Stripped Down (Tap That)

“Do you want to take the rest of the day off?”

Sloane was super grateful she worked with someone who loved animals as much as she did. “Thanks so much, Winnie, but honestly, I’d rather stay busy.”

“Whatever you need. I have tequila in the back room too if that helps.” Winnie gave her a wink.

Sloane laughed nervously. “Give me an hour and I might take you up on that.”

* * *

Rick walked back into the garage and told his intern, Blake, he was taking the rest of the day off. “You can handle being here alone, right?”

Blake was twenty, a bright kid, with an eye for detail. He was also fast. He could break down and rebuild a cylinder in record time. Rick felt confident leaving him alone for a few hours.

“Sure, no problem. Everything okay?”

“Yep, just need to take care of something.” He couldn’t stand to see Sloane cry. And he couldn’t stand to see bullies get their way. It was a hot button for him.

River gave him a long look. “You’re going to go get that dog, aren’t you?”

The kid was scary perceptive. There wasn’t even any point in denying it. “Yes.”

“That’s illegal, you know.” River leaned on the countertop where his computer was and rested her head in the palm of her hand. “I can’t bail you out if you get arrested.”

“No one is getting arrested.” He ruffled her hair, wondering when the age would arrive where she would care enough to brush it. “Besides, you have plenty of cash. You probably could bail me out.”

“Haha.” She chewed her lip. “I just don’t want anything to happen to you, okay?” She looked like she might cry.

Rick was touched. “Nothing is going to happen to me. I’m just going to make sure that gate gets opened and if the dog happens to walk out and down the street and jump in my car, then that’s not a crime. I am just picking up a stray.”

“She said the dog is chained up.” River stood up. “You haven’t even thought this through!”

“Right.” Details. He wasn’t so much into them as River was. “I’ll figure it out.” One thing he had learned in life was if you just brazened and shouldered your way through life, it usually worked out.

“Can I go with you?”

“No.”

“I’m a good cover. No one will think you’re breaking and entering with a kid with you.”

She was good. He was constantly amazed at what a little manipulator River was. Some day she was going to destroy a lineup of men. They would topple like bowling pins under her machinations.

“We should take your bike,” he said. “You can’t ride it so we’ll look like a father teaching his daughter to ride a bike.”

“I like it.” She stuck her hand up and out for a high-five. “I’ll put on my T-shirt with the dog on the front. For good luck.”

Rick slapped her small hand with a high five. “Let’s do this.” This was most likely the world’s worst parenting ever but wasn’t he teaching her compassion? “You do understand I’m doing this because I’m afraid if we wait for the bureaucrats to do their thing, Sloane’s dog could die from dehydration, right? I don’t normally advocate just driving around setting dogs free.”

“I get it. Besides, you like Sloane.”

“Of course I like Sloane. She’s Sullivan’s sister. We grew up together.”

“Whatever.” River rolled her eyes. “Because you want to be a hero to just a random girl you grew up with?”

Rick couldn’t help but laugh. “River Anne Ryder. You are one in a million. Love you, kid.”

“I love you, too. Now get your tools.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He saluted her and went to grab a bolt cutter.