Unlikely Allies by C. C. Koen

girls. Some of them were entertained by jumping on mini-trampolines, while others stood in a long line, including Cece, waiting for a pony ride. He who shall not be named had arranged the attraction as the twins’ gift.
    No sooner did she have the thought, she felt someone sit next to her, along with a kerplunk and a gush of water splashing her thighs. “If you stay put and act casual, no one will know you’re pissed at me,” Mr. Stone uttered in a monotone.
    She lifted the leg closest to him and kicked. The intent, splash and drown him out. Her sucky plan drenched her T-shirt and shorts. His wind-sucking howl indicated she must have missed him by a mile. Since she refused to open her eyes, she didn’t know for sure.
    “Well, that was smart.”
    Her annoyed quip came just as quickly. “What would be smart is if you stayed away.”
    “Now, if I did that, I couldn’t give you my secret message, Maggie.” His cutesy tone aggravated her even more. Why couldn’t he take a hint?
    “You see, the good thing about secrets is that they’re supposed to stay that way. So take it and shove it up—”
    A huge hand covered her mouth, halting her whispered tirade. It didn’t stop him though. “I’ll tell you what. If you won’t let me say it, then I’ll have no choice but to write it down and send it to you.”
    On automatic impulse her body stiffened. Other not so pleasant letters came to mind. The most recent arrived yesterday. It had been two weeks since she received the last threat. Jake’s brother, Donnie, helped him communicate from behind bars. Often Jake followed each correspondence with a call too, repeating the same message and blaming her for his conviction, even though she hadn’t been the deciding factor. Fingerprints and eyewitness testimony weighed in the decision, proving he robbed over twenty convenience stores. Yet, he swore she’d pay, an eye for an eye.
    “Shh, relax.” Mr. Stone dropped his hand on her thigh; a sudden burning sensation, either from the sun or him, seared her skin. Seventy-degree temps gave her a chance to wear jean shorts. Now, with him touching her, she regretted having worn them. “It’s okay. Just give me a couple minutes. I don’t want to say what I have to around all these people.”
    A sudden cry had every parent jerking around left and right trying to find out who was hurt. Next to a trampoline, a little boy lying in the grass had bloody teeth showing as he screamed in pain. Several adults rushed over to him, checking his arms and legs and helping him get up.
    She stood and searched for her daughter. Both Kat and Cece were in the middle of a bunch of kids waiting in line. “Get over here, Mags. Your turn. I need a potty break.”
    “Yeah, Mama, come here. Ride the horsey.” Jumping up and down, Cece held Kat’s hand and with the other waved her over.
    Grateful for the opportunity to escape, she jogged over to them. Kat walked around Maggie, ducked down, and spoke low enough that Cece didn’t hear. “You know that little voice in your head, Mags, and all those rules you have. Listen to them.” Then off Kat went, darting past clusters of guests.
    From fifty feet away, Maggie watched as her sister careened over to Mr. Stone and stood inches apart from him. Kat’s globe-sized sunglasses prohibited Maggie from getting a read on her sister’s facial expressions but it didn’t matter. She could just imagine Kat’s words of wisdom, none of which could be repeated around impressionable children.
    Now she regretted telling Kat what Mr. Stone said about her parenting skills. In return, Kat told her to “ignore the ass” and avoid him. Easier said than done since events like this made it impossible. As much as she tried to play keep away, he sought her out. It didn’t help that Cece wouldn’t stop hounding him either. Maggie wasn’t sure how to handle him. She might not want or need a man in her own life, but that didn’t mean Cece couldn’t gain a lot from good men