“I apologize.” Jack stepped around the corner, smiled down at Iris, and offered a little wave. Keeping his eyes trained on her, he said, “I’ll sincerely do my best to rein that sort of bullshit… I mean language… in.”
Iris nearly fell out of her chair as laughter shook her.
Athena laughed, too, before saying, “Jack, don’t make me ask Trevon to throw you out.”
Jack chuckled. “Hey, he’s the one man I might actually be afraid of. I’ll be on my best behavior.”
Iris didn’t believe Jack was really afraid of anyone. Nor would Trevon toss him out. But the conversation was all in good fun.
Pulling a chair out across the table, Jack eased into it and said, “How you doing, kiddo?”
“I’m not a kid! I’m twenty-six!”
Jack chuckled yet again. “Uh-huh. And I’m willing to venture that you’re wearing a big, thick diaper under this table.”
She could feel her cheeks glowing red as she suppressed a grin, but she didn’t answer.
Her blushing got worse, though, when Caroline offered, “You should have seen how wet her diaper was this morning. I’m surprised this cutie didn’t leak all over the bed.” She walked around to the side of the table where Iris was, placed a platter of pancakes in the center of the table, and then kissed the Little on top of her head. “But that’s okay. That’s how it’s supposed to be for Little girls like her. Now, cutie, eat up. That’s an order.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” Iris said. She forked some pancakes onto the pink plastic plate she’d been provided, but Jack reached over.
“Let me help. I’ll cut ‘em up for you. But first, we need to get all that good butter and syrup on them.”
Iris didn’t protest, instead watching as he went about the task of preparing her breakfast.
“So you’re getting all settled in?” he asked.
“Yes, Sir. And thank you again for bringing me here.”
“Don’t mention it. There’s no way you’re going to sleep on the streets, kiddo. I’ll make sure of that. So will your Aunties here.” He cleared his throat and kept cutting the pancakes. “But I’m pissed—I mean, ticked—at the way that new owner threw you out last night. I know he sent notices to the old owner of the property, but you weren’t notified. You have rights as a tenant. Hell—I mean heck—even squatters have rights!”
Iris giggled.
Jack looked up at her. “What’s so funny?”
“It’s hard for you not to curse, isn’t it?”
He smiled, too. “I’m a cop. What can I say?”
“You can say only clean words, that’s what you can say,” Athena said from across the kitchen.
Jack smiled, held up a hand with an extended middle finger, but never looked back.
“Hey!” Athena said.
“What? I didn’tsayanything.”
Iris was back in stitches, laughing loudly.
“Don’t make me get my paddle!” Athena said, laughing, too. “You’re such a bad example for these Littles. You ought to be ashamed of yourself.”
Before Jack could reply, his cell rang. He stood, passed the pancakes across the table back to Iris, and then said, “I need to take this. Excuse me.” He grabbed the device off the clip on his belt and pressed it to his ear as he left the room. “This is Detective Kimble…” Iris heard his fading voice say.
She wished he didn’t have to go. It would be nice to talk to him all day. Perhaps one day she’d get a chance to do something like that.
The pancakes and bacon were so good, and the milk and orange juice so refreshing, that she ate in silence, shoveling bite after bite into her mouth.
A few minutes later, Jack strode back in, returning his cell back to its clip. “I gotta run.”
