Page 11 of Carlos: Trilogy: Part Two

At Carlos’s nod, Zoe hurried off towards the restroom. Carlos turned to Kyle, who was seated on his knees so he could reach the top of the table. He was surprised to see the boy was studying Carlos.

Based on Zoe’s story she’d told him the day before, Kyle was almost four years old. He had brown curly hair and large brown eyes. The kid was certainly cute. Carlos had not seen a picture of his birth father to know how much Kyle took after him.

“Who are you?”

Carlos blinked at the question. “You know who I am.” They’d spent most of the day together yesterday.

Kyle shook his head with as much indignation as a four-year-old child could possess. “I know your name but not who you are. Are you my mommy’s friend?”

Carlos thought about that a second. He was more—or rather, hoped he was more—than Zoe’s friend, but he wasn’t sure how to explain that to a four-year-old. “Yeah, I am. Is that okay with you?”

“Mommy needs friends. She misses her friends.”

He didn’t know who the boy meant. Kyle was too young to remember his birth father or any possible friends Zoe had had in Philadelphia. Did he mean the people who had helped them in Montana, the Mountain Mutineers? Conner?

“What about you, Kyle? Do you miss your friends?”

“I have my mommy,” was the boy’s answer.

It would make sense that he didn’t have any friends his age, but Carlos still felt bad for the boy. For the past year, they’d hadn’t left the club’s property. Four days ago when Carlos had seen Kyle running around the pentagon-shaped backyard with Scotty and Lila was the first time Kyle had met the club kids.

“Can I be your friend?” Carlos asked as Penny, one of the waitresses, approached.

“Evenin’, Sheriff.” The brunette greeted them with a smile. She was a few years older than Carlos and had been working for Tony as long as Carlos could remember.

Carlos was dressed in jeans and a polo shirt, but he still had his badge and gun on him. Even though the official announcement hadn’t gone out yet, the entire town knew about Hannigan’s resignation and Carlos’s appointment to sheriff.

“Penny, good evening. Can we get two waters and…” He turned to Kyle, “did you want milk or juice?”

“Milk,” was the definitive answer.

“And a milk, please,” Carlos added to Penny.

“Sure thing. You got company tonight?”

Carlos nodded. “My girlfriend’s in the bathroom.”

“Girlfriend?” Penny’s voice rose with surprise.

There was a loud clank up at the counter. Carlos looked around Penny to see what had happened, only to find everyone in the restaurant had paused and was facing him. He frowned. Kyle shifted around too, his big eyes going wide when he saw everyone was looking at them.

Which of course is when Zoe exited the bathroom. She had her head down, looking at something in her shoulder purse. She was partway back to the table when she looked up and found the entire restaurant staring at her.

Carlos saw her face pale as the fight or flight instinct kicked in. Her eyes immediately flicked to the exit and he imagined she was working out her escape in her head.

He quickly rose and went to her. He moved to block her from the prying eyes of the restaurant goers. “Small town,” he whispered into her ear. “You’re safe. They’re just really surprised to see that I have a date.”

“I’m just… I don’t like… What if someone recognizes me? This was a bad idea. We shouldn’t have come out.”

“Shh…” he soothed, rubbing his hands up and down her arms. “Sunshine, no one will recognize you. I wouldn’t have brought you here if I thought it was unsafe. Just remember, you’re Jenna’s widowed niece. That’s all anyone needs to know for now.”

He heard Zoe swallow nervously. Still, the last thing he wanted was for her to be uncomfortable.

Carlos spun around, keeping Zoe behind his broad body. “Quit your staring!” he snapped. “She’ll never go out with me again if you guys turn our date into a spectacle.”

That seemed to snap the onlookers out of their astonished gazes. Conversations started back up slowly as people turned away from them. Carlos waited another second to ensure there were no stragglers and then guided Zoe back over to the booth.

She sat opposite of him next to Kyle.

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