Kickstart My Heart (Burgers and Brew Crue #1) - Lacey Black Page 0,59

nap apparently was just what she needed to recharge her battery, because she’s been nonstop since.

Our first stop is the small family-owned furniture store in the heart of town. I park along the street, surprised to grab a spot along the main artery of Stewart Grove. I glance down to the next block, to where Burgers and Brew sits. The lot looks full, as well as the road, which puts a smile on my face.

“Looks busy down there,” Mallory observes, standing on the sidewalk beside me.

Before she has a chance to open the back door, I’m there, helping her daughter unbuckle. “I was just noticing that,” I reply, lifting Lizzie and setting her down beside me. “Sundays are usually busy, especially after church,” I add, smiling as one tiny hand slips into mine.

We walk silently to the furniture store, where a bubbly man who quite possibly had too many Monster energy drinks greets us at the front entrance. “How may I help you today?”

“We’re looking for a queen-sized bedframe,” I tell him.

“Wonderful. Do you need the mattress to go on the frame?” he asks, his eyes sparkling at the commission prospect.

“Not today, just the frame.”

“Oh,” he replies, his face falling faster than a lead balloon. “I’ll run and verify we have one in stock.”

I glance over at Mallory, who raises an eyebrow in question. Surely she caught his swift change of attitude when he realized he was making a fifty dollar sale, as opposed to the one he thought he might be getting.

“Walk! Wook!” Lizzie hollers, pulling me toward their living room furniture displays, where there are a few small kid recliners for sale. The one she drags me toward is a pink one with small white crowns all over it.

“Well, look at that. They have Lizzie-sized chairs,” I reply.

She lets go of my hand and takes a seat, fitting perfectly in the small pink chair. When she glances up at me, her green eyes dance with happiness and her grin is contagious. I almost reach into my wallet and grab my credit card, ready to buy the two-hundred dollar recliner for my little buddy, but then I glance back at Mallory. There’s a smile on her lips, but it’s the apprehension in her eyes that makes me pause. This woman is working her ass off to provide for her daughter and doesn’t want a white knight. She’s told me that much. A pink recliner isn’t something you just randomly buy on a Sunday afternoon. It’s an expensive item, one that would make a great gift, but I know if I were to pull out some cash and make this purchase, she’d shut down on me. I feel it in my bones.

So instead of taking the chair with me today, I make a mental note to keep it in mind for Christmas. It’s only three months away.

“You’re in luck. We have one in stock. I can have it brought up for you,” the salesman says, joining us at the tiny recliners. “Those are a great deal,” he adds, seeing the little girl sitting in one.

“Just the frame today, thank you,” Mallory says, grabbing her wallet from her purse and following him to the front counter.

I stand with Lizzie, who’s damn comfy in the kiddy recliner, but keep an eye on Mal. She uses cash to make the purchase and smiles when she rejoins us. “They’re bringing it up.”

“Let’s get ready to go, Lou,” I tell Lizzie, reaching out my hand.

She reluctantly stands and takes my hand. Before we walk away, she says, “Bye, bye, chair.”

Mal smiles and shakes her head, leading the way to the front door. A man from the back warehouse meets us with the box containing Mallory’s new bedframe. He offers to carry it out for us, but I’m already passing Lizzie’s hand off to her mom and reaching for the box. “I got it. Thank you,” I tell him before we head out the door.

Five minutes later, we’re buckled in the Escape, bedframe in the back, and driving toward the Walmart superstore. “Walk, did you wike the chair?”

I glance in the rearview mirror and find those piercing green eyes locked on mine. Jesus, I wish I would have bought the damn chair. Yes, it would have probably pissed off Mallory, but I can’t take the look she’s giving me. It’s hopeful and curious, yet with a tinge of sadness there. I know you can’t buy a child everything they want, but dammit, I want to buy