“Can you say hi, Natalia?” the woman coos at the baby in my arms. The sensations of her in my arms quickly go from awkward to something different. Something more.
I glance back down at her, telling myself that I won’t give in to the sudden urge to baby talk, and finally stick with, “Hi.” The baby in my arms reaches up with both wet hands and slaps them around my mouth.
“Is that all you need?” she asks as she hands me back the clipboard.
“Uh, yeah,” I say through my sudden dry throat. I try to clear it before handing the little girl back to her mom. When she takes her, the girl reaches back towards me, and I fight the urge to reach back and take her. I have no clue why, though. I don’t know this baby or her mother. Yet, I’m drawn to her in some weird fucking way. I’ve always pictured my life leading me towards a wife and kids someday. I’m sure this crazy longing that suddenly settled in my chest has everything to do with the fact that I’m nowhere near close to that goal. This job is slowly sucking the life out of me. So much so that I can barely picture what my life would look like without being undercover. Maybe I need to get drunk again.
I take the woman down and show her the repairs we made. “Thank you so much. I’m sure my daughter will be happy with everything,” she says as she bounces the baby on her hips.
“Daughter?”
“Yep, Mommy’s at work, isn’t she, love bug?” the woman coos at her granddaughter.
After a few minutes of silence, Gage honks his horn behind me. “If your daughter has any problems with the repairs, have her call the shop,” I say, handing her my business card.
“I will. Thank you.”
On autopilot, I head back to Gage’s car and slide down into the seat. “Where’s the hottie?” he asks which instantly annoys the shit out of me.
“Not here,” I mumble as he backs out of his parking spot. I watch as the woman secures her granddaughter into a seat in the back of a newer Jeep Liberty. She appears to talk to her for a few moments before closing the door and walking around to the driver’s side.
“Too bad. I really would like to get another view of that ass of hers. That her kid? Must be since we saw that seat thing in the back of the car. Maybe Dad isn’t around anymore. Maybe she’s lonely and in need of somethin’ that only ol’ Gage can give her,” he laughs inappropriately and grabs his crotch as he approaches the road. Instantly, I want to punch him in the fucking throat and watch him struggle to breathe.
I don’t give in though, and I keep quiet as we wait for a break in traffic to pull out onto the street. I glance back over and watch as the woman pulls her car out of her spot, heading towards the other entrance in the lot. She maneuvers her small SUV into traffic and drives further away from me as we speak. Gage’s trap runs non-stop about something that I just don’t give a shit about. Instead, I watch them drive down the street until I’m not longer able to see them.
That little girl stole something from me today. Something that I wasn’t even sure existed anymore. And it’s harder than hell to watch them drive away, basically taking part of my heart with them.
Chapter Seven – A Beautiful Day
Carly
It’s a beautiful October day. The sun is shining and the air has yet to turn humid and unbearable. Even for October, the harsh summer has rolled right into fall, leaving air conditioners fired up and summer clothes a predominant part of everyday attire.
“You ready to go?” I ask Natalia as I strap her in the stroller. I haven’t jogged in a while. Okay, fine. I was never really a jogger, but I have always enjoyed a good, cleansing power walk. So on this beautiful Saturday morning, sporting a tank top, stretchy black shorts, and my worn Nikes, I load up Nat in the jogging stroller to take her for a cruise around the neighborhood.
I was lucky to get this place. My apartment was given to me as a college graduation present from my uncle. Another peace offering. The one he wanted to gift me was closer to the strip and was three times the amount of money. But, I didn’t want to live in the middle of all the Vegas excitement. While I love the city I was born and raised in, I wanted a quiet subdivision where I could walk at night without fear of getting mugged or hit on by a drunk Drag Queen. This place has a great security system and a Neighborhood Watch. My uncle made sure of it.
There’s a nice public school where Natalia will someday attend just down the road from my apartment. It was another selling point when I helped my uncle check out different properties. The police patrol it frequently enough to make me feel safe and secure within the community. Of course, that still doesn’t mean I’m leaving my doors unlocked or hiding a key under the front mat.