Read Online Laura's Big Win by Michelle Tschantre' - Free Book Online

may develop we
will discuss tomorrow when you are rested. Besides, this is a
little outside my normal office hours. I would like to point out,
in case you were wondering, that this is not a charitable act in
particular. I was given specific instructions to contact you, but
not the reason why. I am just as unclear as to the reason we were
sent as you are at this point, but I can assure you this is a valid
offer. I can give you a few moments to consider our offer if you
wish, but either way, I would like a decision in the next few
moments.”
    How could Laura refuse? Her children
were in need. Still, how could this be happening after all that had
gone wrong in the past couple of days? Excusing herself, she took
aside the night supervisor, who was totally bemused by these people
and what they were offering. “I don’t know these people, and we’re
already pretty bad off in many ways; I don’t want to make things
worse. What do you think about all this? What should I
do?”
    “I can’t tell you what to do and take
that sort of responsibility, but I will tell you this. I would pay
a lot of money just to see the inside of Windmere, and I can tell
you, from everything I have heard, the company is a class act to
work for. Getting on staff out there is tough. I know a couple of
people who work there from time to time; they won’t mention any
names, but they say it is a top dollar operation, really high end,
if you know what I mean; nothing but the up and up. I don’t know
about the woman, but I’ve seen the big guy around; he seems to have
a good reputation. My guess? I think this offer is good, and they
promised to fix the a/c whether you go with them or not, so either
way the shelter wins. I don’t know what you’ve got, honey, but
somebody saw something; I’d cash that check while I
could.”
    Laura reasoned that things couldn’t get
much worse since they were already homeless and virtually
penniless. Facing Mrs. Hamilton, Laura agreed, but agonized in her
mind about the decision. After all, her last major decision of any
sort had been to marry Richard and she was living with the
consequences of that error. The only good thing to come out of that
decision was her two wonderful children, whom she would protect at
all cost. She told the children they would be staying somewhere
else for the night, to gather up their few things, then reached for
the duffle bag that contained the remnants of their previous life.
To her surprise a huge hand was already on the handle of the
bag.
    “Sorry ma’am, but carrying the bags is
part of my job along with driving, and besides” nodding toward Mrs.
Hamilton, “I owe her one.”
    Grateful for the help with the heavy
bag, Laura noted that the big man with the soft voice didn’t even
seem to notice the weight as he lifted the bag, more like it was a
pillow full of feathers with no weight at all, just a smooth,
powerful flex. She wondered at the time what else he did for the
company, bouncer maybe, but for the moment just following in his
wake was enough of a task.
    As the small procession started to make
its way out of the rec. room to the waiting SUV, something happened
to Dennis that he would never forget, and that would win Amanda a
gentle giant for a protector all the remaining days of his life.
Her little four years old hand reached up and grasped one of his
thick fingers, an entire handful for her, and as he glanced down at
the touch, she looked up at him with wide open eyes and an
expression of trust and confidence. The pang of compassion that
shot through Dennis’s heart nearly brought him to a halt. Releasing
the bag for a moment, he reached down and scooped the little girl
up, setting her on his wide forearm where she was clear of the
crowd, and where she could literally see over the top of everyone
in the room. “Now,” he said “You can see better and we won’t lose
you in the crowd.” But as he retrieved the duffle and started for
the door again, the tears in his own