Easy For Keeps (Boudreaux 3.5)

But I have Hailey! I can’t leave Hailey.

“She’s shot!”

And then it’s chaos as the house swarms with people.

Chapter Nine

~Adam~

“I love beer,” Hailey says with a perfectly sober face.

“You do?” I ask as I boost her up on a barstool. “Do you drink a lot of beer?”

“Only when Mom lets me,” she says and leans on the bar like a pro. I’m tempted to take a picture.

“What kind of beer do you like?” I smile at the sweet girl and when she smiles back, my heart twists in my chest.

“The root kind.”

“Ah,” I nod and grab a glass and begin to fill it with root beer. “That’s the best kind for little girls.”

“Yeah,” she says with a sigh. “Mommy and me were at the zoo.”

“I know. She told me you were going. Did you get to see much before you had to leave?”

“We saw the baby tigers.” She grins and slurps her drink. “They are sooooo cute! But even though tigers are kitties, they don’t say meow.”

“Really. What do they say?”

“Rawr!” She holds her hands up in claws and scrunches her nose. “But the babies just say, rawr.” Her voice rises with the baby rawr.

God, she’s adorable.

“What else did you see?”

“Snakes.” She sticks her tongue out in disgust.

“Don’t like the snakes?”

“No. Oh, and we saw polar bears! And penguins.” She sips her drink. “What’s your favorite thing at the zoo?”

“I don’t know.” I haven’t been to the zoo in years.

“Everybody has a favorite,” she insists.

“I like the lions,” I reply with a grin and reach over to tuck her dark hair behind her ear. “Maybe we can go back and you can show me the babies.”

“Okay!”

The front door opens and in walks Callie on her higher-than-can-be-healthy heels. She clicks over the floor, staring down at her phone, and when she glances up and sees Hailey, she raises a brow at me.

“What is this, Sweet Home Alabama? You have a baby. In a bar.”

“I’m not a baby! I’m a grown-up girl,” Hailey says, a frown on her face.

“Sarah had to run to a job real quick,” I reply. “But now you get to meet Hailey. This is my best friend, Callie.”

“Your best friend is a girl?” Hailey asks, her eyes wide.

“Yep,” I reply.

“Hello, Hailey,” Callie says and smiles kindly. “You’re very pretty.”

“Thank you,” she says. “So are you.”

“Thank you,” Callie replies. “How old are you?”

“Five.”

“Well, you’re right. You are a grown-up girl.” Callie winks and props her hands on her hips. “What are you and Adam up to?”

“He gave me beer, and we are talking about the zoo.”

“Root beer,” I assure her.

“Right. Because I was convinced that you’d give her regular beer.” She rolls her eyes. “When will Sarah be back?”

“She said she’d only be a few minutes.” I glance at the clock and frown. “She also said she’d text me when she got there and I haven’t heard from her. I’ll call her real quick.”

I dial her number and it rings several times before it’s answered.

Not by my girlfriend.

“Hello,” a man says, making me frown and stare at the phone, making sure I dialed the right number.

I did.

“Who is this?”

“Tom,” he says. “Adam?”

“I’m going to need a very good explanation for why you’re answering Sarah’s phone.”

“I’m trying to find her emergency contact,” he replies. “Do you know who it would be?”

“Wait. What? What the fuck is going on?”

“Adam said a swear,” Hailey says to Callie, and I immediately march into my office.

“I have Sarah,” Tom says. “And you know that I can’t tell you why, Adam. It’s the law.”

“Fuck the law,” I growl. “Where are you taking her?”

“Tulane,” he replies. “And who should I call for her?”

“Becca,” I reply immediately. “I have Sarah’s daughter with me.”

“Thanks.” He ends the call and I’m left standing in my office, suddenly numb.

What in the hell has happened to Sarah? I push my hands through my hair and rush out of my office to find Callie cozied up with Hailey, drinking a root beer of her own and laughing.

“What’s the matter?” she asks when she sees my face.

“I have to go.” I glance at Hailey, not wanting to scare her. “I need you to keep her.”

“Of course. Hailey, you don’t mind hanging out with me for a while, do you?”

Hailey suddenly looks shy and uncertain, and this is not the time for the mood swings of a young child.

“Callie is super nice.” I hug Hailey close and kiss her head.

“I’m not supposed to stay with strangers,” she says.

“You’re such a good girl,” I reply and smile. “But Callie isn’t a stranger. She knows me and your mommy. I trust her.”

“We’ll have fun,” Callie says.

“Can we have a tea party with our beer?” Hailey asks.

“Sure,” Callie says with a smile, then turns her gaze to me. “We’ll be fine.”