Total pages in book: 122
Estimated words: 117752 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 589(@200wpm)___ 471(@250wpm)___ 393(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117752 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 589(@200wpm)___ 471(@250wpm)___ 393(@300wpm)
He didn’t have to imagine. He knew the agony of being separated from a child.
“We’re having a groundbreaking on Monday. You should come. A few days ago, we were worried we would have to postpone it, since Norma didn’t know if she could come up with the twelve thousand she had pledged. I was relieved when she called back the next day to say she would. We have a long way to go in our fundraising, but with them on our side, we’ll make it.” She beamed, reaching into her bag to hand Harley a baggie of trail mix and a juice box.
“If I can do anything to help, let me know,” he offered.
“We’re going to need volunteers to help build. You look strong enough to swing a hammer.” The wily woman hadn’t been randomly talking to him; she was searching for volunteers.
“Count me in.” He gave her his cell phone number, planning to get several of the brothers in the Blue Horsemen and Destructors to volunteer. The problem was getting enough funds to build the apartments and furnish them. With Lily involved, it stood to reason The Last Riders would pony up for much of the money.
Crazy Bitch and Lily’s lesson lasted an hour. When it was over, Star came rushing over with her juice box and snack that Nettie had given to each of the girls. “How’d I do, Uncle Calder?”
“You danced like a butterfly.”
Star giggled. “You’re teasing me. I need to practice more. Anna-Kate is teaching me for Daddy’s birthday.”
Calder swallowed the lump in his throat. “He’ll love it.”
He had never been jealous of Stud being their father’s favorite, or his fans, or being his aunt’s favorite, but he was jealous of the dance that his daughter would be giving Stud.
“Something wrong, Uncle Calder? You look sad.”
“Do I? I’m not. How can I be sad when I have you and Harley to keep me company tonight?”
“Can we make popcorn and watch Beauty and the Beast?”
“Yes. If Anna-Kate doesn’t have any, we’ll stop at the store on the way to her apartment.”
“Whoopie!” Star jumped up, setting her drink down to do a cartwheel. “I’m going to tell Regina. I want her to spend the night, but she can’t.”
“Why can’t she spend the night?”
“I don’t know. Never mind. I won’t tell her. I’m going to go say bye to her before she leaves on the bus.”
“Why can’t Star’s friend stay?”
Nettie, who was taking the coloring book and crayons from Harley, glanced at him. “Children in foster care aren’t permitted to spend the night away.”
“That sucks.”
“Sadly, I can say that it’s for the children’s safety. Children aren’t always in foster care because of domestic violence. It’s sad to say, but it can be because it’s safer for some of the children to be away from both parents.”
Crazy Bitch had been one of those children. Her father hadn’t cared enough to make sure she had been taken care of, too concerned with the stigma of having her. And she had a mother who couldn’t take care of herself, much less her own daughter. There were no winners in cases like hers. It was just survival. And she had survived, and now she was on the other side of the coin, volunteering her time and efforts to make sure little girls like she used to be had the opportunity to dance.
Outside, he made sure Star and Harley were strapped into their booster seats before getting behind the wheel.
Crazy Bitch, who was already sitting in the passenger seat, paused as she lifted her bottled water to her lips. “What’s that look for? You cheat on me today?”
Confused, his mouth dropped open. “I was just smiling at you. How did you turn that around in your mind to make you think I’m cheating?”
“A man doesn’t stare at a woman unless he’s guilty of something.”
“They do when they’re in love.”
“Damn.”
“What’s wrong now?”
“I hate saying I’m sorry.”
“Just save your apology for when I really screw up. Then we can call it even.”
“That doesn’t seem like a fair trade to me.”
“It could be worse. I could have cheated,” he teased, driving toward her apartment.
“You know, I take it back. I’m not sorry. You’re being a d-i-c-k.” She had lowered her voice, looking back at Star and Harley. “So, what was the smile about? I know it wasn’t because you felt a sudden outpouring of love for me.”
“How do you know that?”
She wiggled her eyebrows at him. “You only get emotional when I make you happy.”
“I met Nettie. She told me what you and Norma are saving your tip money for.”
“You call her Norma, it’ll be your funeral. And don’t tell Stud what it is for. She’s holding it over his head as divorce money.”
“By the way, I promised Star popcorn and a movie. Do you have popcorn, or do we need to stop?”