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Before I could crank my bike, I spied a fit brunette washing the windows out front at the bakery. She was dressed in tight jeans, black boots, and a fitted top that showed off her rack. I watched a minute while she bent over her bucket of water and dipped her sponge. Nice. Now, that, I can live with. I wondered if she was the owner or hanging around to help out. Guess I’d know soon enough.
Seeing the letter sticking up from my jacket pocket brought things back into perspective. I revved my bike and sped out of the lot, determined that nothing would come between me and my little girl.
***
The hot water from my morning shower couldn’t wash away my foul Monday morning mood, which started with that damned letter and gotten worse through the weekend. At least I’d gotten my plans made for Tani and was thankful for my mother offering to help.
To top that, Monk was a solid guy and a good friend. He would have to run the shop alone as well as take on some of my work, and I’d definitely owe him one. Even if he didn’t expect me to repay the favor, I didn’t like to leave a good deed unnoticed.
I dried off and dressed while Tani slept and then I went to wake her. I found her curled up in a ball at the foot of her bed, her curly blond hair was a mess, and her hands tucked beneath her chin. I gave her a nudge and she wiggled away knowing I was there to ruin her dreams.
“Time to wake up, kiddo. Daddy’s got to get in early today. Uncle Monk’s waiting and you know how cranky he gets.”
She rolled over and yawned then grumbled something inaudible before heading to the bathroom. She might have her mother’s blond curls but her attitude was all me. She hated mornings as much as I did and it usually took her a good hour to become her usual chipper self.
I had her toast and oatmeal ready just the way she liked it when she came in dressed in her favorite pink kitten shirt and climbed up in her chair. “Is Nana picking me up again today?”
I knew what she was getting at. She’d been asking me to pick her up on my bike for weeks. I never took her to school on the bike, because she claimed she didn’t want helmet hair all day, but she loved for me to pick her up after school when it no longer mattered. “I’ll try to pick you up at the end of the week.”
“Thanks. Maybe Danny will see me then.” She wagged her brows at me and smiled. She was as boy crazy as her mother.
“You’re too young to have a boyfriend, Tani.” I felt sorry for the little punk who’d want to date my daughter at sixteen, much less six.
“He’s not a boyfriend, Daddy. He’s a boy in my class and he pushed me yesterday and I told him you were going to punch his face in.”
I tried not to smile, but my lips betrayed me. “You can’t go around threatening people, and you know I can’t hit a kid. They’d lock me up and for that, then would make you breakfast that way you like it?”
“I know that. I only want you to scare him a little. Do you think Uncle Monk could come too? I told Danny you were in a gang.” She dipped her toast in her oatmeal and took a bite.
I nearly spit out my coffee. “You shouldn’t lie, Tani.”
She let out a little sigh and rested her chin in her palm. “Then can I hit him?”
Part of me wanted to say, hell yeah, but I knew that wasn’t the answer, even though the little shit probably deserved that and worse. “I can’t give you permission to hit anyone, but I’ll make a deal with you. You tell your teacher if it happens again, and if he does it one more time after, you sock him right in the stomach.” I balled up my fist and she smiled. “And when you get in trouble, I’ll go talk to your teacher.”
“So will you and Monk still come on Friday?”
“I’ll try my best, but I can’t promise for Monk.” She smiled at my answer and gave me a fist bump.
***
Thirty minutes, after I dropped her off at school. I stopped back off at home for my bike and drove into work. When I arrived, I found that Monk had beaten me in. “You’re here early.”
“Yeah, I figured I’d get the coffee brewing.” He poured himself a cup and turned to lean against the counter in our break area. “The place next door
was open. They have donuts.”
He held up a classic glazed and took a bite while offering me one from a pink box. I shook my head. “I didn’t know they were opening so soon. I’m not sure if they are going to like us much with our noise and the shady looking fuckers that hang around. I hope not because the sooner they leave the better.”
“She didn’t seem to mind me and I’m a shady looking fucker myself. Besides, we eat like anyone else.”
“She? You mean the owner?”
“Hell yeah, you should see the body on that one. She’s bangin’.” He gulped his coffee to wash down his bite. “Beautiful too.”
I thought about the sexy woman who was washing the windows compared to the one I’d seen out back. Both were pretty women, but only one was what I’d consider banging - with a big rack. I gave him a sideways glance and went to the window as if she’d still be there washing in my fantasized bikini.
“She said her name was Sarah, like the shop’s sign. You should go on over and say hello.”
