Page 24 of The Captain's Little Girl

The looks shared between the teammates made Cricket scared for the fleeing man. “It’s okay. I’m not hurt,” she reassured them.

“And he called her a name,” River reminded them.

“River!” Cricket turned to look at the other server. “Don’t egg them on. Please!”

“Sorry, Cricket,” her friend apologized immediately.

“We hadn’t forgotten,” Tex reassured both Littles.

“The drama’s over for the night. Go back to work, ladies,” Harbor’s manager requested.

Cricket watched as the manager talked to the team for several minutes but she couldn’t catch a word of their discussion. She’d ask Mark on the way home.

* * *

When they turned onto Mark’s street, Cricket pointed through the windshield. “My car’s in your driveway!”

“They finished the repairs this afternoon. Doniphan helped me bring it home. It has a clean bill of health now.”

“I bet it was expensive. If you’d let me know, I could have put it on my credit card and paid on it for a while. I do have the cash from the wedding. How much do I owe you?” Cricket asked, wishing he’d let her take care of it. She had a small nest egg but didn’t like to use it.

“He owed me a favor and was glad to check things over for you. A few tweaks here and there. It should run well now. You spend that money on something you want.”

“Mark…”

“Daddy,” he corrected her as he pulled into the driveway next to her car.

“Daddy, I can tell even in the dark that those are new tires.”

“So, it was a big favor. He was glad to get it in good running order,” Mark assured her.

Unsure what to say, she settled on, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, baby girl. Let’s go inside. Did you get dinner tonight?”

“Yes, but I’m kind of hungry and too wound up to sleep. What do you think about watching a movie and having some popcorn?”

“It’s past your bedtime, little girl.”

“I just got off work. I can’t go to sleep. Especially after all that drama tonight,” she said as he unbuckled her seatbelt and helped her out. “What did my manager say to you?”

“I guess those guys have been a problem for other waitresses. He wanted to know who to contact. So, we told him.”

“Let me guess. You’re going to contact them, too.”

“Yes.”

“They’re just stupid. I don’t think they mean any harm.”

“There’s a code between those in charge. Our men are a reflection on us. I would want to know that there’s a problem so I could deal with it before it becomes something destructive. Military careers have ended before they even start because someone makes a stupid choice and tanks their future.”

“So… You’re really doing something that’s a positive by reporting them to their commanding officer?”

“Yes. They won’t think so now, though. Be careful of those guys. Sometimes attempts to help aren’t appreciated.”

“Okay, Daddy. I’ll keep my eyes open.”

“Good girl. How about a bubble bath to relax and I’ll read you a bedtime story?”

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