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I doubt she’d want to celebrate, but she might still need a drink.
Chapter Fourteen
Steele
Natalie pissed me off, but I wasn’t going to escalate the situation. Once I’d left the courthouse, I’d sent her a text. I was picking Lili up from school, and I’d have her home before bathtime. I didn’t ask for permission, and I didn’t allow Natalie to interfere.
My girl wanted pizza, so we went to the Bearded Goat, but this time I ordered a plain cheese pizza. I’d missed her rambling. I missed the way she used her hands to talk. I missed her talking about bugs, her cat, and Miss Jaymi.
“I wrote you a letter,” she said and twirled cheese on her finger. “Miss Jaymi lost it. But it’s okay. And did you know Miss Jaymi said Taco is going to molt? His knees will be bright red. Look, my knees are red, too.” She pulled up her pant leg. She’d used a marker to color her knees. “Miss Jaymi said it will wash off.” She pulled her pant leg down again. “She said not to do it again.” She tilted her head to the side. “She wasn’t mad. She just said markers were for paper.”
Every other sentence started with Miss Jaymi. I understood her teacher’s appeal because every other thought in my head was about her teacher, too.
“Can you make Mom give me my phone?” Lili changed topics again.
“I don’t think I can make your mom do anything,” I said and chuckled. If I had that power my life would be a lot easier.
“I don’t go to dance anymore.”
“Stormy told me. I think we can work on your mom for both your phone and to get you back in dance.”
Stringy cheese stuck to her lip. “And make her let me ride on your Harley.” She vigorously nodded her head. “The hearse stinks.”
I wiped sauce from her cheek. “That smell is motor oil, cigarettes, and hard work.”
“Still ask her. She might change her mind if you ask nice. Reeeaaally nice.”
“We’ll see.” I smiled and scarfed down another slice.
After pizza, we went to the skate park on Washington Street and ate ice cream. Lili held my hand and skipped along beside me. “Can we please go to the MC?”
This was the third time she’d asked since I’d picked her up from school. I could take her. It would piss off Natalie. I wasn’t sure why I cared. I didn’t owe her anything after the hell she’d put me through. But I was going to try to make peace with her. For Lili, we had to figure our shit out.
“It’s getting late,” I said. “We need to get you home to your mom.”
“I don’t want to go home. I want to stay with you.” Her little hand gripped tighter to mine.
“How about I pick you up tomorrow?”
She jumped up and down. “On your motorcycle?”
“In the hearse.”
“Fine.” Her smile twitched into a pout. “Can we go to the MC?”
“Maybe.”
The ride back to her mom’s, she was just as chatty. I walked her up the front porch steps. Before we reached the door, it swung open.
Lili ducked under her mom’s arm. “See you tomorrow,” she said to me and disappeared into the house.
“Can you talk?” I asked.
“Would you like to come in?”
We spoke at the same time, and both said yes. I pulled out my phone and pressed the record button.
“That’s not necessary,” she said.
