His key to freedom

C h a p t e r S e v e n

Chapter 7

Hunter

      I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel in time to my favourite song as it was playing on the radio. Phoebe had given me directions to her little sisters school, in-between explaining to me how she ended up being guardian of her little sister.

I felt my heart break for Phoebe feeling her pain when she was explaining her mothers death and how hard Millie took it. I just wanted to pull her in for a hug and take away all of her pain.

     When she accepts me, I vow to look after both her and her sister. They will never be alone again. They will never have to face hard times. Both Phoebe and Millie will have a family forever, I thought to myself.

I turned down the music playing through the speakers as the front and back doors to my white BMW opened. In the back jumped an adorable little girl. She had a huge grin on her face as she wrestled with the seatbelt, trying to plug it in.

"You okay with that Millie?" I asked her, reaching over to help her secure the seatbelt into the plug.

"We did it!" She yelled happily. Suddenly, her smiling face turned serious. She extended a hand and in the cutest voice I had ever heard said "its a pleasure to meet you mister, my name is Millie."

I took her small hand in mine and shook is lightly. "The pleasure is all mine Millie. My name is Hunter." I turned to Phoebe and saw her trying to hold back a laugh at the exchange she just witnessed. "I think I just fell in love with your little sister Phoebe."

"She's a real charmer that's for sure." Phoebe smiled.

"So then girls," I said while sliding my car easily into gear. "Where are we going for food?"

"Maggies!" Millie screamed from the back seat and the erupted in giggles.

"Manners Millie!" Phoebe scolded. "Its rude to shout."

"I'm sorry Phoebe." I watched in the rear view mirror as Millie folded her hands into her lap and bowed her head. "I'm sorry Hunter."

"I accept your appology," Phoebe turned to me and rolled her eyes. "Maggies it is then."

      The rest of the car journey was fairly quiet. Phoebe gave me directions to a small car park next to Maggies and Millie sang softly along to the songs she knew on the radio. I felt awful lying to Phoebe about not knowing my way around town and promised myself I wouldn't lie to her again.

Millie had jumped out and was running towards the entrance to Maggies before I had even turned the engine off. I smiled at how happy the girl looked, knowing that these last years must have been so hard for her. I couldn't imagine how tough it would be to loose both your parents.

      Mum's going to absolutely love having Millie around, I thought to myself. Its going to be so much easier for Phoebe as well, having support and not having to do everything by herself.

"This is Millies favourite place to eat," Phoebe told me as we walked in and found Millie said at a table looking at a menu. "Mum used to bring us here all the time. There's lots of other nice places to eat, but the Café is the best."

"Phoebe?" Millie asked looking up from her menu.

"Yes Mills?" Phoebe moved to sit down on the chair next to her sister but Millie put her hand out to stop her.

"Can you sit next to Hunter?" Millie asked politely. "I'm a big girl now, I can sit by myself."

"Of course." Phoebe laughed moving to the other side of the table next to me.