Page 20 of A Daddy for Christmas 2: Kitt

“San Francisco? Why there? Who do you know there?” I asked, my tone a little suspicious.

He shrugged. “Nobody. I just thought it might be fun to see the Golden Gate bridge. And take the boat out to San Quentin. Oh, and ride the cable cars on all the hills.”

“You seem to know an awful lot about it.”

“My granddad told me. He was going to take me there one day. Before…you know.”

“So, after he passed away, you decided you’d just go on your own.”

He nodded happily.

“Using what for money?”

He shrugged and got a look on his face like I’d just killed his puppy again, making me feel like a bully.

“I thought I’d just cross that bridge when I came to it.”

I refrained from yelling at him again, but just barely. He really did need a keeper, damn it.

“A lot of people are homeless there,” he informed me. “I read about that. I thought maybe I could have slept on the streets like they do.”

I glanced over at that remarkable load of shit and shook my head. “People are homeless, because it’s so expensive to live there. Among other reasons, anyway. Besides, do you know how cold and windy it is in San Francisco?”

“Cold? But it’s California.”

“Yes, it’s in northern California, and it’s on the coast. It can get really cold there.”

“Even in the summer?”

“Even then.”

“Oh. I didn’t know that.”

We were pulling up to the Denny’s by that time, so I leaned across him to take him out of the cuffs. He smelled good. I took a deep breath and then tried to steel myself against him. It was at that moment that my phone rang, blasting the car with Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.

I shot him an evil look as he giggled. I had left my phone in the console when we stopped for gas, and the little brat couldn’t stop himself from messing with it. He had downloaded what had to be the most obnoxious country song ever written for Christmas time. He looked back at me and giggled again.

I grabbed it up, shot him a dirty look and answered the phone.

“Hello,” I practically yelled and on the other end, I heard Lucas chuckle.

“Rio? Is everything all right there?”

“It’s fine. Just the kid being a smartass.”

“Is that why someone just called from your number and then hung up? Twice?”

“Damn it, he must have hit redial on my phone. Sorry to bother you, Lucas. It won’t happen again.”

He hung up, still chuckling, and I leaned in closer and looked Kitt right in the eye before I took him inside.

“I don’t want any more trouble out of you. You got that?”

“Yes.”

“Yes, sir.”

He blushed again. “Yes, sir.” He sounded nice and meek, which was totally bogus, and I didn’t even pretend to believe him.

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