What happened back there?

Trix bolted away from her father with tears in her eyes. Gone was that strong, thick-skinned woman I’ve come to (sort of) get to know. One ten-minute conversation with her father and she almost dissolved. She couldn’t even stand up to that stooge, Marcus, even though I’ve seen her do just that before.

I’m not a violent man. I can count the number of times I’ve made a fist with intent to use it on one hand but seeing Marcus shove Trix against the wall like that made me realize what I might be capable of.

Hearing Trix moan beneath me and knew exactly why.

A familiar messenger bag drops onto my table and I look up to find Haley taking her seat across from me with a very tall cup of coffee in her hand. I throw on a smile, welcoming the distraction, as I push her lunch toward her.

“Hey, honey,” I say.

“Hey,” she says with a grunt.

I chuckle. “Uh-oh. You okay?”

“Monday,” is all she says before taking a long sip from her cup.

“Yeah... Monday.” I tap the tray. “I got you turkey with swiss. Extra mayo.”

She perks up and reaches for it. “Perfect. Thank you.”

I unwrap my own sandwich and take a bite as I glance around the crowded university center dining room. I didn’t realize how hungry I was between setting up that meeting at the jail and driving Trix home and... well...

I knew what to expect. Doesn’t mean I was prepared.

“Hey, Hal!”

A trio of young women pauses by our table. They look at me out of their peripheral vision, not wanting to make their obvious stares too obvious.

“Hey,” Haley says as flips open her bag.

“Who is this?” the ring-leaders asks, finally looking at me straight-on. “Is this your boyfriend?”

Haley’s face screws up in disgust. “Ew. No. This is my dad.”

Their expressions admire me with awe and wonder.

I grin and extend my hand. “Lance Tyler. Nice to meet you, ladies.”

They each shake my hand while Haley glares at me.

“Wow,” they swoon. “Your dad? No way.”

Haley withdraws a pink notebook from her bag. “Here, Lisa. Thanks for the notes.”

The girl takes the book but keeps staring at me. “You’re welcome. I’ll see you in class...”

“Bye,” Haley says.

The girls quickly scamper off, whispering among themselves with a few quick peeks at me.

I lean back and pat my chest. “Still got it,” I say.

Haley continues to glare. “Gross.”

“Hey, you said you were fine with me dating.”

“Yeah, someone age-appropriate — like that woman from the other night. Speaking of… have you talked to her yet?”

“Uh…” My lips twitch. “A little.”

She reaches for her coffee. “And?”

“And… it’s complicated,” I say. “She’s got a lot on her plate and I have my case — and you. Always.”

Her nose crinkles up. “You didn’t use the Haley first line, did you?”

I open my mouth and quickly close it again. “Well…”

Haley shakes her head. “I’m not a kid anymore, Dad. You can put you first sometimes.”

“For the record — no, I can’t. And also, to be fair, the last time I brought a woman home, we broke up a week later and you cried for a month.”

“I was nine!” she says, laughing. “I think I’m past that stage now.”

“Haley, you’re always going to be that nine-year-old to me. I just recently got over the fact that I’ll never see you in overalls and pigtails again.”

She winces. “I hated those overalls.”

“Uh, no. You loved those.”

“Hated them.”

“Then, why did you wear them?” I ask.

“Yeah, sure, I could always have trekked on down to Penneys for something else? You wouldn’t let me pick out my own clothes until I was fourteen.”

I point a finger. “Hey, I saw way too many of your classmates walking around in leggings with the word juicy sprawled across their asses. You’re damn right I dressed you.”

She cocks her head. I proved her point.

“Okay, fine. Whatever. Just…” I pause. “What were we talking about?”

She chuckles. “Senility’s a bitch, huh?”

I pinch my brow. “I’m just tired. It’s been a long day.”

“It’s one-thirty.”

“Remember naptime?” I stifle a yawn. “That was a fun tradition.”

“Go home and take a nap.”

“I wish. Need to head back to the office after this.” I take another bite of my sandwich and set it aside. “What are you up to later?”

“Well… I have homework. Lots of it. And an ungodly amount of reading to do. So, I am going to pack up all of my textbooks, plant myself in the library, and stay there with caffeine and a pizza until about… I don’t know, midnight?” She smiles. “Or do you need more time?”

“More time for what?”

Her smile drops. “Don’t make me answer that, man.”

“Answer what?”

She raises her brow. “Invite her over again.”

“No, Hal, it’s not that simple, okay?”

“Well, just in case, I’m simplifying it for you,” she says. “You’ll have a big, empty house all to yourself with the good silverware and candles. Do what you want. Have a guy’s night. Kick back with a few brews and watch the game. Or… you can invite the super pretty work thing over again and not have to worry about the kid because she’s already made herself scarce for the night. For real this time.”

I smirk. “What game?”

She slaps my arm.

“Thank you,” I say, leaning back. “I appreciate the gesture — but it is a complicated situation and I’m not sure if inviting her over again is the best thing to do right now.”

“Why not? Is she a client?”

“If I say yes, will you drop it?”

“Message received.” She smiles. “I just want you to be happy. That’s all. If it weren’t for me you’d probably—”

“No.” I look her in the eye. My baby girl. “I’ve made some mistakes but you are not, nor have you ever been, anywhere near that list. You know that, right?”

“Of course, I do.”

“I don’t want you thinking that. Ever.”

“I don’t,” she says. “And while I always appreciate random outbursts of love and devotion toward me, what I was gonna say was that if it weren’t for me, you’d probably have gotten laid the other night.”

I bite my cheek. “Oh.”

I watch her as she chugs a bit more of that giant coffee, simultaneously in awe and grief. Just yesterday we were practicing tying her shoelaces. That was yesterday, right? It couldn’t possibly have been more than a week since bunny ears but here she is. Tall, beautiful, smart, and on her way to take over the world.

“Hey, kid,” I say. “Remember how all of our conversations used to involve Harry Potter? What changed?”

She looks at me and grins. “You grew up. I grew up. Maybe not in that order, but…”

I chuckle. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“I know,” she says as she takes a bite of her sandwich.

I exhale and stare out across the room. “Yeah, she knows.”