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"This changes things."
It changed a lot actually.
"Mav is requesting you bring Kati in. He thinks she needs to know what's going on."
I didn't want to agree, but it made sense. A power shift in a major gang like Los Cangris was bad for all involved. It meant there could be an unknown player attempting to take over. The old saying “it’s better to deal with the devil you know than the devil you don't” was one hundred percent accurate in this case. At least we knew what to expect from Los Cangris.
"I was headed to the grocery store anyway. Hendrix said she's there now. I'll talk to her about stopping at the office, or better yet, we could meet at her house. That way she can put her groceries away."
It was too damn hot in Texas to leave anything in a vehicle even for a few minutes. Besides, Kati might feel more comfortable in her own home.
"Just text me the plan once you know."
Goodbyes were exchanged and moments later I was pulling into the parking lot of the grocery store on the edge of Willow Creek. It was a mom-and-pop kind of place that most likely carried the essentials but nothing fancy. Thankfully, I wasn't a fancy kind of guy, not that I ever kept that much food in my place to begin with. I ate out more often than not.
I found Hendrix parked in one of the closer spots with a clear visual of the front entrance and walked over to him. The blacked-out windows of the Jeep ensured I couldn't see my friend, but the engine running was the first indication Hendrix was inside.
"You didn't go in with her?" I accused Hendrix when he rolled the window down.
"And further piss her off?" Hendrix threw his head back and laughed. "Hell no. I figured I would leave that honor up to you, Romeo."
The last part was barely audible through the fits of laughter, but I understood him enough to clap him on the head before I stormed off. I wasn't trying to be a Romeo; I would settle for not making an ass of myself just once in Kati's presence. The number of times I fumbled my sentences was embarrassing.
It didn't take me long to find Kati in the cereal aisle. Her cart was about half full. A decent accomplishment considering she had been shopping for about fifteen minutes before I arrived. I took a few seconds to watch her. Kati seemed to move and shop with an efficiency that suggested she didn't waste time browsing.
"Sugary cereals are my weakness," I slid behind her and whispered. I realized the error of my ways as a box of cereal hit me square in the chest when Kati spun around.
"You scared the crap out of me!" Kati hissed.
The two of us bent down at the same time to retrieve the box and nearly smacked heads. My quick reflexes were the only thing that prevented me from additionally showing off how unbalanced Kati made me.
"Sorry." I snatched up the box quickly and stood up. With an outstretched hand, I extended both a literal and figurative olive branch to make up for scaring her.
"Let me guess." Kati crossed her arms over her chest. "You happened to be in the neighborhood shopping and running into me is a complete coincidence, despite seeing me only a little bit ago?”
Sometimes honesty was the best policy, and at this point, I couldn't screw things up more than I already had. "Actually, no. Hendrix told me you were headed to the store, so I came down. I couldn't sleep anyway."
I knew I’d made the right choice when Kati's expression showed first surprise and then appreciation. Her hands dropped back to the cart handles as she continued shopping. I took it as permission to tag along.
"I wouldn't think a man like you had any weaknesses. Especially not of the food kind."
She glanced over and didn't hide the fact that she was checking me out. Not once, but twice, her eyes looked me over from head to toe. I was suddenly glad I hadn't let myself go after retirement like some men did. The transition back to civilian life was hard, especially after so many years in. I knew several guys who succumbed to vices as a way of coping.
"A man like me?"
Kati scoffed, and not in a ladylike way. "Oh, please. Like you don't know how good you look. You don't need compliments from me. How much time do you spend in the gym anyway?"
No, I didn't need them but I sure wouldn't turn them down. Then her question registered—far more than I wanted to admit, but again, I felt it was best to be honest. I was trying to gain trust.
"More so now that I've retired, but I've been floundering over the past year. Not sure what direction I wanted to take with my life. I knew I needed a change, but I hadn't known how that would look. Fortunately, Maverick was on top of things as usual, by starting the company."
"I expected you to deny it."
We continued to move through the aisles at a record pace. Kati knew what she was looking for and did it with precision despite the conversation we were having.
Another thing I learned as I watched Kati shop was that, outside of the occasional sugary cereal, all the things she picked out were healthy. The cart wasn't full of quick-made meals, like you would assume with a single, busy mom. There were fresh ingredients with a few snacks thrown in. I admired her even more with every minute I spent in her presence.
"A week ago I might've. I'm not proud I've been spending so much time there, but I'm used to physical exertion as a way of dealing with stress. The gym just happened to be the one readily available at the time."
