“All set.” I shake the half-empty bottle of water between us.
“Something stronger? Some of us are gathering at The Rocks once all this ends.”
Hell, no. This woman has been trying to sink her very married claws into me since the girls started kindergarten together.
“Can’t. Have to stay for tear down.”
“That’s a shame.” She flashes an artificially white smile in my direction.
“Girls, where are your helmets?” The intense desire to move this trio along from my booth urges me to confront the children. “You know I can’t give out free ice cream if you aren’t wearing them.”
Maddie shrugs. “We lost them.”
“I don’t want to ruin my hair,” Rylee says.
“Well, I don’t want you to ruin your skull if you get into an accident. Do you have them at home?”
The girls exchange a look that tightens my spine.
“We do,” Maddie drags the word out. The next sentence tumbles out. “But Mom said we should leave them so we could come to your booth.”
“Maddie,” Stephanie hisses. She glances at me behind coy lashes. “That’s not what I said.”
“You did! Mom, you said that Officer Stone would give us new ones.”
I fight to keep the exasperation from my face, serving their mom a hardened look.
“I did not say that.” Stephanie drops her sunglasses back over her eyes, having the decency to look uncomfortable, but the blush could be all part of the act.
“Then you’re all set. If I see you with them on this summer, I’ll give you a coupon.”
“Can’t we have one today?” Maddie asks, the seriousness of the situation sinking in for the eight-year-old. I wonder how long she’ll remember that her mom’s idiotic games cost her an ice cream.
“Sorry, girls. Those are the rules.”
“That’s not fair,” Maddie whines.
“Quiet, Mads.” Rylee elbows her sister. “Mom wasn’t going to let us eat the ice cream anyway.”
It appears the older one has already cottoned on. Sorrow inches into my gut. I know what it’s like to be born to a parent who puts their selfish interests ahead of their children. My father behaved similarly to Stephanie when he had an affair with his teaching assistant and left my mother and us boys for the younger woman.
Unfortunately, Stephanie hasn’t yet figured out that I’m the last person who’d ever participate in adultery. Not in a million fuckin’ years. That shit tore my family to shreds. I nearly lost my brother, Spencer, in the process, both physically and mentally, and didn’t see him again for twenty years.
A horn honks loudly, followed by a bell and a shriek. Stephanie and her girls rush out of the way as what looks like a small biker gang pulls to an abrupt stop on the pavement they just vacated.
“Hey, Officer Sunny!” Ms. Thompson gives the yellow horn on her handlebars an obnoxious honk. The bicycle looks vintage. It’s clearly older than us both. Noticing my confusion, she shares, “I found it in the garage. Isn’t it awesome?”
Certainly not my garage. She must mean at her rental.
My chest puffs on a restrained chuckle. I shake my head. “It’s something.”
“You almost ran us over!” Stephanie makes a show of brushing imaginary dust off the front of her designer jeans.
“Sorry about that. The brakes are rusty.” Ms. Thompson plants her feet flat and stands, holding the bike so it doesn’t fall over. “It’s nice to see you again, Stephanie.”
Stephanie crosses her arms. “The nanny, right?”
“It’s Alice.” Ms. Thompson smiles sweetly. Without warning, she directs the full pretty thing at me, swiftly punching me in the gut. “Nellie said I needed to come by for a helmet and some ice cream.”
