“Tattoo,” I said.
She drooled, and I grinned.
“That a girl,” I cooed, offering my hand for a high-five, which she took.
“She’s got you,” Tally snickered. “I was wondering if you wanted to go to breakfast to discuss whatever we were supposed to at lunch the other day…but never got around to.”
I looked away from Tallulah and to her mother.
“I can’t,” I apologized. “I have to go meet my floor people before they leave, and drop a check off for this week’s draw.” I held out my hand when Tallulah reached for it. “Unless you want to wait forty-five minutes, and let me run by the house and change. You can meet me at my place, and we can go from there.”
I indicated my shirt with my hand, and snorted.
“I need to do that, too,” she agreed. “Mom and I switched off when she went in,” she indicated her daughter with a jostle of her hip. Causing the little imp to giggle. “I could just go get her some donuts, drop her off at daycare, and meet you at your house—we can ride together. You did promise to show me your ass last night, after all.”
I snorted.
Last night we’d gotten into a discussion about my goats and donkey, and she’d expressed interest in seeing them.
Though, I definitely remember Tallulah being mentioned in that ‘meeting’ part. Not just her.
Did I call her on that, though? Nope.
“You’re taking her to school?” I asked.
She nodded. “I’m required to take her whether I’m working or not, or I lose my state funding that helps me pay for her schooling,” she grimaced. “It sucks, because I wasn’t planning on taking her on my days off, which aren’t that copious in the first place, but they won’t let me. They’ve given me absolutely no choice.”
I snorted. “My sister was on that,” I told her. “If you are there for four hours, they count them as there. I know that only because I used to pester the lady that watched my sister’s kids.”
I offered to hold Tallulah by raising both of my hands, and she gave her to me, watching me curiously.
I brought Tallulah to my chest and placed her rump on my forearm.
“You sure are cute,” I told the little girl.
“She knows it, too,” Tally snickered. “You should see the way my dad moans every time we put one of those over the top bows on her head. Tallulah crawls around with a huge smile on her face.”
I held my hand out when the girl in my hands patted my thumb.
She latched onto my hand and brought it to her face, rubbing her cheek along the rough skin of my palm.
“She’s also got an obsession with hands,” Tally murmured. “As you can see. Though, yours are more colorful than what she’s used to.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “I suspect they are.”
“Anyway,” Tally held out her hands and I reluctantly gave her child back to her. “I have to go drop her off…and if you want, I’ll meet you at your house and we can do breakfast? To go over my options?”
I should tell her no. I shouldn’t encourage her. I should set her straight right now, and put an end to this awkward relationship we had.
But did I do any of those things?
No.
I did not.
Instead, I nodded my head.
“Yeah,” I confirmed. “That sounds good. That way I can help you with those tips I used to use to help with my test anxiety.”
Or that would be my excuse, anyway.
Or the excuse I would give any of the teaching staff if they happened to catch us at breakfast with each other.
Tally held up her thumb, and Tallulah copied her, causing my grin to widen.
“See you later, darlin’,” I murmured. “Have fun at school, toots.”
“Ah!” Tallulah held up one fisted hand high in the air.
Tally rolled her eyes, and turned to leave, stopping only once to sidestep a large puddle that was bisecting the parking lot.
I watched as she placed her child into the car, strapping and buckling her in as I curiously watched the entire process.
Idly, I wondered if the seat that Tally was using was safe for the type of vehicle she drove. It looked like it barely fit into the backseat. And what kind of safety rating it had if it were to be in an accident.
Why I was so concerned with the car seat’s safety rating was beyond me, but I’d dissect that later.
Hopefully, if I ignored the strange feelings pouring through me at the sight of the two of them leaving, they would disappear.
Right?
Wrong.
But I was a good faker, and I had a sensational poker face.
***
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I said as I looked at the floors that were just stained and sealed. “What the fuck is this?”
The boy, and yes, I really do mean boy because he had to be eighteen at most, looked at me with fear-filled eyes. “I—I’m just here to help. I only clean the floor. Mr. Jody can answer your questions.”
I growled low in my throat.
“How about you go get him for me then, kid?” I asked.
The kid ran, halting to place his broom down, almost making me want to laugh.
Almost.
This was so far from freakin’ funny that it was laughable.
I wanted to strangle someone.
And the man, the leader of this band of dumbasses, came around the corner smiling at me like I should be proud of the goddamned floor when I wasn’t.
“Hiya!” he called loudly, his annoying voice echoing off the walls of the empty house. “How do you like it?”
I didn’t smile. In fact, I didn’t do a goddamned thing but cross my arms over my chest and let him see my displeasure.
The grin slipped off his face, and he stared at me warily.
“Is this what you call quality workmanship?” I asked him, pointing toward the ground. “Do you see this?”
He looked down and swallowed.
“Yes, Sir,” he answered.
“The builder told me that you would use paint thinner to dissolve this before you put the sealer down. Why, in God’s name, do I see fucking white paint on what is supposed to be my brown goddamned floor?” I growled. “That shit’s never going to come up, and I’m forever going to have to look at that eyesore. I can’t even cover it up because it’s in the godforsaken doorway!”
The man got red in the face.
“I told the builder that he should be more careful with the paint,” was his logical answer.
I breathed in deeply and then breathed out slowly.
“Is there anything else you’d like to show me?” I asked, trying to ignore the scratch that went from the front of the island all the way back to the doorway ten feet back. I was sure that was completely by accident that they didn’t try to touch that up, too.
Jody swallowed, then turned and started pointing more things out.
By the time I was through with the entire house, my blood pressure was through the roof, and I had the phone in my hand to call the builder.