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“Because he doesn’t pretend like I don’t exist, and he doesn’t say nasty things in front of me.”
Man, if he brings up what those men were saying Friday evening at the diner, I may track those guys down myself and set them on fire.
“Well, Micah didn’t give me his number or ask me for mine, so I don’t know if he’ll go out on a date with me.”
“I just want you to know you have my permission.”
I try my best to hide my smile. “Oh, do I?”
He nods. “Is that seven? Count yours? I think I dealt too many.”
“It’s seven. How many do you have?”
“Seven.”
“Okay, let’s play.”
We play hand after hand after hand until the popcorn is gone. I don’t let the child win. I don’t have to. He has a pretty decent strategy for a six-year-old. He wins more than he loses, and he’s quite content to curl up on the sofa to watch a movie when it’s time for me to get a couple of hours of sleep before my shift tonight.
I press a kiss to his forehead before turning toward my bedroom.
“Don’t—”
“Open the door if anyone knocks. I got it, Momma. I’m not a baby. Don’t turn on the oven or use the microwave.”
“You’re the best kid I’ve ever had.”
“I’m the only kid you’ve ever had,” he says with a huge smile.
I crawl in between my sheets, used to the scratchy fabric, and sink into the mattress. I’m exhausted, but it’s nothing new. I’m always tired. Stress keeps me from sleeping. I worry about everything, and the problem is, I don’t ever envision a future where I don’t have to worry about tomorrow or next month’s bills or living paycheck to paycheck. That kind of life just isn’t in the plans for me.
The alarm on my phone goes off, and I catch it early, the vibration under my pillow waking me before the musical tone has the chance to get very loud, but then I stiffen because I hear voices. They aren’t the familiar sounds of the movies Harley watches on repeat. We don’t have cable or Netflix because we can’t afford such luxuries. We’re relegated to DVDs we’re able to score at garage sales.
I rush into the living room to find Harley leaning into the open front window.
“What are you doing?” I hiss.
“You said don’t open the door!” Harley says as he spins around to face me.
The boy is proud of his work around the rule, a wide grin on his face, cheeks rosy from the cool air.
And there’s Micah, the man also has a wide smile on his face. His eyes dip before they meet mine again, making me realize I’m wearing a tank top, sleep shorts and socks. That’s literally it.
“Shit! I mean, shit! I mean, crap! Shoot! Sorry!” I grab the lap blanket off the couch and toss it around my shoulders, wrapping it around myself. I don’t know why I bother. It’s not like the man didn’t just see my peaked nipples.
“That’s three quarters in the swear jar.”
“It was my fault,” Micah says with a wide grin as he leans to the side.
I swear I hear him whisper, “But so worth it.”
“Go put this in the jar, little man.”
Micah hands over change to my son who takes it with a smile before bounding away to the kitchen.
“Are you sitting on the front porch?”
I step closer, but his eyes don’t inch higher. They’re locked on my legs. Why do I like it so much? “Yeah. Umm. He said you were sleeping, and I didn’t want to talk very loud.”
“I picked up an extra shift tonight. I needed a nap.”
I crouch down, so he has to meet my eyes.
“I told him you wanted his number, so I got it for you.”
Harley shoves a slip of paper in front of my face, and Micah grins. “Heck of a wingman you have there.”
“I didn’t... that’s not how the conversation went.”
His teeth dig into his lower lip, his blue eyes sparkling as he watches me.
“There’s a tree lighting in the park next Saturday. It’s a community thing, so it doesn’t have to really be a date since you don’t do that sort of thing. We could ride together. You know to save gas.”
I get the feeling he isn’t trying to make fun of me at all, but he’s wanting to take me out while still staying within the parameters I’ve set.
“I spend Saturdays with Harley.”
“I wouldn’t take you out without him, Lucy. I know you two are a package deal. It’s gonna be cold, so make sure you dress warm.” His eyes skate over me one more time. “If you wear that, I’ll be tempted to warm you up myself.”
That’s probably the very first thing he’s said to me that has had any form of innuendo to it, and it landed exactly where it was intended. I have to look over my shoulder to see where Harley is at in the room, and I breathe a sigh of relief to find him enthralled with something on the television.
