Free Eve Langlais by The Hunter

sang.
    I’d better get ready too . Shrugging off her damp T-shirt, she towel dried her hair vigorously before cinching it back into a tight pony tail. She pulled out an old sports bra that smashed her boobs flat and then put on a baggy T-shirt. Ha—nothing to ogle now.
    Herding her dressed—if mismatched—children in front of her, they went back downstairs. She left them putting on their shoes while she went into the kitchen and pulled out juice boxes, grapes, and watermelon. She also grabbed some cold cuts and cheese. She’d never been a huge fan of peanut butter and jelly, made her gums stick together—yeck!
    Now, where had she put the cooler? The garage. Grabbing her keys and sunglasses along with her bag of food, Suzie and the kids left the house, locking it behind them.
    The twins, squealing, raced over to Hunter who lounged outside waiting for them with his own plastic bag of food. Opening the garage door, she spied the fabric cooler bag and wagon amid the pile of boxes. Shoving everything in it, she pulled it out and met up with her excited kids and Hunter, who listened attentively to their babble.
    “So, which way?” she asked, looking at him from behind her sunglasses.
    “Straight up the street, actually. It’s only a couple of blocks.”
    With a firm admonition to watch for cars and to stop at the corner, the twins raced off down the sidewalk, Suzie and Hunter following behind with the wagon. Hunter insisted on pulling the wagon, and Suzie let him. It was man’s work, after all. Sound sexist? So what? It wasn’t like she often had the chance to have a man do any work for her, so she decided to enjoy it while it lasted.
    “How you liking the new house?” he asked.
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    “Love it. Our last few places were apartments and kind of cramped so we’re really liking having a yard and so much room. I’ve got to say, I’m surprised to see a single guy living in the burbs.”
    “Yeah, well, I’m not really into the whole big city thing myself. Too noisy. Parking’s a lot easier in the suburbs, and I like the space and privacy. Apartments just seem too—” He struggled to find the word.
    “Crammed. Packed in like sardines.”
    “Yeah. Anyways, a friend of my mine helped me find this place and, well the rest, as they say, is history. So, what made you move here? Where are you from?”
    “I needed a change. I used to live out on the west coast, and after the twins were born, I couldn’t stay.”
    “Couldn’t stay because?” he prompted.
    “Personal reasons,” she said. How to explain that she ran away from the twins’ father? Hunter would surely think she was a class one bitch. He wouldn’t if you told him why , said her niggling inner voice.
    She really needed to get that voice gagged.
    Hunter went silent for a moment. “Tell me it’s none of my business if you want, but what happened to the twins’ dad? I take it he’s the main reason you left.”
    Ooh, perceptive man . She’d forgotten about his living as a private eye. How much should she tell?
    “Their father wasn’t a very nice man, as it turns out.” Now there was an understatement.
    “Did he hurt you?” Hunter asked in an oddly tight voice.
    Suzie turned her head to look at him and saw him clenching his jaw. “Not too much physically, but the mental abuse and his plans for the children were pretty bad.”
    “Do me a favor, will you?”
    “What?” she asked.
    “If he ever shows up on your doorstep, call me.”
    “Why? What can you do?” Suzie asked.
    “Lots of things,” he said, his voice low and menacing.
    Suzie got a shiver, not of fear, more like excitement. She’d never had someone want to come to her rescue before. And to be honest, she’d love to see her ex getting one right in the kisser. He so deserved it.
    “Well, I highly doubt he could find us now. He’d need magical powers or something to be able to follow the muddy trail I left behind.”
    The kids had stopped at the corner and were tapping their little