A smile crosses my face–a small one–and I nod.
“Yeah, mine.”
Harriet’s eyes widen and she smiles brightly, like I just told her the best news she’s ever heard. She claps her hands a couple times and pulls the bag from Asher’s hand.
“I’ll take it to her,” she says quickly, but I step in front of her.
“Harriet,” I say, tilting my head to the side, nervous now. Not that Harriet would say something wrong, but that I don’t know how Roxie will take someone coming back there that isn’t Asher or I. Not when she’s so worried about being seen and found by Mickey.
“I’ll take it,” Asher says quickly, pulling the bag from Harriet’s hand. He makes a bee-line for the room while tossing me a ‘good-fucking-luck’ look.
“That boy, I’m going to have to talk to him,” she grumbles. “What’s wrong, Ty? Why can’t I go meet her?”
I run my hand along the back of my neck, stepping in closer because thatchicais still standing far too close to the desk and watching me.
“She’s…been through a lot. Too much.Fuck,just way too much. And I just got her back, I don’t want to rush her. I want her to feel safe with me first, and then introduce her to everyone that she’ll let me.”
Harriet’s expression softens. I can tell that she knows that ifI’msaying Roxie’s been through a lot, it’s more than what someone should go through.
“What does she need?” Harriet asks softly.
“She doesn’t have anything. All of her things, they’re all still there. I’m dressing her in my clothes,” I tell her but my mind screams at me not to get her any of her own. I want to see her in my clothes andmine alonefor the rest of time. “And I can’t go get her stuff until tomorrow. Maybe the day after.” I need to get the address and go get her stuff. But I don’t have any way to get there…Wait. “Harriet, is your nephew still selling his bike?”
“His sport motorcycle? Yeah, it’s all beat up, but it runs and is as safe as one of those deathtraps can be,” Harriet grumbles, looking at me with a glint in her eye that tells me she knows exactly what I’m going to ask.
“How much?” I smile.
“Do you even know how to drive one of those things?” she asks with a heavy sigh, and I can tell she’s already fed up with my nonsense.
“I’m a quick study.” Especially when it’s out of necessity. “How much?”
Harriet groans, pulling her phone out of her back pocket. “His last message said he had dropped the price to $900, but I can talk to him. See if I can get him to accept payments.”
$900… Tight, but doable.
“Yeah, send me his info. I’ll get it set up. Thank you,” I thank her earnestly and kiss her cheek.
“Make sure you get a helmet and one for your girl, too. I won’t be standing over your casket saying “I told you so”, you understand?” she points at me.
“Consider me well and fully threatened,” I say with a smile and hold up both of my hands.
“I’m going to go grab her some stuff,” Harriet declares and I start to interject, but she cuts me off. “Not a lot, nothing crazy. Just girl stuff. Shampoo, a hair brush, tooth brush, tampons, female underwear so she doesn’t have to wear your freaking boxers—that kind of thing.”
I take a deep breath and nod. I hadn’t quite gotten that far, but she’s right.
“Okay. Thank you.” I put my hand on Harriet’s shoulder and pull her in for a hug.
“I want to be the first person she meets though.”
“Oh you will. I promise. After I’m done with this walk-in, I’ll ask her and maybe we’ll stop by at close. Okay?”
Harriet nods once like she’s temporarily placated and cups my cheek fondly.
“Take care of her.”
“I will. I swear.”
Harriet turns and walks out the door, and I watch the girlwatch mewith a narrowed expression. One that I’m not even going to give any energy into figuring out. Stepping to the side, I grab the tablet we draw our designs on to print them off and get to work.
