Page 6 of Pooh

“I’d ask why you want to know but it’s better if I can claim plausible deniability later. His name is Bruce Marlett. He’s in jail for another month. My fear is Craig’s mom going back to the husband when he gets out. She’s wavering and that scares me because this isn’t their first time of staying here when they needed out of their own home.”

“What’s the mom like? Where is she right now?”

“She’s… different. Odd. Nice enough but when talking to her, I always get the feeling that not much is sinking in. Kind of lives in her head and forgets about Craig a lot. More worried aboutherself, aboutherfuture. She’s at work but should be back within the hour. The other women and I keep an eye on Craig while she’s working, to save on daycare expenses, but she takes advantage of that often. I shouldn’t be telling you any of this, Pooh. But I am worried about Craig’s future and I’m thinking that you are too.”

“Yeah, I am. He needs stability, like all kids need. Where does the mom work?”

“She is a waitress at a diner in Denver. She doesn’t make much and that’s part of the reason she keeps going back to the husband. He makes decent money. She trades her and Craig’s safety for a home and a steady income. I’m working with her on trying to find a better paying job and maybe getting some college classes under her belt. But she’s young and resistant to change. The known is less scary then the unknown for a lot of these women. Change is scary and nobody wants to end up homeless, especially if they have children to worry about.”

“So, what you’re saying is that some of these women stay in an abusive situation because of financial reasons. They may get beat but they have a roof over their head and food on the table. They can’t afford to leave. That just pisses me off. Nobody should have to choose between being abused and having food to eat. Jesus, fuck, Pippa!”

“Yeah, some of them are in that exact situation,” she answers, quietly.

“So how do we fix this? Do they need money to get away? Jobs that pay more? Husbands that come up missing? What?”

“There is no one single fix, Pooh. Money and better job opportunities help some of them get a new life. Counseling helps other ones. Self-esteem is important since most have had that beat out of them. Confidence and an understanding that they are not at fault. A helping hand. A safe place to land, even if it’s temporary. It gives them a chance to heal physically and mentally. To slow life down and have time to take a breath.”

It’s clear as fuck to me how passionate Pippa is about helping these women and kids. That says good things about her and I’m liking what it says. She’s determined, strong-willed and focused on doing the best she can for the people who come through this house. And yet, she has a soft side. Yeah, I’m liking this woman a lot.

“Give me your phone, Pippa. I’m putting my number in it and if you, or Craig, need anything, call. I mean that, Pippa. I’ll come and do whatever you need done. I’ll be back tomorrow to bring Craig some games for his Xbox. Is there anything else he needs?” I ask, as she hands me her phone and I add my number to her contacts. I then call my phone so I have her number too.

“He’s the only child here, at the moment, so he gets bored easily. The games will help keep him busy when his mom is working. I think you taking a few moments with him would be really good. The poor kid is surrounded by women 24/7 so a man to hang with might be a good thing for him. I’ll make sure to clear it with his mom tonight when she gets here. I’m asking a lot, though. Please don’t feel like you have to do that. I don…”

“I can do that, no problem. I’ll be back tomorrow. Call if you need anything or if you have any more problems tonight,” I interrupt her to say.

“I will. And thanks again, Pooh.”

Pippa

I walk with Pooh to the back door and watch him mount his bike. He gives me a chin lift as he drives off. As soon as he’s out of sight, my hands slap against my face and I slide down the wall until my ass collides with the floor. O M G!

Any hot biker does it for me. The bike, the leather, yes, please! But a tall, dark, muscled one? Add in the hazel eyes with very short, black hair and a closely cropped beard and all my girl pieces are singing hallelujah. Pooh checks off all my boxes. The fact that he is an alpha, has protective tendencies and is so good with Craig, is just the icing on the cake. A cake I want to lick all over. For days on end. The man is hot to look at, but for me, the best thing about him is that you can tell he’d never allow someone to hurt someone he loves. That’s wet panty material.

“Why are you sitting on the floor, Pippa? What’s wrong?” Craig asks, while he sits down next to me.

I look at his little face and see spaghetti sauce smeared up past his eyebrows and down to his chest. There is a small piece of pasta stuck to his cheek. I have no idea how one child can get so messy so many times a day.

“Nothing is wrong, little man. Just taking a break. Was dinner good?”

“Yeah. Spaghetti is my second favorite food. Pizza is bestest. Want to play Xbox with me?”

“I’m sorry, Craig, but I can’t today. I have to head home soon. Maybe tomorrow we can play a game together. You should probably go clean up again and get your jammies on. Your mom should be home soon.”

Jumping to his feet, Craig states emphatically, “Told you, Pippa! I took a shower already today and I’m not going near water again. I be fine like I am.”

After making his decision clear, Craig bolts down the hall to his room where I hear the door slam and then the lock click. Guess his mom can finish that battle with him.

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Standing in front of my bathroom mirror, I can admit to myself that I am applying some light makeup with a lot more care than I usually use. And I know why I am but I’m trying to blank Pooh out of mind even though I know he’ll show today at New Horizons. He said he would, so we’ll see if he’s a man of his word but my gut tells me he is. My gut tells me all good things about Pooh. But I thought that once before and I was wrong. So wrong.

I’m older and smarter now, I hope. My thirtieth birthday is fast approaching and I have a lot more knowledge than I did when I was twenty-two. You live and you learn. A counselor once told me that you can’t change past mistakes but you can learn from them and use that knowledge to avoid making them again. She said that I would be a victim until I chose not to be one. I made that choice, made changes in my life and now I live the life I want to live.

I finish getting ready for work, grab my to-go mug of coffee and hit my garage. I climb into my car and make the drive to work. Parking behind New Horizons in the small lot we have, I exit my vehicle in time to see Craig hauling ass down the alley with Tammy hot on his heels.

I stand by my car and watch Craig get caught by an arm and marched back my direction. His entire face is pouting and Tammy is breathing hard. I smother a laugh and approach them.

“What’s up with the foot race?” I ask.

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