“Doan wanna,” she murmured.
More of Malachi’s rough, quiet whisper. “He got me a sleeping bag.”
“Doan wanna.”
“He’s nice.”
“Doan wanna!”
“Becky, honey, look at me.”
This came from Faye who had moved and was now crouching beside Chace.
She spoke again when Becky peered fearfully from around Malachi.
“I’m Faye. This is Chace,” she motioned to him then she tipped her head up to Deck so both kids tilted their heads way back to look at Deck. “That gentle giant is Jacob Decker. It’s cold, sweetheart, and you need some food in your belly.” At the mention of food, Becky’s eyes shot back to Faye and, at what this said, Chace’s gut twisted. “You can walk with us, of course, but we’d get you warmed up and food in you a lot faster if you let Chace carry you.”
There was nothing then, softly, “Gentle giant?”
“Yeah, he’s big but he’s sweet,” Faye told her.
“What’s he?” Becky asked, pressing into Malachi but jerking her chin to Chace.
“He’s a white knight on a fiery steed except his steed comes in the form of an SUV and it’s not fiery. It’s burgundy.”
Becky kept pressing into her brother then she whispered, “Did he buy Miah a sleeping bag?”
Miah?
Faye wisely didn’t question the name. She just answered, “Yes, honey, he got him a sleeping bag and camp cutlery and candy bars and energy drinks and lots of stuff. That’s what white knights do. They save damsels in distress but they also look after kids who don’t have it very good.”
Becky’s eyes moved over Chace in the moonlight.
Then slowly she shifted out from behind Malachi, took two steps toward him and lifted her hand his way. Moving carefully, Chace reached out toward her.
Her little, pale fingers curled around his.
He cautiously moved forward and slowly swung her up in his arms.
Then he whispered, “Let’s get them home,” and moved swiftly through the wood.
“Take my hand, sweetheart,” he heard from behind him and he knew Faye was looking after Malachi but Chace didn’t miss a step.
But when her little, trembling body caught his attention, he stopped, put her down gently, shrugged off his jacket, wrapped it low around her in an effort to cover her legs and feet and lifted her back up.
While he was doing that, he heard Deck ask Malachi, “Piggyback?” which meant if Deck carried Malachi, they could keep up.
The scratchy voice came back, a hint of excitement in it, “Yeah.”
Chace forged through the forest hearing them coming after him.
After five minutes he heard Deck’s, “Gentle giant?”
Then he heard Faye’s, “Shut up.”
He did not smile. The girl in his arms was freezing, dirty, underfed and her brother just saved her from some unknown “she” who was at the town meeting.
Five minutes later he heard Deck’s, “White knight on a fiery steed?”