Page 111 of Bought and Broken

“Yeah?” I bark at her.

“The girl ain’t home, so you can stop with the racket,” she says harshly.

“She is home. She’s always home at this time.”

She shakes her head. “It’s Thursday. She’s at dance.”

“Dance? What the fu—”

“That’s what I said. Dance. She won’t be home for another hour. So, if you’d stop with the hootin’ and hollerin’, I’d appreciate it. I can’t hear my stories.”

The woman hobbles into her apartment, closing her door quietly. I grit my teeth, wanting to bang some more just to prove a point. But I keep my temper under control, and instead make myself comfortable on the floor in front of Summer’s door. She is not coming in or out without me knowing about it.

I’m jolted awake to something touching my face. The little girl just laughs, then pokes me in the eye.

“Ah, sh—” I cut myself off before I can swear in front of the kid.

“Bown. Pwetty.” She grins, going for my eye again.

“Astrid, I told you to wait for Mommy. You have to—oh.” Her words fall flat when she reaches the top of the stairs, hands full of grocery bags. I get up carefully, so I don’t knock into Astrid, then go to Summer. I take the bags from her hands, smiling in her face.

“I’m going to help you because you are going to help me, isn’t that right, Summer?”

“Help, help, help,” Astrid says, rocking from side to side and clapping her hands.

Summer grins at me. “I don’t know, Tate. Doesn’t seem like a fair trade.”

“Unlock the door and let me in, Summer.”

“Go home, go home!” Astrid knocks on the door, then puts her ear to it. She locks eyes with me and puts her finger to her lips. “Shhh. Sweepin’.”

I choke back a laugh. Okay, she’s cute.

With a shake of her head, Summer goes to the door, unlocks and opens it.

Astrid runs in and I quickly move in behind her so Summer can’t kick me out. She scoffs, closing the door behind us.

“I could call the cops, you know.”

“Wee-woo, wee-woo, wee-woo, wee-woo!” Astrid shouts, running in circles. She’s in a pink leotard and fluffy tutu that’s bouncing all around as she goes.

I raise a brow at Summer. “For the child’s entertainment, I’m guessing? Because you surely don’t need them for me. I just want an answer, and I’ll leave.”

I put the bags down on the cluttered table and help her take them out. And by help her, I mean do it myself because she’s just standing there with her hands on her hips while Astrid runs around making ambulance noises even though I think she’s trying to make cop car noises.

Kids.

Summer still hasn’t moved when everything is out of the bags, so I stare right back at her.

“I don’t know where any of this shi… stuff goes.”

Summer grins again. “Look at you being something other than a d-bag.”

I roll my eyes, grabbing the half gallon of milk and putting it in the fridge. I grab the yogurt and cheese sticks next, tossing them in.

“Where is she?” I demand.

Summer shrugs, going for the canned goods and putting them away in the cabinets.

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