Travis fiasco and she still hadn’t forgiven Tick. He’d been groveling constantly for the first two days then he’d left stating he had some out of town business to attend to, but that she’d better be over this by then. It had pissed her off at the time, but she was realizing that she didn’t really want to be mad at him anymore. She was weak when it came to Tick and that really made her mad. The man was insufferable, but her heart was begging her to forgive him. She sighed, as she walked Max and Connor over to Colt and Maria’s.
She remembered the conversation from yesterday that she and Max had before dinner.
“Are you still mad at dad?” Max had asked, looking up at her.
“Not really. I was for a little while.” Charity had told him.
“Good. He can be mean sometimes, but he still likes you a lot.” The boy told her earnestly.
Then he’d gotten distracted by his cartoons. She sighed. Entering the house after the boys walking to the kitchen looking for Maria. She found her at the kitchen table going over some accounting. Charity itched to see what she was doing. She’d actually missed doing the books for the Boom, Boom Room and Flesh.
“Hey, I brought Connor home.” She told the other woman.
Maria looked up smiling. “Oh, Thanks. Is Max staying with us tonight?”
“Yeah if you’re still okay with him being here.” Charity told her.
“Sure, it’s no problem. I just wish that doing these books was as easy as handling the boys was.” Maria sighed glaring down at the books.
“What’s wrong?” Charity asked.
“Nothing really. They just won’t balance and I can’t seem to find the mistake.” She shook her head. Then continued. “There’s a thousand credits coming up missing and I can’t find the mistake. I’m beginning to think there isn’t one. Which worries me.” Getting up the woman walked to the counter pouring some tea. She offered Charity some, but she refused.
“May I?” Charity asked indicating the books.
“Be my guest.” Maria replied, sipping her tea.
It took about fifteen minutes for her to find the mistake. “Ah…see here you forgot this lumber order.” She told the other woman, pointing out the error in the ledger.
“What? Damn, you’re right. Why didn’t I see that I’ve been pouring over these things for four hours. Then you walk in and find it in fifteen minutes. I hate these damned accounts, but Colt has a lot on his plate and this is something I can do to help.” Maria grumbled.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. I’ve always been good at accounting.” Charity told her smiling.
“Books? For the club you mean?” Maria asked a pensive look on her face.
“Yes, I used to do the books for the Boom, Boom Room and Flesh, the tattoo parlor.”
“Really? You were allowed to work at the Boom, Boom Room?” Maria asked her voice revealed her surprise.
“Yeah it was a surprise to me too. At the time I think that Trick was at his wits end. He didn’t know what the hell to do with me. I was a bit like Max, honestly. I was nineteen at the time. The Boom, Boom Room was Bone’s idea. It worked.” She laughed.
“I bet. Colt wouldn’t let me within a thousand feet of that strip club.” Maria laughed.
“I bet not,” Charity said chuckling. “Most old men don’t want their old ladies anywhere near horny men. It makes them all a bit crazy when another man is near their woman.”
“You have no idea.” Maria told her sipping her tea again, smiling fondly. Charity was sure she was thinking of Colt, her old man.
“Did you really lead Tick on a merry chase all over Bandit territory?” She suddenly asked.
“Yes.” Charity replied a little proudly. She knew she was good at disappearing. Being a former escape planner for Katie over the years had paid off.
“Good. That man needs to have his world shaken up. Ever since Vivi passed he’s been living a half-life.”
“Yeah, he really loved her. It has been hard for him and Max.” Charity felt
She remembered the conversation from yesterday that she and Max had before dinner.
“Are you still mad at dad?” Max had asked, looking up at her.
“Not really. I was for a little while.” Charity had told him.
“Good. He can be mean sometimes, but he still likes you a lot.” The boy told her earnestly.
Then he’d gotten distracted by his cartoons. She sighed. Entering the house after the boys walking to the kitchen looking for Maria. She found her at the kitchen table going over some accounting. Charity itched to see what she was doing. She’d actually missed doing the books for the Boom, Boom Room and Flesh.
“Hey, I brought Connor home.” She told the other woman.
Maria looked up smiling. “Oh, Thanks. Is Max staying with us tonight?”
“Yeah if you’re still okay with him being here.” Charity told her.
“Sure, it’s no problem. I just wish that doing these books was as easy as handling the boys was.” Maria sighed glaring down at the books.
“What’s wrong?” Charity asked.
“Nothing really. They just won’t balance and I can’t seem to find the mistake.” She shook her head. Then continued. “There’s a thousand credits coming up missing and I can’t find the mistake. I’m beginning to think there isn’t one. Which worries me.” Getting up the woman walked to the counter pouring some tea. She offered Charity some, but she refused.
“May I?” Charity asked indicating the books.
“Be my guest.” Maria replied, sipping her tea.
It took about fifteen minutes for her to find the mistake. “Ah…see here you forgot this lumber order.” She told the other woman, pointing out the error in the ledger.
“What? Damn, you’re right. Why didn’t I see that I’ve been pouring over these things for four hours. Then you walk in and find it in fifteen minutes. I hate these damned accounts, but Colt has a lot on his plate and this is something I can do to help.” Maria grumbled.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. I’ve always been good at accounting.” Charity told her smiling.
“Books? For the club you mean?” Maria asked a pensive look on her face.
“Yes, I used to do the books for the Boom, Boom Room and Flesh, the tattoo parlor.”
“Really? You were allowed to work at the Boom, Boom Room?” Maria asked her voice revealed her surprise.
“Yeah it was a surprise to me too. At the time I think that Trick was at his wits end. He didn’t know what the hell to do with me. I was a bit like Max, honestly. I was nineteen at the time. The Boom, Boom Room was Bone’s idea. It worked.” She laughed.
“I bet. Colt wouldn’t let me within a thousand feet of that strip club.” Maria laughed.
“I bet not,” Charity said chuckling. “Most old men don’t want their old ladies anywhere near horny men. It makes them all a bit crazy when another man is near their woman.”
“You have no idea.” Maria told her sipping her tea again, smiling fondly. Charity was sure she was thinking of Colt, her old man.
“Did you really lead Tick on a merry chase all over Bandit territory?” She suddenly asked.
“Yes.” Charity replied a little proudly. She knew she was good at disappearing. Being a former escape planner for Katie over the years had paid off.
“Good. That man needs to have his world shaken up. Ever since Vivi passed he’s been living a half-life.”
“Yeah, he really loved her. It has been hard for him and Max.” Charity felt
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