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I had a kid.
Three hours ago, I didn’t, but now I did, and my entire world had changed.
“This is where you work, right?” he asked as we left the restroom, and he looked around curiously.
“Yes, but I will do more than just work here in a little while. I will own it.”
“Will that make you rich?” His eyes grew wide.
I smirked. “Just the opposite, buddy. For a while, it is going to make me very poor.”
“Mom said we were poor.”
“I’m sorry.” We entered the bar, and I nodded at two men who had just sat at a table. “Can you do me a favor and have a seat here while I do my job?”
He nodded and watched me walk away. He was still watching me when I returned and went behind the bar. “Can I come back there?”
“No. This isn’t a place for children.”
“Okay,” he said sadly.
“I’ll let you come back here when we aren’t open, and I’ll show you what is back here, but kids aren’t allowed when the business is open.”
He seemed to brighten to that. “Okay.”
I gave him paper and a pen and let him draw while I helped the two men and a few other customers who came in for an early happy hour. Two women grinned at Harley as they took seats. “Your son is adorable,” one of them said.
The words so innocently spoken rocked me to my core. There was no denying that he was mine, and there was no way in hell that I ever would. How could I feel like this mere hours after I met him? It didn’t seem possible.
“Thanks. What can I get you?”
Not long after that, Monica showed up to relieve me, and behind her was Candy.
“That took you longer than I expected,” I commented.
“Well, I picked up a few more things that I thought could be useful.”
“Let me know how much I owe you.”
She brushed it off with a wave of her hand, but I already owed her so much. I didn’t want to run up a tab I couldn’t repay.
“So, should we get you packed?”
“Packed?” Harley asked, his eyes going wide.
“Not you, honey. I was talking to Mike. You two will come to stay with me for a little while.”
“Why? Doesn’t he have a home?”
“Yeah, but it’s not big enough for the both of you,” she told him.
“Come on, Harley. I’ll show you where I normally sleep.”
He slipped under the bar, his neck craning this way and that as he got a peek of what was behind the bar, and then followed us through the kitchen doors. He stood wide-eyed as he looked at all the activity, and David paused and looked at him. Then his gaze jumped to mine. “No shit? It’s a mini Bollard.”
“Hey, watch your language. My son doesn’t need to hear that kind of talk.”
Candy and David both began to laugh, and I quickly led Harley out of the kitchen as I frowned at them both. Holy fuck! There were going to have to be a lot of changes in my life.
