As a result, it’s got a reputation of being the place for real men to buy their trucks.
Although I started selling there one or two days a week too. It turns out lots of women want to actually buy from another woman. Even though I work a fraction of the hours, I’m one of the top salespeople in the dealership. I might even beat Steel, if I ever start working full-time.
Except that won’t be for a while, we’re expecting another baby. This one is a boy, but not due for another few months. Steel still insists on not naming him Kayden. Now I’m working on it for his middle name.
“We’re here,” Steel says to Trixie in his daddy voice.
We’ve found a parking spot down a side street. Steel hops out of the car and gets the stroller out of the back while I unbuckle Trixie.
Once she’s buckled into her stroller, since she likes to climb out of it, we walk to the park. I push, and Steel wraps his arm around my waist.
After my father decided Steel was worthy of his approval, he, as Lions Club President, decided to always use Papa Smurf’s carnival. And they’re in town today.
“I can’t believe I’m lining up and paying to get in. Can’t we just go around the back or something?” Steel says.
“You’re just a regular-paying townie now,” I say.
Steel laughs and shakes his head. This must be strange for him. It’s the first time we’ve been back to the carnival since we left it in Mississippi. Though he keeps in touch with everyone online. I only keep in touch with Cess.
“Fun, fun,” Trixie says, reaching her hand in front of her.
“That’s right, we’re going to have lots of fun,” Steel says.
“We always do,” I say, smiling and touching my fingers to his.
We walk down the midway, but I don’t see Cess. She must be on her break.
“Well, look who showed up,” Papa Smurf says from behind us.
He slaps Steel across the back, and I turn to hug him.
“Let me see this baby of yours,” he crouches in front of Trixie and wiggles his finger against her cheek. “I half didn’t believe she was real.”
“There’s another coming too,” I say.
Papa Smurf stands to his full height and shakes his head. “Well, ain’t you just the family man now.”
“Don’t forget respectable business owner,” I say.
“You two are lucky my daughter is here, or I’d tell you what I think of that,” Steel says.
“Still no word from Razor, you?” Papa Smurf asks. I’m surprised he brought this up so soon. I’m always amazed at how much he cares about his long termers.
“Nothing,” Steel says, his face full of worry.
Razor got into something with a couple of townies about six months ago, and no one’s seen or heard from him since. The cops didn’t take it too seriously, calling him a drifter anyway so they think he took off instead of searching for him.
“I’m going to take Trixie to meet Cess,” I say.
Gripping the stroller handle, I push it over the bumpy grass, searching for her. I spot her by the funnel cakes, and head over to her.
“Hey!” I say.
“God, she’s adorable. Looks just like her old man,” Cess says, picking Trixie up and cuddling her.
“She’s a little mini Steel,” I say.
“So what’s new, anything?”
“I finally heard from that private detective I hired,” I say.
“The one in Canada?” she asks.
Cess is the only one who knows I hired him. It was just after Trixie was born, and my curiosity got the better of me. Sitting at home alone with her, one day I found him online and sent an email.
“Yeah.”
“And?”
“His mother was killed with her husband in a drunk driving accident about six years ago.”
“Shit, that’s rough.”
“Language,” I say, raising my eyebrows.
“Oops, forgot someone’s got little ears,” Cess says, cupping Trixie’s head.
“It’s probably easier anyway. No decisions to be made, anyway.”
“Did you tell Steel?”
“No, nothing. He still doesn’t know I hired the private investigator. Steel always said his mother was dead to him, so what’s the point of telling him she actually is dead?”
“At least you know.”
“I guess,” I say, shrugging.
I don’t know what I was hoping would happen. Maybe that she’d sobered up and left her abusive husband, and was desperate to find her son again. I guess that was just a pipe dream on my part.
We chat for awhile longer, until Steel comes along.
“Come with me,” he says.
“I’ll come back and find you later,” I tell Cess.