Of Course, Cutie ('69 #2) Page 2

  ◆◆◆

  At 9:30 pm, I stepped out the back door of ’69 to take my break and found my boss’s little sister sitting on the steps. “Hey, sorry. Didn’t know anyone was out here.”

  She turned her bright, blue eyes up to look at me and attempted to hide a beer in her leather jacket. I stared at the beer, then back at her, then back at the beer. A laugh escaped my throat, and I held out my hand. “Give it here.”

  “Fuck.” Charlie handed me the bottle and pulled her beanie down a little lower on her forehead. “It’s bullshit, you know—the drinking laws. If I can vote and go to prison, I should be able to drink a stupid beer.”

  “You’re not wrong.” I took a sip of her beer. She went with a Shock Top, which was not surprising. “But, the law is the law until we change it.”

  Charlie let out a long slow breath into the chilly autumn night. “Please don’t tell my brother.”

  “Of course, cutie. Just this once.” I finished off her beer and tossed the bottle in the recycling bin near the back gate. “When do you turn twenty-one?”

  “One year and two months.”

  Ah. She was nineteen. Then I definitely shouldn’t have checked out her ass earlier. A thirty-five-year-old divorced dude had no business staring at that ass. It had a fantastic shape and looked like it could fill up a pair of hands nicely, but it was very much off-limits.

  “How old are you, Burke?”

  “Thirty-five.” I sat beside her on the steps. “So, how many of those beers did you drink before I came out here?”

  Charlie scoffed and folded her arms. She really was a cute little thing — big, blue eyes, thick, dark lashes, and pouty, pink lips. She tapped her booted foot against the pavement for a moment before finally throwing her hands up and saying, “Three! Sue me!”

  I laughed and shook my head. “Are you a little drunk, Charlie?”

  “No. I’m not a fucking lightweight.”

  I grinned at her and pinched my thumb and pointer finger together. “Maybe just a little bit drunk?”

  “No!” Charlie glared at me, then bit her bottom lip. “Buzzed.”

  “If boss-man Bingley sees you like this, he’s going to flip his lid.”

  Charlie snorted into her hand. “Boss-man Bingley. I can’t even tell you how much I love that name for my brother.” She laughed again and leaned into me a little. Damn. Cute little Charlie smelled fantastic, like mint and coconut.

  “He really will lose his shit, Charlie. He’s already in a terrible mood tonight.” My new boss hadn’t yelled at me or anything—not a lot of guys dared to get up in my face— but Evan was stalking around the bar with the broody facial expression of a teenaged vampire. It didn’t bode well for Charlie that she’d been sneaking drinks from his bar. It didn’t bode well for me either, as the bartender who didn’t notice her underaged theft.

  “No shit Evan’s in a bad mood. Our dad died one year ago tomorrow.” Charlie stood and wobbled. I caught her elbow before she stumbled.

  “Hence the drinking?”

  Charlie grinned at me and tapped her nose. “You got it, Burke.” Then she laughed. “That’s such a tough, manly name. Burke.” She turned to head up the steps, still saying my name. “Burke. Burke. Burke.”

  She was in worse shape than I thought. “Hold it, cutie. You can’t go back in there like that.”

  Charlie frowned. “But I’m cold.”

  I sighed and tugged off my jacket. I draped it over her shoulders and said, “Sit. I’ll go grab you a burger and some coffee.”

  Charlie sank back onto the steps, wrapping my jacket around her. “Okie doke, Burke.”

  I headed back inside and scanned the crowded bar for Evan. He was sulking by the stage, unaware of the hordes of women gawking at him. The clock behind the bar confirmed that I had five minutes left on my break, so I worked quickly to get the goods for Charlie, and slipped out the back door again.

  Charlie sat on the stairs and smiled up at me, wrapping my jacket tightly around her body. “Your jacket smells good. It’s not like the Axe body spray that all the dumbass college boys wear. It smells like grown-up man.”

  I laughed and set the plate of food and mug of coffee next to her on the stairs. “Well, I am a grown-up man, so I guess that makes sense.” I patted her shoulder. “This should help so you can come back in and at least pretend to be sober. Eat up. I gotta get back to work.”

  As I turned to leave, she caught my hand in hers. “Thanks, Burke.”

  “Of course, cutie.” I headed back inside, planning to check on her again in a few minutes, but as soon as I was through the door, I found myself face-to-face with Sienna.

  Sienna smiled and folded her arms. “Are we feeding homeless people or kittens back there, Burke?”

  I shrugged. “A homeless kitten?”

  Sienna laughed and shook her head. “Is it Charlie?”

  I sized up my new boss’s girl, tried to stare into her soul to see if she could be trusted.

  While she waited for my response, Sienna unfolded her arms and glanced over her shoulder. “I’ll get her home. I’m about to send that one home, too.” She jabbed her thumb in Evan’s direction. “Their dad passed away a year ago. Needless to say, the whole family is really struggling.” Sienna patted my arm as she walked by me. “Thanks for taking care of her.”

  She pulled open the back door, and I heard Charlie’s voice. “Shit. He told on me! Sienna, I’m not drunk.” Sienna glanced over her shoulder at me and smiled.

  I heard her say, “Nobody told on you, Charlie. I’m just smart,” before the door closed. Sienna would take care of Charlie. I didn’t need to worry about her anymore tonight.

  3

  Burke

  “Lexi, are you shittin’ me right now? I have to be at the bar in fifteen minutes! I worked my ass off to align my schedule with yours, and now—"

  “She’s your daughter, Burke!” Lexi cut me off. “Didn’t you move all the way out here to spend more time with her?”

  I gripped the phone in my hand, fighting the need to curse out my ex-wife. This was so like her, selfish and manipulative. I gritted my teeth. “You know I did.”

  “Then pick her up from school! I can’t get out of this meeting!” Then that beast of a woman hung up her phone.

  “Fuck!” I pounded the kitchen countertop with my fist. I’d only been working my new job for a week, and while the bar owner seemed like a reasonable guy, I’d already fucked up once by letting his underage sister get trashed right under my nose. How could I cancel my shift with only fifteen minutes’ notice?

  I let out a deep breath and gave Evan a call while I walked to my car — a boring-ass reliable Subaru. I traded in my damn motorcycle when I met Lexi twelve years ago. She worried about my safety back then. I used to think it was sweet.

  Evan answered with a tired-sounding, “Hello?”

  It was the anniversary week of his father’s death, and I could tell the guy wasn’t sleeping. I cleared my throat. “Hey, man. I hate to do this, but my daughter is sick, and I have to go pick her up from school.”

  “Oh, shit. Does that mean you won’t be able to make it in today?”

  “Looks like it. Sorry about that. My ex can’t get out of her meeting, and it’s my weekend.”

  “Right, right.” Evan let out a deep breath. “That sucks. We get slammed for lunch on Fridays. I’ll call Marla, though.” He paused for a minute, then continued, “Hold it! I might have an idea. Hey, Charlie!” He called to her in the background. I pictured his cute little sister sitting on a barstool, folding black napkins with Sienna. Did she still have my jacket?

  Evan was back. “Okay, my sister is free to babysit, and she is great with kids. She watches our one-year-old niece all the time. You can bring your daughter to the bar, and Charlie can take her back to your place if you’re comfortable with that.”

  I groaned inwardly. I wanted to be there for Tess when she wasn’t feeling well, but Friday lunchtime and happy hour tips paid a good chunk o
f my weekly bills. I had to work to afford an apartment near her. It was a classic catch-22. “Are you sure your sister wouldn’t mind?”

  “Not at all, right, Charlie?” I was sure Evan was messing up her shiny hair and grinning at her.

  “Okay, well, thank her for me.” I hung up and drove to Tess’s school, where she was waiting in the front office.

  My little girl looked pale and had tears in her pretty brown eyes. “Daddy!” she croaked and reached for me.

  “Hey, sweetheart.” I scooped her up in my arms and pressed a kiss to her forehead. It felt hot. How could I leave her for an entire afternoon with someone she’d never met? I thanked the office staff and carried Tess to the car.

  “Sweetheart, I have to work, but I have a nice friend named Charlie that can stay with you until I’m done. Would that be all right?”

  Tess shrugged and slumped in her booster seat. “Okay. Will she let me play my iPad?”

  “Yes. I’ll tell her it’s okay.”

  We drove in silence to the bar, and as I pulled into an employee parking space, I spotted Charlie leaning against the brick wall. She smiled and waved when she saw me.

  I climbed out of my car, and Charlie walked over. “Hey! How is she?”

  I rubbed my beard and glanced back at Tess, thinking again that I shouldn’t leave her. The poor kid looked miserable. I sighed. “She’s got a fever. I hate to do this.”

  Charlie smiled and shoved her hands in her jacket pockets. “I can handle it. I’m pretty familiar with sickness. A little fever doesn’t scare me.”

  I nodded, still not convinced. “Am I putting you out, Charlie? Are you missing something important for this?”

  Charlie laughed. “Nope, just U.S. History, as told by the winners. I never go to that class.”

  I grinned back at Charlie. My boss’s cute little sister was a funny one. “Well, thank you. I owe you.”

  Charlie shook her head, her hair turning golden under the crisp sunlight. “Nah. I already owed you for feeding me when I was making bad decisions.”

  “Okay, so we’re even now.” I smiled again and opened the back door of my Subaru. “Tess, sweetheart, this is Charlie. She’s going to take you back to my apartment for a few hours until I get done at work.”

  Tess glanced over at Charlie. “Okay.” My little girl’s voice was so quiet. Shit. I couldn’t leave her. I’d been leaving her her whole damn life. Every time I went back to Alaska, every time I stormed out of the house after a fight with Lexi… I left Tess, and it killed me.

  Charlie stepped up and smiled. “Tess, that’s such a pretty name.” She leaned down and held out her hand. “I’m sorry you’re not feeling well today, Tess, but I promise I’ll take good care of you. We can watch your favorite movies, read your favorite books, and I’m great at making chicken noodle soup. Does that sound okay?”

  Tess gave Charlie her little crooked smile and nodded slightly. Then she unbuckled her seatbelt and took Charlie’s hand. Charlie grabbed Tess’s booster seat with her free hand and turned to smile at me. “You look worried.”

  “I should be with her.”

  Charlie nodded. “You will as soon as you can. And for now, I’ll be with her.”

  “Right. Thank you.” I took the booster seat and followed Charlie and Tess to her car. After setting it up in the backseat, I gave Tess one more bear hug. Then I handed my apartment key to Charlie and gave her my address and phone number to call if Tess was getting worse.

  Charlie laughed and rested a hand on my arm. “Burke, I promise we’ll be okay. Trust me!”

  If only she knew how slowly trust came for me these days. I nodded and thanked her again, then headed into the bar to start my shift.

  ◆◆◆

  When I got home after work that evening, the sight that greeted me set me on fire. It wasn’t an angry fire, like the ones Lexi started inside of me. This fire was warm and consuming, and it felt damn good. My sweet little girl was asleep with her head in Charlie’s lap. Charlie wore a pair of headphones and scrolled through her phone with one hand while gently rubbing Tess’s back with the other.

  Charlie glanced up when I entered the room and gave me a bright smile. Damn. She could light up my entire apartment with that smile. She tugged her headphones off and whispered. “Hey, she fell asleep about thirty minutes ago.”

  I smiled at my daughter and sank into the armchair across from the couch. “Did her fever break?” I kept my voice low and quiet.

  Charlie nodded. “I gave her a little of the children’s Motrin I found in the bathroom. I hope that’s okay. She was miserable and achy.”

  “That’s perfect, thank you. I forgot to tell you where that was, so I’m glad you were able to find it.”

  Charlie smiled. “I’m resourceful.”

  I smiled back at her. “I can see that. Looks like Tess likes you.”

  “She’s a sweet kid.” Charlie looked down at my daughter and brushed the hair away from her forehead. It was a small but tender gesture that spoke volumes to Charlie’s nature. She knew how to care for people, and it made me wonder what she’d been through with her father.

  I stood and bent to scoop Tess up in my arms. “I’ll get her to bed. I brought home some fried chicken from the bar if you’re hungry.” I wasn’t expecting Charlie to stay and eat dinner with me. A pretty young girl like her had things to do, I was sure, but I figured I’d offer anyway.

  She surprised me with her answer. “That sounds great. Thanks!”

  I carried Tess down the hall to her bedroom, with my heart rate picking up a little. I would have to be dead or gay not to find Charlie attractive. But my attraction toward my boss’s nineteen-year-old sister was inappropriate. The whole thing made me nervous and uncomfortable. Still, I couldn’t help wanting to spend time with Charlie.

  4

  Charlie

  Burke invited me to stay and have dinner with him. Holy shit. He was just being nice because I watched his darling little girl, but still, my heart was racing out of control. I made my way into his kitchen while he put Tess to bed and saw two foam takeout containers on his table. He brought dinner home, specifically for me.

  I leaned against his kitchen counter and tapped my foot while I waited for Burke to come back out. Holy shit, I was nervous. I wandered back to his living room and put on my headphones. Music would help me chill the fuck out. Before long, I closed my eyes and was lost in the wailing guitar notes of Guns N’ Roses.

  When I felt Burke’s hand on my shoulder a few minutes later, my nerves shot right back up. “Hey!” I yanked my headphones off and slid away from his touch. I didn’t want to move away from him. It was more like I needed to.

  He laughed. “Did I scare you, cutie?”

  “No.”

  “Right.” Burke nodded and smiled at me. “What were you listening to?”

  “Uh, Guns N’ Roses, specifically Sweet Child O’ Mine.”

  “Ooh, that’s a good one.” Burke grabbed the containers of chicken from his kitchen table, handing one to me, and sank onto his couch. “I didn’t think college kids listened to the classics.”

  I sat softly beside him, making sure to leave plenty of space between us. “I’m not like most college kids. I inherited my taste in music from my dad.” I popped open the lid and wondered how in the hell I could eat fried chicken and look remotely attractive.

  “All right, that’s cool. So what’s your favorite Guns N’ Roses song?” Burke took a bite of his chicken. Of course, he still looked all sexy.

  “Patience,” I answered without even thinking.

  Burke nodded. “That song is perfection. I think I have to agree with you there.” He pulled his phone from his back pocket, and after a moment, Patience started playing. He grinned at me and set his phone on the coffee table. “Damn good song.”

  I smiled and closed my eyes, letting the music wash over me. When I opened them, Burke was staring at me. I laughed and melted a little under his gaze. “This song takes me back to childhood when
everything was so much easier.”

  “It takes me back to an easier time, too.” Quiet settled between us for a moment, and we listened to the song. When it ended, Burke asked, “What other classic bands do you like?”

  “I mean, Boston, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Cream, Queen, Fleetwood Mac. Should I go on?”

  “Okay, thoughts on Stairway to Heaven?”

  I raised my eyebrows at him. “That song comes on and everyone needs to shut the fuck up until it’s over. Duh.”

  Burke laughed out loud and slid the elastic out of his dark hair. It was thick and wavy and didn’t quite reach his shoulders. “You’re cool, Charlie.”

  Fuck me. This man was so damn hot. I laughed and leaned back against his couch, relaxing a little. “Thanks, Burke. You’re all right, too.”

  “Thank you.” His eyes settled on the container in my lap. “You gonna eat, cutie?”

  “Uh, yeah. I just don’t know how to not look gross eating fried chicken off the bone.”

  Burke burst out laughing again. “Damn, you’re cute. I’ll look the other way so that you don’t starve.”

  “That would be helpful.” Did he really think I was cute? Oh shit, cute like his daughter? Or cute like Emma Stone?

  We talked about music for a few more minutes while we ate. His taste in music was incredible. I could spend the rest of my life listening to old classics with Burke and be perfectly happy.

  After we listened to Hotel California, Burke glanced over at me and asked point-blank, “What got your old man last year?”

  I blinked in surprise. No one asked that. It felt like no one wanted to talk about it at all anymore. A part of me appreciated his directness. There was no point in dancing around the hard shit in life. It was still there, even if you pretended it wasn’t. “Uh, brain cancer.”

  “That fucking sucks.”

  “Yup. Sucks balls.” I met his gaze. It wasn’t full of pity, more like understanding. “What happened with Tess’s mom?”