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Copper laughed Being in a shit mood around Beth was pretty much an impossibility “How ’bout this? We’ll have ’em put the ice cream in a dish and shove a cone on top? Best of both worlds”

Beth clapped her hands on his cheeks, then rubbed the hair on his face The girl was obsessed with his beard They were gonna be in trouble when she got older and was surrounded by young bearded wannabe bikers He’d be handing out death threats like Halloween candy “That’s the best idea ever”

A scrawny teen with braces and zits appeared behind the counter Wide-eyed, he glanced at the patch on Copper’s cut before asking, “Uh, you knohat you want, uh, sir?”

Sir That was rich He appreciated the show of respect, but the last thing he wanted to be called was sir “Yeah, that one there,” he said pointing to Beth’s choice “Single scoop in a dish with a cone”

“With rainbow sprinkles!” Beth squealed “And that one!” She pointed to cookies and cream “And that one too” Peanut butter “And tha—”

“Hey, princess,” Copper rowled as he tickled Beth’s belly and enjoyed the sweet giggles “You trying to get me killed? You ever seen your mom mad?”

Beth’s eyes grew huge, and she nodded like he’d asked her if she knew the secrets of the universe “Yes,” she whispered in his ear “She is scary when she’s super mad”

“Exactly And what do you think is going to happen to et you five scoops of ice crea another round of giggles

“She’ll be so happy!” Beth threw her little fists in the air as she continued to laugh

“Yeah, easy for you to say It’ll beteenage ee biker le scoop, that brownie thing, dish, cone, rainbow sprinkles Got it?”

“Y-yeah Coht up”

“You getting ice cream, Copper?”

The kid looked at him “Yeah, I’ll take a chocolate shake”

“Yes, sir”

So the bill, he led a bouncing Beth to a booth in the ice crea his body in the too s