She should have been upset, at least unsettled by it, but no one had ever stood up for her like that. Although she didn’t like violence, it didn’t stop the giddiness that took over as she remembered the intensity of his gaze when he helped her off the floor. Wade cared for her, not the way her body wanted him to, but enough to defend her.
Her gaze wandered to him as she wiped tables, while taking orders, and when she cleaned glasses at the end of the night. No longer did she see her dad’s friend, but a man. Someone she knew nothing about. Now and then, he caught her staring and winked. Then, she would look away, embarrassed, but her gaze would drift back for another glimpse of his crooked smile.
She had to stop. Kristina scolded herself for her silliness while walking home. Wade had a wife and he was almost old enough to be her father. He wouldn’t ever cross the invisible barrier between them. Although she knew it was stupid she wished things could be different. With Daniel around, a relationship with any man was impossible. Daniel wouldn’t allow it. Yet, the thought of Daniel tangling with Wade made her laugh just a little. There was a fight Daniel wouldn’t win.
***
Kristina opened her eyes to sunlight and rolled over to look at the clock. “Shit.”
She jumped out of bed. With her mom and Cadence due any minute, she wouldn’t even have time for a shower.
A knock on the front door and her mother entered. “Hello? Kristina?”
“I’ll be down in a minute. I slept in, sorry.” Grabbing a T-shirt from the basket next to the door Kristina promised herself she would put the laundry away at some point, although it never seemed to happen.
When footsteps sounded on the stairs, she picked up the jeans she’d worn to work and struggled into them but gazed longingly at the blue track pants folded neatly on top of the basket. Her plan for the day included going out, and she made it a point not to look like a bum anymore if she could help it.
“Sorry hon, but I’m late for work.” Her mother pushed the door open and entered the bedroom, Cadence resting on her hip. The baby grinned and held her arms out.
“Hey Monkey,” Kristina took her after giving her mom a hug. “I know, sorry.”
“Don’t be. I kept her longer this morning because your dad decided to feed her ice cream last night and she was up so late. I let her sleep longer so she wouldn’t be grumpy for you.”
“That’s okay, she probably loved it. I’ve been trying new stuff. But I do it early, in case it doesn’t agree with her.”
Her mom rolled her eyes and kissed Cadence before heading down. Kristina followed making faces at her daughter as they descended the stairs. Cadence giggled and clapped her hands.
With Cadence settled into her highchair a few minutes later, the smell of brewing coffee teasing her nose, Kristina leaned on the counter and gazed out the window. Another sunny day, maybe they’d walk across the road to the river and test the water.
Another knock at the door and Kristina rolled her eyes. She glanced around the living room hoping to see what her mother could have left behind. Finding nothing, she opened the door. Her smile faded and she moved back. Daniel stood with his arms crossed, a scowl on his face.
“Well?” he asked.
“Well what? I don’t know why you’re here.”
“Um, I think I still have a daughter who lives here, unless you’ve managed to take that from me too.”
Kristina stepped aside, her good mood chased away by Daniel’s darkness. “You do know tomorrow is your day, don’t you?” She followed him into the living room.
He spun around forcing her to skid to a halt. “What’s this about the bar?”
“I—what do you mean?”
“What do I mean? You are working there aren’t you?”
Kristina’s cheeks burned. She knew he’d be pissed but dared to hope after she’d worked the first week without comment, he’d decided it wasn’t worth arguing about. She couldn’t be
Her gaze wandered to him as she wiped tables, while taking orders, and when she cleaned glasses at the end of the night. No longer did she see her dad’s friend, but a man. Someone she knew nothing about. Now and then, he caught her staring and winked. Then, she would look away, embarrassed, but her gaze would drift back for another glimpse of his crooked smile.
She had to stop. Kristina scolded herself for her silliness while walking home. Wade had a wife and he was almost old enough to be her father. He wouldn’t ever cross the invisible barrier between them. Although she knew it was stupid she wished things could be different. With Daniel around, a relationship with any man was impossible. Daniel wouldn’t allow it. Yet, the thought of Daniel tangling with Wade made her laugh just a little. There was a fight Daniel wouldn’t win.
***
Kristina opened her eyes to sunlight and rolled over to look at the clock. “Shit.”
She jumped out of bed. With her mom and Cadence due any minute, she wouldn’t even have time for a shower.
A knock on the front door and her mother entered. “Hello? Kristina?”
“I’ll be down in a minute. I slept in, sorry.” Grabbing a T-shirt from the basket next to the door Kristina promised herself she would put the laundry away at some point, although it never seemed to happen.
When footsteps sounded on the stairs, she picked up the jeans she’d worn to work and struggled into them but gazed longingly at the blue track pants folded neatly on top of the basket. Her plan for the day included going out, and she made it a point not to look like a bum anymore if she could help it.
“Sorry hon, but I’m late for work.” Her mother pushed the door open and entered the bedroom, Cadence resting on her hip. The baby grinned and held her arms out.
“Hey Monkey,” Kristina took her after giving her mom a hug. “I know, sorry.”
“Don’t be. I kept her longer this morning because your dad decided to feed her ice cream last night and she was up so late. I let her sleep longer so she wouldn’t be grumpy for you.”
“That’s okay, she probably loved it. I’ve been trying new stuff. But I do it early, in case it doesn’t agree with her.”
Her mom rolled her eyes and kissed Cadence before heading down. Kristina followed making faces at her daughter as they descended the stairs. Cadence giggled and clapped her hands.
With Cadence settled into her highchair a few minutes later, the smell of brewing coffee teasing her nose, Kristina leaned on the counter and gazed out the window. Another sunny day, maybe they’d walk across the road to the river and test the water.
Another knock at the door and Kristina rolled her eyes. She glanced around the living room hoping to see what her mother could have left behind. Finding nothing, she opened the door. Her smile faded and she moved back. Daniel stood with his arms crossed, a scowl on his face.
“Well?” he asked.
“Well what? I don’t know why you’re here.”
“Um, I think I still have a daughter who lives here, unless you’ve managed to take that from me too.”
Kristina stepped aside, her good mood chased away by Daniel’s darkness. “You do know tomorrow is your day, don’t you?” She followed him into the living room.
He spun around forcing her to skid to a halt. “What’s this about the bar?”
“I—what do you mean?”
“What do I mean? You are working there aren’t you?”
Kristina’s cheeks burned. She knew he’d be pissed but dared to hope after she’d worked the first week without comment, he’d decided it wasn’t worth arguing about. She couldn’t be
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