Page 25 of Daddy’s Pursuit (The Daddy Guard #1)

Chapter Twenty-Five

“I kept you up too late,” Jack said with a grin.

It was the following morning and Iris had just yawned as she sat across from Daddy at a table in a diner that rested halfway between his place and Athena’s.

The restaurant was old fashioned with a counter and stools, a juke box, and booths in the front along the windows.

She was working on a stack of pancakes along with milk and orange juice, while Jack was having an omelette, hash browns, and coffee.

“I’ll be fine,” she said with a smirk. “It’s not like I really have anything to do today. No work and—” Her eyes went wide. “Oh, crap!”

“What’s wrong?”

“I forgot about my shift at the laundromat yesterday! I was supposed to work last night!”

Guilt was tearing her apart now. It must have been etched all over her face, because Jack said, “Honey, it’s okay. Mistakes happen.”

“But Mr. Heel will fire me!”

“For missing one night?”

She nodded. Suddenly, she wasn’t very hungry. Putting down her fork, she leaned back. “He’s not a very nice man. In fact, sometimes, he… uh… never mind.”

Jack leaned forward. “He does what?”

“Well, he yells a lot. And sometimes he… like pinches my butt and stuff.”

Daddy’s face turned a bright red as his nostrils flared. Iris looked down at his hand and realized he was gripping his fork so hard his knuckles were turning white.

“I’m glad you forgot about that shift. You’re not allowed to work there, honey. That man isn’t anyone you need to be around.” A wry grin turned his lips. “And I might just need to pay him a visit.”

For a second, Iris felt bad about saying anything. She didn’t want Jack to get into some kind of trouble on her account. If he went after her old boss, it might cause problems.

But Mr. Heel was a jerk. And he had a history of treating the young ladies who worked for him very disrespectfully. He also had a habit of hiring girls who were desperate for jobs, so they didn’t have many options and stuck around even with the poor working conditions.

Whatever hot water he found himself in, it was his own doing.

“Don’t worry,” Jack said. “It’ll all be legal. What he’s doing is against the law. The cops need to pay him a visit.”

Iris couldn’t argue with that. Perhaps yelling at employees wasn’t technically illegal, though it did make one a jerk. But the unwanted touching was definitely against the law. The man was creepy and preyed on young girls. He deserved to face consequences.

And while she was glad she no longer had to be around him, the loss of income would hurt. It wasn’t as if she made a lot of money at the laundromat, but some was better than none.

Now she was even further in the hole when it came to paying Auntie Athena. She didn’t want to take advantage of her or be a freeloader.

Her spirits lifted, though, when she remembered the party that night. She’d have a lot of money in less than twenty-four hours! That would go a long way in helping.

“What has you grinning?” Jack asked. He took a drink of coffee while he awaited her response.

Her stomach twisted in knots. Should she tell him? Or would he forbid her from going? It sounded like something he’d say was unsafe or he’d want to go and check it out first. But Macy had vouched for this thing. She’d done it bunches of times and never had any problems.

Maybe it was best Daddy didn’t know all the details.

“I was just remembering my plans tonight. I’m going to hang out with Elena and Macy.”

Jack put his coffee mug on the table. “I’m so glad you’re making friends. What are you three going to do?”

“Just hang out. Like have a party or something.”

Okay, I’m technically not lying, she thought. I’m just not telling him every little detail.

“I’ll miss you, though,” she added.

That certainly wasn’t a lie.

“I’ll miss you, too. But it works out good because I’m probably working late, anyway. So I won’t be free until after nine or so.” He raised an eyebrow. “And you’ll be careful?”

“Of course, Daddy.”

“And you’ll check in with me or Auntie Athena?”

“Yes, Sir.”

Iris was relieved when Daddy smiled. “Good girl. Now, finish breakfast, honey. I need to get you to Auntie’s so I can get to work. I’d love to spend the day with you, but this case…” He trailed off, picked up his fork, and scraped another bite onto it.

“You’ll be careful too, right, Daddy?”

He chuckled. “You sound like the Big. But yes, sweetie, I’ll be careful.”

Iris smiled, but inside, she felt a growing sense of uneasiness. She sure hoped Daddy would be extra cautious.

Because already she couldn’t imagine life without him.