okay, Matt. You don’t have to justify anything.”
“I know,” I told him. “And you don’t have to justify asking. I will tell you anything. No more secrets, remember?”
Kira smiled again. “Like the tattoo you wanted? Were you going to tell me about that?”
“No,” I said with a snort. “It was a secret.”
This time, Kira laughed. “Maybe we should talk about that some more.”
“You keep bringing it up,” I said with a grin. “I’m starting to think you’re rather taken with the idea?”
“I wasn’t,” he said, looking a little embarrassed. “Until you mentioned getting one that reminded you of me.”
“Well, I do rather like the idea of having you permanently etched into my skin.”
Kira’s head fell back and he groaned. “Get out or I’ll be late. I’ll see you at about a quarter-past nine.”
I snorted. “You know what else we mentioned once the other night but haven’t since?”
Kira looked at me, somewhat nervously. “No, what?”
“A dog. At the wedding, I mentioned kids—which was just an errant comment, by the way—and you said we should probably start with a dog.”
“Oh, God,” he mumbled. “We’re going to be looking at dogs, aren’t we?”
I grinned hugely and nodded. “Dogs and tattoos.”
Kira laughed out a sigh. “Go on, get out of the car. Before you bring up any other life-changing suggestions.”
I gave him a grin for good measure then got out of the car. As I walked up to the front doors of the fight club, Rueben walked over too. “Man, you are in trouble!” he said.
I smiled at the kid. “What for this time?”
“Claude’s been here all day, waitin’ for you to show up.”
“I told her I was doing a late shift and I’d be here in the afternoon!”
The little guy shook his head pitifully. “Well, she’s reorganized everybody and you’re in trouble.”
I laughed and put my hand on the boy’s shoulder, leading him to the door. “Well then, come on. I better get this over with.”
Chapter Five
Claude was feisty. All four and a half feet tall and full of sass. She greeted me with her hand on her hip and a raised eyebrow. “Where th’ hell you been?”
Boss who was standing behind her grinned. He didn’t have to say anything when a pint-sized spitfire could say it for him.
I looked at my watch. “I’m on time! I said three o’clock!”
Claude rolled her eyes. “Lots to do today, Matt.”
“She’s been waitin’ all day for you, man,” Arizona said, walking up to me. The big man smiled. “Keepin’ all of us organised too.”
I smiled at the little girl. “Good to see someone’s in charge, Claude.”
She beamed. “What are we doing first, Matt?”
“Well, I’ll just put my bag in my locker then you and me are going to go to church,” I said. “We have an hour before our first class.”
Ruby, who had been quiet up until this point, laughed. “Church? What the hell for?”
“Yeah, Matt?” Claude chimed in. “What are you takin’ me there for? Do you need to talk to God?”
Arizona bit back a chuckle, and I smiled at Claude. “Not to God. Well, not this time anyway, kiddo,” I answered. “I need to talk to the pastor.”
“The what?”
“The man that works there,” I said, simplifying my answer.
“Right then,” she replied, standing there expectantly. “Well, come on. We’re running out of time.”
I went over and threw my bag into my locker. “All right, squirt. Keep your hat on.” I shut my locker door. “You’re worse than my old boss, and he was like a military drill sergeant.”
Rueben laughed, and Claude eyed her big brother. “You comin’, Ruby?”
“Nah,” he said dismissively.
“You’ll be here when we get back, right?” she asked.
“Sure,” he said.
She nodded, happy with that, and I walked to the door and held it open for her. “Come on. God forbid if I’m running late.”
“You probably shouldn’t say God if we’re going into a church,” she
“I know,” I told him. “And you don’t have to justify asking. I will tell you anything. No more secrets, remember?”
Kira smiled again. “Like the tattoo you wanted? Were you going to tell me about that?”
“No,” I said with a snort. “It was a secret.”
This time, Kira laughed. “Maybe we should talk about that some more.”
“You keep bringing it up,” I said with a grin. “I’m starting to think you’re rather taken with the idea?”
“I wasn’t,” he said, looking a little embarrassed. “Until you mentioned getting one that reminded you of me.”
“Well, I do rather like the idea of having you permanently etched into my skin.”
Kira’s head fell back and he groaned. “Get out or I’ll be late. I’ll see you at about a quarter-past nine.”
I snorted. “You know what else we mentioned once the other night but haven’t since?”
Kira looked at me, somewhat nervously. “No, what?”
“A dog. At the wedding, I mentioned kids—which was just an errant comment, by the way—and you said we should probably start with a dog.”
“Oh, God,” he mumbled. “We’re going to be looking at dogs, aren’t we?”
I grinned hugely and nodded. “Dogs and tattoos.”
Kira laughed out a sigh. “Go on, get out of the car. Before you bring up any other life-changing suggestions.”
I gave him a grin for good measure then got out of the car. As I walked up to the front doors of the fight club, Rueben walked over too. “Man, you are in trouble!” he said.
I smiled at the kid. “What for this time?”
“Claude’s been here all day, waitin’ for you to show up.”
“I told her I was doing a late shift and I’d be here in the afternoon!”
The little guy shook his head pitifully. “Well, she’s reorganized everybody and you’re in trouble.”
I laughed and put my hand on the boy’s shoulder, leading him to the door. “Well then, come on. I better get this over with.”
Chapter Five
Claude was feisty. All four and a half feet tall and full of sass. She greeted me with her hand on her hip and a raised eyebrow. “Where th’ hell you been?”
Boss who was standing behind her grinned. He didn’t have to say anything when a pint-sized spitfire could say it for him.
I looked at my watch. “I’m on time! I said three o’clock!”
Claude rolled her eyes. “Lots to do today, Matt.”
“She’s been waitin’ all day for you, man,” Arizona said, walking up to me. The big man smiled. “Keepin’ all of us organised too.”
I smiled at the little girl. “Good to see someone’s in charge, Claude.”
She beamed. “What are we doing first, Matt?”
“Well, I’ll just put my bag in my locker then you and me are going to go to church,” I said. “We have an hour before our first class.”
Ruby, who had been quiet up until this point, laughed. “Church? What the hell for?”
“Yeah, Matt?” Claude chimed in. “What are you takin’ me there for? Do you need to talk to God?”
Arizona bit back a chuckle, and I smiled at Claude. “Not to God. Well, not this time anyway, kiddo,” I answered. “I need to talk to the pastor.”
“The what?”
“The man that works there,” I said, simplifying my answer.
“Right then,” she replied, standing there expectantly. “Well, come on. We’re running out of time.”
I went over and threw my bag into my locker. “All right, squirt. Keep your hat on.” I shut my locker door. “You’re worse than my old boss, and he was like a military drill sergeant.”
Rueben laughed, and Claude eyed her big brother. “You comin’, Ruby?”
“Nah,” he said dismissively.
“You’ll be here when we get back, right?” she asked.
“Sure,” he said.
She nodded, happy with that, and I walked to the door and held it open for her. “Come on. God forbid if I’m running late.”
“You probably shouldn’t say God if we’re going into a church,” she
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