Page 21 of Protecting Clove
“Okay, so how does this work?”
“I just need her shoe, and I’ll put the tracker in. When she needs new shoes, we can transfer the tracker to the new pair. Does she have multiple pairs she wears during the week?”
Clove shook her head. “No, she gets stuck on a pair, and that’s what she wants to wear.”
“Okay. If you could get me those shoes, I’ll get started.”
Clove blew out a breath. “She’s going to ask questions. I don’t want her to know how much danger she’s in, but she’s not the type of kid to sit back and let the world spin around her.”
“How much does she know about your ex?”
“Very little, and I’d like to keep it that way.”
“It’s up to you how much you tell her.”
Clove headed into the kitchen and sat next to her daughter who was in the middle of telling Bud about a boy at preschool who tried to hug her. Neo didn’t like being confined. She gave hugs, but didn’t like being forced into one. It was just one of the little quirks about her daughter.
“Hey, Neo, I need your shoes.”
Neo turned to her and narrowed her gaze. “Why?”
“Because Thario is going to put something in the bottom, so I’ll know where you are.”
Neo studied her, then turned to Bud and watched him for a few seconds before turning back to her. “Is this why you two were out there talking?”
“A part of it. This is just to keep you safe.”
Neo rolled her eyes. “You’re overreacting. I will be fine, but here you go if it makes you feel better.”
Sometimes, she felt like Neo was the more mature person in their family. There were times she wished her child wasn’t so smart. If Neo just blindly accepted what Clove wanted, it would be easier in some aspects, but then again, raising Neo had been easy once Clove learned to explain everything to her. If Neo knew what was going on, she calmed down.
Thario stepped into the kitchen and took both shoes. He turned to go back into the other room, but Neo hopped up and followed him.
“Show me what you’re doing with my shoes.”
Thario nodded. “Okay. I’ll walk you through the steps.”
Clove sagged in the chair as she watched Thario lead Neo over to a table against his far wall.
“You okay?” Bud asked.
She shrugged. “I keep wondering when I will get a break. I love having Neo in my life, but I wish I wasn’t tied to Keith.”
Bud nodded. “I think you should share your location tracking information with me until we figure out how much of a problem he’s going to be.”
Clove hadn’t ever shared that information with anyone, but she would gladly share it with Bud. “Okay.”
“Wow, you didn’t even have to think about it.”
She met his gaze. “I know you won’t abuse the privilege.”
“I won’t. And hopefully, we can discourage him from staying in California.”
She glanced at him, her eyebrows raised high. “How could you do that?”
He lifted one shoulder and made a face. “Some men understand brute force, and some men understand words. We can try both methods.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want you getting in trouble.”
