Basil (The Brinnswick Chronicles #3) - Michele Notaro Page 0,15

say that it was a good look on him.

Shaking that stupid thought away, I watched with wide eyes as a little purple blob jumped into Grim’s waiting arms while squealing, “Daddy!”

Grim laughed—and holy shit, were those dimples? he had motherfucking dimples—and said, “Hi, peanut. Gimme some sugar.”

It took a minute for my brain to catch up with what I was seeing. The purple blob was actually a little girl of around six, although she was awfully tiny so perhaps younger, and she gave the hunter a kiss and squeezed his neck, clearly excited. And she’d called Grim Daddy. Oh holy Mother of All, Grim had a kid. A little girl.

Grim started placing kisses all over the little girl’s face as she giggled away, and I noticed something around her ears and under her nose that hooked up to a bookbag on her back. I gasped. She was hooked up to oxygen. Why would she need to be hooked up to oxygen? What could possibly be wrong with her that a healing tonic wouldn’t help?

“How was your day, peanut?” Grim asked her.

She started reciting everything she did today, including exactly how many bites of her sandwich she ate, and how many times she used the bathroom today—three.

Grim let her talk as he held her in his arms, even when an older woman walked out onto the porch and glared at him as she leaned against the beam holding the porch roof up.

Grim ran his fingers over the tube on his daughter’s face and asked her, “How long have you had to use this today?”

“Since right after lunch,” the older woman answered for the little girl. “Rasha, how about you collect your workbooks and all the pictures you made today so you and your father can head home?”

“Yes, Ms. Ulma,” Rasha said as Grim set her on her feet. The little girl said, “Be right back, Daddy.”

“Okay, peanut.” As soon as Rasha was inside, Grim held up his hands and said, “I’m so sorry, Ulma.” He reached into his back pocket and passed her a wad of cash.

“This is less than half of what you owe me, Hiro,” Ulma said. “You promised me you’d have enough to catch up last week. I can’t keep watching her for free.”

“I know.” Grim ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry. There was an issue with my bounty this time ‘cause a witc—”

“There’s always an issue lately. If I’m watching her, I can’t be working the register at the store on the corner, and I got rent to pay, too.”

“I know. I promise—”

“Don’t make more promises, Hiro. You’ve been late for months. I love Rasha, you know I do, but I’ve got to have a place to live, I gotta have food to fill my belly, too.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” To my horror, Grim’s eyes filled with tears. “After her last stint in the hospital, I used up all my savings. Ya know I’m tryin’ here, Ulma. I’m doin’ everythin’ I can.” His strange accent became stronger the more upset he got. Holy shit. I’d done this. I’d taken away his bounty so many times because I’d thought he was being a dick, but all he’d been doing was trying to take care of his family, his daughter. My stomach felt like lead.

The woman sighed and walked down the three porch steps and pulled Grim into a hug. This time, he easily went and returned it. The older woman patted Grim’s back and murmured, “You’re a good boy, Hiro. I know life ain’t easy for the two of you. I have enough to get by for a few more weeks, but that’s all I can promise.”

He nodded into her shoulder. “Thank you, Ulma. I’m going to find a way to pay you, I promise.”

She patted his back again before they stepped back, and Grim wiped his cheeks and eyes, offering her a shaky smile.

Rasha came rushing back out and straight into her father’s arms, asking, “What’s wrong, Daddy?”

“Nothing now that I’m with you, baby girl. Absolutely nothing.” He took the extra bag she had from her and kissed the side of her head, then waved at Ulma before carrying the little girl back across the street to the house with the boarded-up window and leaky roof.

When he opened his front door, he set Rasha on the ground and said, “Go wash up for dinner, peanut. I’ll be right in.”

“Okay, Daddy.” She disappeared inside.

Grim set the bag of her belongings just inside the door, and quick