Free Chosen by Denise Grover Swank Page B

you finish eating your chicken, we’ll play another game.”
    Jake’s face brightened and he dug into his food.
    Will and Emma ate in silence, his foul mood now gone. She almost regretted yelling at him earlier. Jake could be impulsive and Lord knew when he decided to do something, he did it. He probably just ran out without Will. Plus, Jake hadn’t sensed the Bad Men, even if she felt uneasy. Jake crammed dinner in his mouth, trying to hurry so he could play.
    “Slow down there, big guy. I’m not going anywhere,” Will laughed.
    Jake slowed down, but not much. “Done!” he mumbled through a mouthful of food after stuffing the last piece in his mouth.
    “I’m not, so you still have to wait.”
    Emma expected Jake to pout again, but instead he fingered the pegs, practicing moves. Will’s mouth lifted into a small grin as he shifted his eyes to catch a glimpse of Jake.
    “Thanks,” Emma mouthed.
    Will winked. “I’ll collect later.”
    Shaking her head, she turned her attention to her food.
    After another round, Will paid the bill and Emma tried to ignore the shame that burned in her gut. They walked through the store on the way out and Will headed to the toy area. Jake and Emma tagged behind.
    “Where are you going?”
    Will didn’t answer. Instead, he found a packaged peg game and handed it to Jake. “Here, I’ll get you one of these and you can practice. We’ll see if you can beat me next time.”
    Jake broke into a huge grin. “Really?” He threw his arms around Will’s legs, nearly tackling him. “Thank you, Will!”
    Will’s mouth dropped then he rubbed Jake’s head with a couple of swipes and looked away. “Hey, no problem. Why don’t you pick out something else to play with, too? Tomorrow’s going to be a long day of driving.”
    Guilt washed through Emma in waves, lapping at the little confidence she had left in her mothering skills. While grateful for Will’s generosity, it only reinforced that she couldn’t provide for her own son. “Will, you really don’t have to do this…”
    “I’m doing this for me,” he growled and turned to watch Jake searching the shelves. “I’m worried he’ll bug the shit out of me if he doesn’t have something to do.”
    “Can I get a book instead?” Jake asked, thumbing through a basket.
    “Yeah, sure. Whatever you want.” His tone was short. “Just pick it out and let’s get out of here.” Will stormed off toward the register.
    Emma worried Jake’s feelings would be hurt by Will’s sudden mood change, but Jake didn’t seem to notice, his eyes shining with happiness.
     

    He wasn’t sure what to make of this kid. One minute he freaked Will out; the next he wormed his way into Will’s softer side. He was just as surprised as Emma that he bought the peg game and book for Jake. This kid was getting to him.
    This was why he didn’t work with kids.
    His bad mood returned. He glanced over at a confused Emma. His mood was flip-flopping like a woman with PMS. Get a goddamned grip .
    Emma moaned lightly. Her face was strained when he shifted his gaze over to her. “Are you okay?”
    “I don’t know. Something’s wrong.”
    Will glanced over his shoulder. “Jake? Do you sense anything?”
    Jake had been practicing the peg game and looked up surprised. “No.”
    Maybe Emma was a hypochondriac. Jake seemed to be the guy in charge, still a hard concept to swallow. He didn’t seem worried, so Will didn’t see any reason to worry either.
    Will checked his GPS. “Salina’s only an hour and a half away. We can spend the night there.”
    “Sure, whatever,” Emma mumbled, her face turned to the window.
    They drove the next hour in silence. Jake played with his peg game in the backseat until he announced he had to go to the bathroom.
    “We’re almost there. Can you wait?” Will asked.
    “I dunno.” He sounded unsure. Will decided it was best to pull over at the next stop. He sure didn’t want the kid peeing on the backseat. He exited,