It’s not easier. I don’t leave a digital trail until I absolutely have to. I peel off two more hundreds and hold them out to Poppy.
“No, really, it’s okay. You don’t have to do that,” she says, holding her hands up in front of her. “I’m grateful you were willing to take care of the bill. It’s not just the materials, it’s the time.”
I shake my head, not needing to hear the details, andhold out the cash until she takes it. “You took care of my girls when their own damn mother couldn’t be trusted to.” I pull out my phone. “Is this your number? You let them use your personal phone?”
She nods.
“You keep my number in your phone. You see my girls on the schedule again, you call me.” I sigh. “I’ll cover it. No questions asked.”
I turn to the kids. “What are we going to tell your mother?”
Holly’s face drains of the little color that’s left, and Daisy puts her hands on her hips.
“I don’t want to go home to her right now. I mean, she literally drove off like no one would dare to arrest two kids alone. What if they did?” Her brave anger starts to crumple, though, and she looks like she’s going to cry again. “Don’t make us go, Dad,” she whimpers. “Can we stay with you tonight, please?”
I open my arms, and both girls slam against my chest. I kiss the tops of their heads and notice for the first time how beautiful their hair looks. I stroke a big blue curl that falls along the side of Daisy’s face.
“You got that here?” I ask her.
She beams up at me and nods. “So much better than the at-home dye Mom lets me use.”
I look past my daughters’ heads and catch Poppy staring at us.
“You did good work. If anything could make my girls more beautiful, it’s this.” I kiss the kids again. “This is what we’re going to do. I’m going to message your mom that you told me you were getting your hairdone, so I stopped by to see it. I won’t say anything about the bill. I’ll just tell her you asked to come crash with me for the night.”
I don’t say that this will, no doubt, start World War whatever we’re up to now. Every communication with Shayla is like an act of aggression, but there’s no way I’m sending the kids back to her tonight. She drew first blood by abandoning them in the middle of a fucking scam. I pull out my phone and shoot off a text to the bitch.
“Girls, thank Poppy for taking good care of you. I rode up here on my bike, so Shadow’s going to come meet us with a pickup.”
The kids start to gather up their dirty plates and cups, but Poppy shoos them away. “It’s okay,” she tells them. “I have to clean the salon anyway.”
“Go on and wait out front,” I tell them. “Make sure Shadow can see you. I’m going to talk to Poppy for a minute.”
The kids thank her, and I notice Holly leans in like she wants to hug Poppy, and Poppy nods, then holds the girl close.
“We’re really so sorry about this,” Holly says again, her voice tight. “I hope you know it was never our idea.”
Poppy puts her hands on Holly’s shoulders and lowers her head to meet Holly’s eyes. “You did the right thing telling your dad,” she says warmly. “And I know you didn’t mean to hurt me. Adult things like this are complicated, but it’s okay. Now, I want you to put this behind you and feel confident with your new hair.Okay? If you want to come back, you are always welcome in this salon.”
Fuck. Her words hit me like a boot to the gut. She’s smart. I’m so goddamn happy she said that about the hair. The last thing I need is for the kids to feel guilty every time they look in the mirror, walking around with a visible fucking reminder of what their mom is. What she tried to do to them.Dammit all to hell, Shayla.Fuck that bitch and the bullshit she puts on these truly good girls.
Holly and Daisy head out front, their pep almost returned to normal levels. Once we’re alone, I turn to Poppy.
“I didn’t say thank you,” I tell her in a low voice. “This is a debt I can’t repay, you being here for my girls.” I search her face. “But I’ve got to ask. With a bill that big, why didn’t you call the cops?”
Now that we’re alone, I look my fill. Poppy isn’t just attractive and well put together. Sensuality oozes off her in waves, and I don’t know if it’s just that I haven’t shot a load in a while or if it’s her full tits, generous ass, and long hair, but I’m again imagining all the things I’d like to do with this woman in a place far more private than this waiting area.
She meets my eyes, her big, doe eyes matching my intensity. “As soon as your girls got the text from their mom, I could tell they were not involved. They were shocked and so upset. All they kept saying was their dad was the best and he would take care of everything,” she says simply. “I’m a mom. There’snothing I wouldn’t do to protect my son. I wanted to give you a chance to make it right, and you did.”
“And if I hadn’t?” I ask, flicking an eye to her hand, and notice no ring but a small tattoo etched on her ring finger. “Would you have called the cops or sent your husband after me?”
At my words, her gaze drops. “I, uh, don’t have a husband. I’m a single mom. And I don’t know what I would have done. I’m just grateful you made this easy. So, I should be thanking you.”
That’s not something I’m used to hearing. I’m used to people thinking I’m a fuckup. That I always choose the hard way, always go too fast, too deep, too everything.
“It says a lot about you,” I tell her. “Beautiful, smart, and caring.”
She blushes at my compliments, and the pink staining her cheeks only makes her that much hotter.
