break, I'd really like to go back home, just for a little while."
"I'll talk to your mom. See if we can't arrange something."
"Really?" She threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "You really are the best, Joe."
"I know, sugar."
The rest of the day was spent goofing around on the beach and hanging round the beach side shops buying stupid stuff. They didn't talk much. Joe was planning on sticking around for a few days, and they needed time to reacquaint themselves. Two years apart was a long time, especially for a kid. Although she was obviously much happier now, Joe still couldn't help but get the feeling that she was holding out on him. Hopefully by the end of his stay she would trust him enough to open up and talk to him. Till then, though, he planned on keeping things light and just having fun. She was growing up fast and wouldn't be a little girl for much longer.
Amy really wanted to tell Joe how she felt about Rob, just not today. She watched him try and win her a sparkly unicorn, all she wanted to do was goof around and have fun like they used to when she was a little kid. She laughed as he got more and more pissed with the stall holder until the poor man gave in and gave her the prize anyway. Slipping her hand into his she dragged him towards the hotdog stand. "Joe?"
"Yes, sugar."
"It really is good to have you back."
"Good to be back."
"Joe?"
"Yeah."
"Try not to get locked up again."
"I'll do my best, sugar. I'll do my best."
~ oOo ~
For three days, Joe and Amy spent every available minute together. Despite Rob's disapproval, Maria had agreed that she could blow off school. She really didn't want to piss off Joe after their last encounter, and she could see that he and her daughter needed time to reconnect after such a long period apart.
They had revisited the aquarium, and she had taken him to the livery yard to meet her pony. She had hoped he would rent one of the bigger horses from the yard and go with her for a ride, but he had told her in no uncertain terms that wasn't going to happen. Most of the time though, had been spent on the beach, just walking along in the surf and talking. Amy slipped her hand into his as they walked to their favorite café.
“Joe?”
"Yes, sugar?"
"If I tell you something, will you promise not to get mad?"
"I'll promise to try." Joe smiled. "I will promise not to get mad at you. How about that?"
Amy nodded,
Joe frowned. "Amy?"
"I don't like Rob."
"You gonna tell me why?"
She shrugged. "I don't know."
"C'mon sugar, you can do better than that."
"He…I…I really don't know."
Joe stopped walking and sat on the sand dune. "Sit." Amy sat next to him. Joe took her hand and gave it a tiny squeeze. He really didn't want to put words into her mouth. "How about you just tell me how you feel when you're with him."
"I don't like being with him."
"Why?"
"He's creepy."
Joe could feel the anger rising in his chest. "He touch you?"
She shook her head. "No. He says stuff.” She glanced at him.”Joe you promised not to get mad."
"I ain't mad, sugar." He gave a tight smile. "What does he say?"
"He says I'm his special girl and he can't wait till I get bigger. I don't like it, he makes me feel uncomfortable."
"Have you said anything to your mom?"
"I tried, once."
"And what did she say?" Joe wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer.
"She said I was imagining things, an' that I shouldn't tell anyone. Especially you." Amy sniffed. "She said no one would believe me."
"I believe you." He slipped his arm around her shoulders. "You want me to talk to him?"
"Will it make him stop?"
"Not sure, sugar. He's just gonna say that he hasn't done anything wrong."
"Will you talk to him anyway?"
"Yes, I will." He was going to talk to Maria, too. He wasn't sure how he was going to tackle this. Clearly Rob hadn't done anything, yet. If he went rushing in making wild accusations, they would keep Amy away from him. But if he said nothing and
"I'll talk to your mom. See if we can't arrange something."
"Really?" She threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "You really are the best, Joe."
"I know, sugar."
The rest of the day was spent goofing around on the beach and hanging round the beach side shops buying stupid stuff. They didn't talk much. Joe was planning on sticking around for a few days, and they needed time to reacquaint themselves. Two years apart was a long time, especially for a kid. Although she was obviously much happier now, Joe still couldn't help but get the feeling that she was holding out on him. Hopefully by the end of his stay she would trust him enough to open up and talk to him. Till then, though, he planned on keeping things light and just having fun. She was growing up fast and wouldn't be a little girl for much longer.
Amy really wanted to tell Joe how she felt about Rob, just not today. She watched him try and win her a sparkly unicorn, all she wanted to do was goof around and have fun like they used to when she was a little kid. She laughed as he got more and more pissed with the stall holder until the poor man gave in and gave her the prize anyway. Slipping her hand into his she dragged him towards the hotdog stand. "Joe?"
"Yes, sugar."
"It really is good to have you back."
"Good to be back."
"Joe?"
"Yeah."
"Try not to get locked up again."
"I'll do my best, sugar. I'll do my best."
~ oOo ~
For three days, Joe and Amy spent every available minute together. Despite Rob's disapproval, Maria had agreed that she could blow off school. She really didn't want to piss off Joe after their last encounter, and she could see that he and her daughter needed time to reconnect after such a long period apart.
They had revisited the aquarium, and she had taken him to the livery yard to meet her pony. She had hoped he would rent one of the bigger horses from the yard and go with her for a ride, but he had told her in no uncertain terms that wasn't going to happen. Most of the time though, had been spent on the beach, just walking along in the surf and talking. Amy slipped her hand into his as they walked to their favorite café.
“Joe?”
"Yes, sugar?"
"If I tell you something, will you promise not to get mad?"
"I'll promise to try." Joe smiled. "I will promise not to get mad at you. How about that?"
Amy nodded,
Joe frowned. "Amy?"
"I don't like Rob."
"You gonna tell me why?"
She shrugged. "I don't know."
"C'mon sugar, you can do better than that."
"He…I…I really don't know."
Joe stopped walking and sat on the sand dune. "Sit." Amy sat next to him. Joe took her hand and gave it a tiny squeeze. He really didn't want to put words into her mouth. "How about you just tell me how you feel when you're with him."
"I don't like being with him."
"Why?"
"He's creepy."
Joe could feel the anger rising in his chest. "He touch you?"
She shook her head. "No. He says stuff.” She glanced at him.”Joe you promised not to get mad."
"I ain't mad, sugar." He gave a tight smile. "What does he say?"
"He says I'm his special girl and he can't wait till I get bigger. I don't like it, he makes me feel uncomfortable."
"Have you said anything to your mom?"
"I tried, once."
"And what did she say?" Joe wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer.
"She said I was imagining things, an' that I shouldn't tell anyone. Especially you." Amy sniffed. "She said no one would believe me."
"I believe you." He slipped his arm around her shoulders. "You want me to talk to him?"
"Will it make him stop?"
"Not sure, sugar. He's just gonna say that he hasn't done anything wrong."
"Will you talk to him anyway?"
"Yes, I will." He was going to talk to Maria, too. He wasn't sure how he was going to tackle this. Clearly Rob hadn't done anything, yet. If he went rushing in making wild accusations, they would keep Amy away from him. But if he said nothing and
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