He reached over the banister behind him and waved her over. She ran, this time keeping her footing until she reached him and Tock.
Shay used his left hand to wipe off the dirt still clinging to his daughter’s face. “Yes. You can go swimming. Your bathing suit and towel are in the gray duffel in the back of the SUV. But make sure Nat or one of your uncles is with you.”
“I’m not a baby, Daddy. I know how to swim.”
“I know that. I taught you. But you’re not going swimming alone. No arguments.”
“Fine.”
“Fine.”
Her eyes glanced at Tock, then back at Shay. After that, she came around the porch, up the stairs, and stood in front of them. Then she just waited. Slowly blinking.
And, knowing his daughter, Dani would wait forever until she got what she wanted.
“This is Tock,” he finally told her. “Tock, this is my daughter, Dani.”
Tock held her hand out and Dani shook it. Like two proper business strangers meeting for the first time.
“I like your watch,” Dani told Tock, pointing at the giant monstrosity on the woman’s wrist.
“Thanks. I like your headband.”
Dani smiled, touching the crystal-encrusted headband with the tips of her fingers. “Me, too. It sparkles!”
*
When the kid touched that headband, which was decorated with a crystal-covered butterfly, Tock didn’t know what to think. She really wasn’t a “kid” person. Even when she was a kid, she didn’t really like kids. They talked too much, had no idea how to manage their time, and . . . well . . . talked too much. Her mother used to tell her, “No man is an island.” A statement Tock didn’t really get until her father explained, “Everybody needs somebody, baby. Even you.” Tock hadn’t really believed them because she’d been doing fine without friends, but then she’d met Mads, Max, Nelle, and Streep. Having those badgers hanging around her house now and then seemed to make her parents feel better, so it made sense to keep them. Besides, they weren’t as annoying as most kids her age . . . except Streep. Streep was always annoying. Tock didn’t think it had anything to do with age. But she was a beautiful distractor when they needed one.
The main thing, though, was that the kid was Shay’s daughter, which meant any protection Tock might provide for the big cat because he’d protected her, also applied to the cub. Besides, how could she not protect the kid? She was actually quite cute. A mini-version of her father with shoulder-length black hair, a strong jaw, and full cheeks.
The pride she saw in Shay’s eyes when he looked at his daughter reminded Tock of her own father. It was a goofy expression that her father sometimes wore, but it meant a lot. Especially knowing he still felt that way despite everything she’d put him through over the years.
“What are all those dials on your watch?” the kid asked, leaning in to study it.
“Date. Local time. Stopwatch slash timer and time in Israel.”
“Israel?”
“I have family there.”
“You also have family in Wisconsin, right?” Shay asked.
“Is it really that hard to subtract an hour from current time?” Tock asked.
“My dad is not a math guy,” Dani said.
“I know the basics. I just can’t do that fancy math you do,” Shay said.
“Fancy math?” Tock asked.
“He means fractions. Daddy struggles with fractions. I’m sure it’s because he’s been hit in the head so many times.”
“That doesn’t really affect our kind the way it does full-humans,” Tock explained. “But like all animals, some of us are just not as smart as the rest of us. That’s okay, though. He’s your father and you love him despite that.”
“Wow,” Shay said from behind her. “Just . . . wow.”
“Math is important,” she told him. “Just like science and time.”
“Time is a human construct,” Dani put in.
Tock glared down at the kid. “Excuse me?”
“It’s a human construct. It only exists because we brought it into being. Science and math exist because they just do. One is only as important as the power we give it. While the other two are important because they simply are. Without science or math, we wouldn’t exist.”
“Time management is extremely important. We couldn’t function as a society without time and the brutal, heartless control of it.”
Eyes wide, the kid gawked up at her, but Tock didn’t know why. That was a completely rational argument, and she didn’t need some ten-year-old telling her that time was not important! Time was always important! How could it not be? People running around, showing up whenever? No specific time or day to be where they needed to be? That was insanity! That was chaos! And chaos due to lack of time management was a world Tock refused to live in!
Charlie walked out onto the porch, yelling a “Fine!” over her shoulder.
With a little growl and shake of her head, she returned to stand in front of them.
“The puppies,” she said. “You were saying . . . ?”
Tock opened her mouth to speak but the cat jumped in first.
“Tock and I were debating dog balls.”
Closing her eyes, Tock shook her head. Dumbass!
“Dog balls?” Charlie repeated, glancing at Shay’s cub. “Um . . . what about them?”
“Is it really necessary to cut them off? Because my boys—”
“You haven’t had the dogs fixed?” Dani suddenly demanded, startling all the adults standing on the porch.
“Well—”
“Oh . . . Daddy.” And she said it with such infinite sadness and disappointment, neither Tock nor Charlie could say a word. “How could you?”
“I didn’t.”
“I mean, how could you not get the dogs fixed? My favorite math teacher rescues dogs and cats, and she says all dogs should be neutered and spayed so there are no unwanted animals.” She pointed at the crate. “Those are unwanted animals that you have put at risk. And why? Why, Daddy?”
“Um . . . if I wouldn’t want the same thing, why would I do it to my—”
“Oh . . . Daddy.” Lowering her head, the kid shook it slowly and very sadly. “Daddy. I’m so disappointed.”
“I see that.”
Putting her arm around Dani’s shoulders, Charlie wisely intervened. “It could be that your father just didn’t know.”
“How could he not? It’s not just my math teacher! I see stuff about fixing dogs all over the place! People are trying to help these poor animals roaming the streets!”
With one arm still around the kid’s shoulders and her other hand patting her right arm, Charlie briefly glanced off. And Tock knew it was to stop herself from laughing. The kid was just so damn earnest, concerned as only kids could be when it came to something they truly cared about. Of course, most ten-year-olds cared about comic books or butterflies. Or whatever kids were into these days. But worrying about whether dogs were fixed or not? Didn’t seem like a normal thing for a kid to concern herself over.
Clearing her throat, Charlie said, “How about this . . . ? Wait here.”