Unsteady (The Torqued Trilogy Book 1) (15 page)

“You do this every time we come here. You know it’s not going to give your money back so why are you mad?

Nova looks at the game and then shakes her head. “I guess I was just hoping this time would be different.”

See what I mean? No idea how to play video games.

Shaking my head, I chuckle to myself as a pitcher of beer is placed on the table. I don’t look up, but I thank whoever sets it down and pull out my cell phone. There’s a message from Tyler… two actually. Both of which he’s apologizing and the other asking what I thought of Lenny.

With the text, my thoughts shift to that ass again. What the fuck am I going to do? I gotta figure this shit out because all I’m thinking about is her ass and those fucking legs wrapped around me.

I’ve got too much on my plate as it is, and the last thing I need is a distraction at work. Though, if I fucked her, she wouldn’t be a distraction anymore, would she?

No. Don’t even go there, Red. She’s off limits.

And that’s one of the reasons why I want her.

Jesus, what the hell is wrong with me.

You haven’t had pussy in two years. That’s what’s wrong.

“Daddy, are you listening to me?”

Fuck… I hadn’t even realized Nova was talking to me.

“Uh… yes.”

She looks up at me with a glare. “Then what did I say?”

I stare blankly at her and hear a familiar voice. “Can I get a small pepperoni and sausage?”

My head whips around to the cash register to see those same legs that’ve haunted me all day. Goddamn it. Though she’s clearly showered, she’s still wearing the shorts. I hate those tiny denim dick-teasing shorts so much that I glare at her without knowing it.

“Who’s that?” Nova asks, following my stare. “She’s pretty. I like her shorts. Can I have some like that?”

Fuck no. Never.

I let my head flip to the back of the booth and stare at the ceiling. “She’s nobody. And you’ll never be allowed to own a pair of shorts like that.”

“She’s alone. She should come sit with us.” Nova hates seeing people eating alone. Doesn’t matter if they prefer that or not, she’ll invite them to dinner. You don’t know how many times I’ve had dinner with the bum on the corner. The funny thing is she never invites women over. She won’t even acknowledge most women, let alone a younger one like Lenny.

I don’t say anything because I really do not want Lenny coming over here. I want distance from her. Miles and miles of distance.

“What does ‘Get off my dick’ mean?”

My head flies up from the booth. “What did you say?”

Nova just sighs and points toward Lenny. “I said, what does ‘Get off my dick’ mean?”

Realizing she is talking about Lenny’s shirt, I ask, “When did you learn to read?”

“Uncle Colt’s been teaching me to read.” She shrugs. “What does it mean?”

Fucking Colt. What the hell is he reading to her that she knows how to spell dick?

Here’s the thing. I never taught my kid the proper anatomy. I just didn’t. When she was little and learning she had private parts, she called it her potty. So I went with it. I’m not sure how, but she understood I had something different and called it a tinkle. I wasn’t exactly okay with my kid walking around saying penis and vagina. Don’t ask me why. It just sounded too grown up. So I let it go, and we continued with the potty and tinkle.

I
never
want the word dick coming out of her mouth again. That’s for sure.

“I don’t know what it means,” I mumble.

Nova shrugs, buying my bullshit excuse.

Just as our pizza arrives, Lenny turns and looks right at me. Probably because she can feel my stare on her ass. I shift further down in the booth away from Nova because of my reaction to the legs.
Goddamn, this is awful.

Lenny stares at me and then looks to Nova, who is smiling at her and returns the smile. “What are you doing here?”

“What does it look like?” I gesture to the pizza and beer with a flick of my wrist. I know I’m being mean but damn it, I’m trying to get away from this chick, not spend more time with her. It’s only Monday. Imagine what the rest of the week is going to be like for me.

“Daddy, be nice!” Nova drives her sneaker-covered foot right into my shin.

My glare snaps to hers, and Nova looks pretty fucking pleased with herself. Little shit. She stares up at Lenny and then me. “Who is she?”

“Sorry, this is my daughter, Nova.” I lean forward, rubbing my shin. “Nova, this is Lennon. She works with me now.”

Nova perks up and stands on the seat. “You’re a mechanic? I want to be one but Daddy says no.”

I sigh and turn my head to face her. “You’re five.”

“So what.” Nova raises an eyebrow and stares at me. “That don’t mean I can’t be one. I wanna go to the shop every day, but Daddy says I’m too little, but Uncle Colt says Daddy is just an egotestical jerk.”

Lenny snorts with laughter.

Figures Colt would say that. “It’s egotistical… and for the last time, Nova, that man is not your uncle.”

She rolls her eyes and turns her body toward Lenny. “Can you sit with us?”

With the way Lenny looks at me, and then Nova, I can tell she’s completely fucking amused that a five-year-old rules my life.

“Sit with us,” Nova says again, patting the seat.

Lenny’s eyes snap to mine as if she thinks I’m going to tell her to get lost. Though I want to, I can’t because Nova will more than likely start freaking crying if I do.

“No, that’s okay. It looks like you and your daddy are having a nice dinner together,” she says, and then the kid behind the counter calls out her order number.

Nova turns to me giving me a look that says fix this.

I shift to signal the cashier to drop her pizza at our table then turn back to Lenny. “Come on now, don’t piss off the child,” I tell her, scooting Nova toward me so Lenny has a place to sit. “Just sit down.”

She ruffles Nova’s soft curls. “Since you asked so nicely, pretty girl.” And then she glares at me. Fucking glares at me.

“I like your nails. Your hair is so pretty!”

“Your hair is pretty. I love the curls.” Lenny looks at me, eyes wide, probably unsure what question to answer first, or if she should.

“She’s a lot to take in.” I keep my eyes on the beer and pizza, only because I can’t make eye contact with her and not get hard. It’s not ideal with my kid sitting here. Thank God I’m sitting down.

Lenny’s lips press against the glass as she takes a drink, her tongue darting out to lick her bottom lip when she pulls the glass away. I shake my head, mentally telling myself to stop thinking about her this way. Especially with my kid sitting beside me.

Nova’s face rumples with confusion as she picks at the slice of pizza in front of her. “Why is it called pizza?”

“No idea,” I tell her, watching Lenny’s reaction when Nova takes a bite too large for her mouth and tries to chew it.

“Lenny?” Nova looks over at her, wiping pizza sauce from her face with the swipe of her forearm. “Do you like working for my daddy?”

You can clearly read the answer on Lenny’s face. Lucky for me, Nova isn’t so good at reading emotions just yet. Give her a year or two. “Um, well, I’ve only been there a day and everyone was very…
welcoming
.” Her voice drips sarcasm with each word. Also something Nova hasn’t picked up on… yet.

For twenty minutes, Nova asks her questions, all fairly juvenile in a sense, but then she asks, “Do you have a boyfriend?”

Suddenly I’m all ears, like it fucking matters if she has one or not. Lenny’s face goes blank as she finishes her beer. “No boyfriend, sweetie.” She stands from her seat ruffling Nova’s hair. “Thanks for letting me sit with you. I have to go now.”

To my complete surprise, Nova hugs her good-bye. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her do that to anybody but family, or Colt.

As I’m watching this, Lenny’s eyes drift to mine. “See you tomorrow.”

I nod, offer a half smile and she’s gone.

And I’m watching her ass as she walks away.

“DADDY, WHAT DOES that tattoo say?” Nova asks when I take my shirt off after being soaked by her splashing in the tub.

I point to my bare chest to the tattoo over my heart. “This one?”

“Yeah.”

She can read the words “Get off my dick” but she can’t read heaven?

“It says heaven. Mommy’s name spelled backward is heaven.” I reach for the cup on the floor to rinse the soap from her hair. “It was for her.”

She takes two horses and sets them on the edge of the tub galloping them across the tile as the soap comes out of her hair. “When did you get it?”

“Not long after we got married. She always thought it was stupid to tattoo someone’s name on your body, so I did that.”

“Did she like it?”

I smile, remembering her crying when she saw it for the first time. “I think so.”

“Did Mommy have tattoos?”

“She had birds on her collarbone.”

“Is Mommy in heaven?”

“Yeah, she is.”

“With Papa, right?”

“Yep.”

“Do you think Mommy misses me?”

Nova’s smile and the weight of her words hit me like a ton of bricks, bringing me back to reality. “I’m sure she does. She’s always with you, though. Mommy’s an angel now.”

Her eyes light up. “I wonder if she knows the tooth fairy.” Crazy kid believes in the tooth fairy, just not Santa Clause apparently.

“I bet she does.”

“How did you come up with my name?”

Because you were conceived in the backseat of my car on a backroad. “Mommy liked it.”

“Kale said it’s a weird name.”

“Yeah, well, he’s named after a weed. Don’t let him tease you.”

There’s a problem with sleeping in your truck with an open back.

Bugs.

I have some many mosquito bites and spend most of the night itching them. It’s like I’ve been eaten alive. I’ve been sleeping in my truck for the last week or so since I left Oklahoma, and I’ll admit, it’s not so bad. Minus the bugs.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

“Ma’am?” someone asks.

Fuck
.

Groaning, I peel my coat from my face, the pale blue painted sky a little too bright. I knew I couldn’t stay in my car forever.

“Howdy, Sheriff.”

The sheriff scratches the side of his dark hair that’s graying at the temples. “You can’t stay here, Ms. Reeves.”

I sit silently, my impending sense of loss in this life I have now revealed by my blank stare, and then say, “Okay.”

He shifts his stance and puts his night stick away. “I didn’t mean to scare you, but you can’t sleep here.”

“I’m sorry,” I say, beginning to get nervous. “I’ll move.”

“You know, you’re not allowed to sleep in your car.” Though he is basically telling me to get lost, his tone is patient. “Doesn’t matter where you park it. Do you need a place to stay?”

I know you can sleep in your car. I’ve done it on and off for twenty-three years. “I’m sorry. I’m staying with a friend.”