be properly… grateful.” She didn’t even bother to hide her smug tone.
One of the reasons Danny was such a good lawman was his ability to remain calm in dire situations, to think through options quickly and come up with the best plan of action. All of that disappeared when his daughter was involved.
He walked around the corner and grabbed the princess’ arm, ignoring her shriek of outrage. “You stay away from my daughter. I don’t believe in hitting a woman, but so help me, I will feed your ass to that dragon and not shed a tear.”
“Get your hands off me!” The princess yelled, teeth clenched.
“Gladly.” Danny pushed her away and headed for the road to go get his baby. He was so focused on his daughter that he never even sensed the person who knocked him out from behind.
Master post with chapter breakdown and links to other sites
At loose ends and wanting to keep busy, he sauntered up to JennaKaye. “I don’t suppose you have some maps on you that could help me get home.”
JennaKaye looked at him, her large eyes sad.
“Don’t give me that look,” he said, backing away. “I have to go.”
“I know, but… couldn’t you stay?”
Danny blinked at her.
“I mean, do you really have to go?”
Danny sighed. “Yeah, I really do. I don’t belong here. I don’t have family or history.”
“You have us.”
Danny touched JennaKaye’s shoulder. “I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. You’re a true friend, and I promise, I’ll let you know where I end up. If you ever need me, you only have to send a message.”
“At least let me gather some things for you, food and clothing.”
Danny groaned.
“Think of it was payment for services rendered,” Kono said, appearing from the side of the wagon.
Danny grabbed for his heart. “That – that whole appearing out of nowhere thing? That I won’t miss at all.”
Kono grinned at him before looking him up and down. “We’ll get you a vest, some nice, soft breeches –”
“A what? Some – No, no thank you. You want to help? Keep that stuff. Just a button down shirt, slacks, and a tie. Oh, and shoes and socks would be nice.”
Kono arched an eyebrow and looked him over again. “So you like to let it all hang loose, brah?”
Danny crossed his arms over his waist. “Stop looking at me like that. You’re making me feel dirty. And I figured that undergarments would just be a given.” He rolled his eyes. “Of course, I forgot you’ve been hanging out with Steve, the uncouth bastard.”
JennaKaye had taken the time to root inside her wagon and handed Danny a rolled parchment. “Here’s a map. It’s current with all the new roads.” Danny unrolled it slightly to take a look. “The roads are color coded.” She pointed. “Blue for the safer roads, pink for the more dangerous…” Her face turned pinker than the roads she’d colored.
“Thank you, really,” Danny said, touching a hand to his chest. It had been a long time since anyone other than Grace had cared about him, and while it felt a little strange, he appreciated the warmth. “I’m gonna sit down, figure out a route back.” He smiled at the ladies and headed back toward the tent Steve had used as his impromptu war room.
“… saw her heading that way, toward the dragon.”
“And you say she was alone?”
Danny was looking at the map, trying to find Jersey and didn’t pay much attention to the conversation until he recognized the princess’ voice. He stopped, not wanting to intrude on a private conversation; although, he thought, there were plenty of other places around to go if they didn’t want to be overheard.
“Completely alone.”
“Where is her father?”
At this, Danny frowned. As far as he knew, he was the only one with a child around, but Gracie was asleep in their tent.
“I don’t know. I just know that he’s not with her.”
“For some reason, his highness is enamored with her. You and I are going to go rescue her from the dragon, maybe after it singes her a little, and he’ll be properly… grateful.” She didn’t even bother to hide her smug tone.
One of the reasons Danny was such a good lawman was his ability to remain calm in dire situations, to think through options quickly and come up with the best plan of action. All of that disappeared when his daughter was involved.
He walked around the corner and grabbed the princess’ arm, ignoring her shriek of outrage. “You stay away from my daughter. I don’t believe in hitting a woman, but so help me, I will feed your ass to that dragon and not shed a tear.”
“Get your hands off me!” The princess yelled, teeth clenched.
“Gladly.” Danny pushed her away and headed for the road to go get his baby. He was so focused on his daughter that he never even sensed the person who knocked him out from behind.
Master post with chapter breakdown and links to other sites
