Free Out of Time (Nine Minutes #2) by Beth Flynn

eye. She wondered if Grizz’s friend was watching down from heaven with a grateful sigh of relief that his daughter had some human guardian angels.
    Grizz scratched his chin and tugged absentmindedly on his long beard. Before he could reply, she added, “That convenience store. Why don’t I get a part time job there? Maybe that would help.”
    “I couldn’t ask you to do that, Mavis,” he said. “You’ve already gone above and beyond.”
    “Look,” she answered. “I don’t mind it, really. I hadn’t realized how lonely I was until you asked me to keep an eye on her. I mean, yeah, I’ve come to love the regulars here at the bar, but I’ve never had the chance to have a child in my life. Truthfully, I love all of the children at that school. Well, most of them,” she added with a knowing smile.
    “That’s a long time to be on your feet every day. At least here you get to sit. At the cafeteria, too. You have a chair at the register, right?”
    “Yes, and I can have a chair behind the register at the convenience store, too. I do have experience, so I can’t imagine the owners having a problem with me sitting behind the counter off and on. Really, I’d like to try it. But remember, we don’t even know if Mindy’s is hiring part-time.”
    “They’ll hire you,” Grizz added. “Convenience stores are always turning over employees.” Before Mavis could comment, Grizz asked, “Why now, Mavis? She seemed okay last summer without you having to take on a summer job to keep an eye on her.”
    “That’s the other thing I wanted to talk to you about,” she said quietly.
    “What? What is it?” Grizz sat up.
    “I know she’s only nine, but she’s a mature child, Grizz. I didn’t even notice until I heard that brat Curtis Armstrong say something.”
    “Say something about what?”
    Mavis looked at him and gestured toward her own chest. She nodded at him as if she expected him to understand what she was trying to say.
    “What? What are you talking about?”
    She rolled her eyes. “Boobies, Grizz. She looks like she’s starting to develop. Not a lot, but noticeable enough for that little shit, Curtis, to say something. I’ve heard him commenting to his friends. And she’s started wearing a sweatshirt. It’s ninety degrees outside and she’s wearing a sweatshirt . She’s trying to cover them up.”
    “Are you kidding me? She’s only nine. Isn’t that early?”
    “You’re asking me? I didn’t get mine until I was—um, actually, I still don’t have ‘em—but yeah. She might be young, but children develop at different ages. She’s what? A year younger than him?” she asked nodding over at Grunt, who still seemed involved in his food and the game. “And she’s definitely taller. I just think maybe it’s time for some training bras. I can’t see that ditzy mother of hers taking her to get any, either. I’ve seen that woman just a few times and I’m pretty certain she doesn’t even own a bra.”
    Grizz looked uncomfortable at the idea. “So what are you going to do? Wait until she comes in to buy her mom’s smokes and say, ‘Oh, by the way, Gwinny, I found these training bras and thought you might like them?’” He made a face. “And what the hell is a training bra?”
    “Stop being a smart ass. A training bra is just a little starter bra. I was thinking of going down to the thrift shop and picking up some used clothes that I know would fit her. I could toss some bras in with the clothes and then tell her my neighbor’s granddaughter left some of her things here while she was visiting, and my neighbor asked if I knew any little girls they might fit.”
    Grizz leaned back and sighed. This Gwinny thing was getting to him. He’d never once considered what he would do as she got older. He guessed he naively assumed that she would stay a sweet, little girl who needed someone to keep an eye on things. He never imagined he’d be dealing with bullies and bras. He dragged a hand through