Page 14 of Kiwi

6

Piper

The bell over the door chimes and a teenage boy with shaggy hair and glasses walks into the clinic. I immediately know who it is. "Hi, are you Mathew?" I smile.

The boy freezes in place, and his cheeks turn a light shade of pink. Mathew gives an awkward wave. "Yeah, hi."

"Dr. Channing said you just started working here in the afternoons. I'm Piper and will be helping out for the summer."

"Uh, that's cool," he stutters. I find his shyness cute, and it causes my smile to widen.

"Well, I'm going to get out of your way." Standing, I grab my purse and step out from behind the reception counter. "It was nice meeting you, Mathew."

"Yeah, yeah, nice meeting you too."

Leaving Mathew, I make my way down the hall and to the back to find Dr. Channing in one of the exam rooms with an orange tabby cat and its owner Mrs. Howard. She's attempting to give the large cat his allergy shot, but the way the furry beast is hissing and batting its paws at my boss, he is not having any of that. "Need some help?" I ask, already setting my bag down on the counter next to the door.

"Yes, please. Thank you, Piper."

Walking up to the opposite side of the exam table, I gently clutch the cat who has now turned his murderous glare away from Dr. Channing and has his sight set on me. She uses the moment of distraction to give the cat his shot quickly and effectively. As soon as we finish, the feline's owner scoops the cat into her arms. "Did the big mean doctor hurt my baby?" the old woman coos. Dr. Channing and I share a look and roll our eyes at each other. Mrs. Howard is a seventy-something year old woman who is grumpy as the day is long. She also treats her cat better than she treats humans. I can't argue with that, though. Animals, in my opinion, are better than most humans.

"You can make your follow-up appointment with Mathew, Mrs. Howard," Dr. Channing addresses the woman.

"Yes, yes. I know the drill." Mrs. Howard ushers her cat inside his carrier and shuffles out the door.

"Thanks again for your help, Piper," Dr. Channing says. "I swear that cat has put on another five pounds since the last time he was here. And every time I mention the word diet, Mrs. Howard gives me the stink eye."

I chuckle. "Oh, yeah. He is bigger than I remember."

"Are you headed out for the day?"

I nod. "Yep. I'm heading out now. Oh, by the way, I met Mathew. He seems like a sweet kid."

"He is. I bet he blushed and stammered up a storm when he saw you. The boy gets all flustered around pretty girls. But I like him, and he's great with the animals."

Twenty minutes later,I pull up to the house and spot a familiar bike parked next to my dad's, and my tummy erupts with butterflies. When I walk through the front door, I see, Promise sitting at the kitchen table feeding Jaxson, who is happily babbling in his highchair. "Hey, is dad around?"

"Yeah, him and Kiwi are out back."

Grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl on the kitchen counter, I take a bite and make my way out of the sliding glass door and across the backyard toward my dad's shed. Dad has been creating and selling blown glass art for years and is currently working on a piece when I step into the shed. My eyes sweep over to Tai, who is perched on a stool drinking a beer. My skin prickles at how his green eyes roam over my body and dilate as if he notices the effect he has on me. Tai quickly tears his focus away when my dad speaks. "Hey, baby girl. Good day at work?"

"Yeah. It was good. The usual," I shrug. "I uh, actually wanted to talk to you."

Dad stops what he's doing, places his tool down on the metal bench, wipes his sweaty brow with a bandana, then sticks it back in his pocket. "What's up, Bean?"

Tai doesn't make a move to leave. Honestly, this family and the club doesn't have any secrets. I toss my unfinished apple in the trash bin and rub my palm down my pant legs. "I've been thinking, and I have decided I want to see Madison. Do you think you can call or get Uncle Abel to call and get an all-clear for me?"

My mother is the old lady to the President of Hell's Punishers. Me being a part of The Kings, I would assume we need to get permission. I can't just show up at another clubs' compound.

Dad studies me for a beat. "Are you sure, Bean?"

I nod. "Yeah, I'm sure. It's time."

Dad strides over, stops in front of me, and kisses the top of my head. "I'll talk to my brother and get shit sorted. How about we plan for next weekend? I have some shit to handle for the club. We can roll out next Saturday mornin' since it's a bit of a drive."

I take a step back. "Dad, I kind of thought I could go on my own. Plus, I was hoping I could go tomorrow. I'm afraid I'll change my mind if I wait."

He shakes his head. "Absolutely not. We don't have beef with this club, but no way in hell am I sending my little girl out to another MC's territory alone. Not fuckin' happenin'."