many.
Maybe they wouldn ' t be here too long. They walked over to the benches and took a seat. A couple of women were smiling and nodding to them, but Hennessey ignored their obvious flirtation.
His attention was glued to Summer as she worked. She seemed so relaxed, yet she also seemed like she knew exactly what she was doing.
Like she ' d been doing it forever.
She probably had been.
" Mister Maffew! Mister Maffew! "
He turned, and barreling toward him was Emma, hair in piggy tails and in her arm, the teddy bear they ' d won from the pizzeria.
His two coworkers glanced at him just as she leaped into Hennessey ' s arms. While a slightly awkward catch, he was able to keep the kid from injuring herself, and not knock them both backwards off the bench, either.
Such trust that I ' d catch her. He marveled at this little girl ' s faith.
She took a deep sniff of his fatigues and grinned. " Mister Maffew! Are you getting a haircut today? " She reached for his hair and brushed her hands along the sides.
He smiled at the little girl. " Yes I am, Emma. I didn ' t know you would be here. "
" I ' m helping Mama. Me and Grandma Bettes are keeping an eye on the kids. " She waved her arms toward the children playing at one of the tables. " But they ' re good. Grandma told me I could have a break. "
" That ' s nice. "
She poked him in the chest. " So when are you going to come over again? There are many more princesses that we need to talk about. "
Ortiz snickered.
Miller was staring at the ceiling, trying to keep a straight face.
" Well, princesses are nice, but boys don ' t really, uh, play with princesses. "
Ugh. How was he going to live this one down?
" Princesses aren ' t just wishy-washy girls. Don ' t you know Princess Leia? She fights Darth Vader and Storm Troopers and The Empire, " she whispered the last of it, like it was a big secret.
Miller had to turn away.
" I always liked Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. "
She stuck her tongue out at him. " They use magic. They just call it something else. "
" The Force, " Miller said.
" Yeah, The Force, " Emma said, grinning. " But that ' s all it is. Magic set in outer space. "
" Leave it to a kid to break it down, " Ortiz said.
" You got that right, " Miller said.
" We could watch the Star Wars if you want, Mister Maffew, when you come over for your play date. "
He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by an older woman, who he could only assume was Grandma Bettes. " Emma, what are you doing to this man? " She tried to pull Emma off Hennessey ' s lap, but Emma wrapped her arms around his neck.
" This is my Mister Maffew Grandma! "
The woman froze, her stare cold. " I see, " the woman said.
Hennessey stood, Emma still wrapped around him, and held out his free hand. " Matthew Hennessey, ma ' am. I served with your son. He was an honorable man. My condolences on your loss. "
" Thank you. " She reached for Emma, but she still didn ' t look very happy. " Now come on Emma, we don ' t want to hold up your Mister Matthew. He needs to get his hair cut now. "
Hennessey turned to look. Sure enough, Summer ' s station was open.
Ortiz started to head over, and he glared at the rookie.
Ortiz sat back down and Hennessey crossed to Summer ' s available chair.
Summer was cleaning up her station when he approached. " Well hey you. How are you doing today? " she asked, with a bright smile on her face, though her gaze darted to the crowd, then back at him.
" Not bad, yourself? " He said as he sat down.
" Can ' t complain. " She wrapped a cloth cape around his neck. " Actually I can, but it doesn ' t do any good, you know? " She stepped around so she faced him, standing on his side. " So what kind of hair cut do you want? "
" Short. Tight on the sides. "
She nodded and ran her hands through the hair on the sides, just like Emma did. Probably where the little girl learned it. " How long has it been since you have a haircut? "
" Too long. "
" I guess so.
Maybe they wouldn ' t be here too long. They walked over to the benches and took a seat. A couple of women were smiling and nodding to them, but Hennessey ignored their obvious flirtation.
His attention was glued to Summer as she worked. She seemed so relaxed, yet she also seemed like she knew exactly what she was doing.
Like she ' d been doing it forever.
She probably had been.
" Mister Maffew! Mister Maffew! "
He turned, and barreling toward him was Emma, hair in piggy tails and in her arm, the teddy bear they ' d won from the pizzeria.
His two coworkers glanced at him just as she leaped into Hennessey ' s arms. While a slightly awkward catch, he was able to keep the kid from injuring herself, and not knock them both backwards off the bench, either.
Such trust that I ' d catch her. He marveled at this little girl ' s faith.
She took a deep sniff of his fatigues and grinned. " Mister Maffew! Are you getting a haircut today? " She reached for his hair and brushed her hands along the sides.
He smiled at the little girl. " Yes I am, Emma. I didn ' t know you would be here. "
" I ' m helping Mama. Me and Grandma Bettes are keeping an eye on the kids. " She waved her arms toward the children playing at one of the tables. " But they ' re good. Grandma told me I could have a break. "
" That ' s nice. "
She poked him in the chest. " So when are you going to come over again? There are many more princesses that we need to talk about. "
Ortiz snickered.
Miller was staring at the ceiling, trying to keep a straight face.
" Well, princesses are nice, but boys don ' t really, uh, play with princesses. "
Ugh. How was he going to live this one down?
" Princesses aren ' t just wishy-washy girls. Don ' t you know Princess Leia? She fights Darth Vader and Storm Troopers and The Empire, " she whispered the last of it, like it was a big secret.
Miller had to turn away.
" I always liked Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. "
She stuck her tongue out at him. " They use magic. They just call it something else. "
" The Force, " Miller said.
" Yeah, The Force, " Emma said, grinning. " But that ' s all it is. Magic set in outer space. "
" Leave it to a kid to break it down, " Ortiz said.
" You got that right, " Miller said.
" We could watch the Star Wars if you want, Mister Maffew, when you come over for your play date. "
He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by an older woman, who he could only assume was Grandma Bettes. " Emma, what are you doing to this man? " She tried to pull Emma off Hennessey ' s lap, but Emma wrapped her arms around his neck.
" This is my Mister Maffew Grandma! "
The woman froze, her stare cold. " I see, " the woman said.
Hennessey stood, Emma still wrapped around him, and held out his free hand. " Matthew Hennessey, ma ' am. I served with your son. He was an honorable man. My condolences on your loss. "
" Thank you. " She reached for Emma, but she still didn ' t look very happy. " Now come on Emma, we don ' t want to hold up your Mister Matthew. He needs to get his hair cut now. "
Hennessey turned to look. Sure enough, Summer ' s station was open.
Ortiz started to head over, and he glared at the rookie.
Ortiz sat back down and Hennessey crossed to Summer ' s available chair.
Summer was cleaning up her station when he approached. " Well hey you. How are you doing today? " she asked, with a bright smile on her face, though her gaze darted to the crowd, then back at him.
" Not bad, yourself? " He said as he sat down.
" Can ' t complain. " She wrapped a cloth cape around his neck. " Actually I can, but it doesn ' t do any good, you know? " She stepped around so she faced him, standing on his side. " So what kind of hair cut do you want? "
" Short. Tight on the sides. "
She nodded and ran her hands through the hair on the sides, just like Emma did. Probably where the little girl learned it. " How long has it been since you have a haircut? "
" Too long. "
" I guess so.
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