the one who invited everyone over. They have a pool, a strict no-alcohol policy, and no fire pit. We’ll be good.”
“Mary Anne and I are going too.” Walker sounded more resigned than excited, but this wasn’t the moment for a deep dive into possible sources of his unhappiness. But come tomorrow, he was dragging him out to their favorite trail and taking Luis’s advice to get him talking.
“Be safe. I have to run Luis back to his car, but you can text me at any point for a ride. And curfew is still a thing.”
“Me too. Text away.” Heidi had a hug for both boys, brushing the dust they left behind off her dress.
“Me three.” Isaac laughed. “No wacky diving board tricks, okay?”
“That was one time,” Wade protested.
“That resulted in an emergency room trip and stitches,” Tucker reminded him.
“Okay, okay. No diving board, and Walker can drive, and we’ll be home by curfew.” Wade jogged away to rejoin his friends and teammates, leaving Walker to trail behind him after giving them a last wave.
“You drive carefully too,” Heidi told him as she and Isaac collected Angelica from where she’d been chasing some other little kids. “And text if you get a fire callout.”
“Will do.” After a few more goodbyes, he and Luis made their way back to his car.
“You want some actual food?” Luis asked once they were underway. “After that heavy snack, I just want something light, but I’ve got eggs and could make us some breakfast-as-dinner if you wanted to follow me back to my hotel. You can meet the cat.”
“Well, in that case, I better accept.” Anticipation thrummed through his body, making his fingers drum against the steering wheel. He had a feeling Luis was offering more than some scrambled eggs and a look at his cat, but he wasn’t being pushy about it, which Tucker appreciated. As wonderfully aggressive as he could be while kissing, he seemed content to let Tucker decide when and how they got to that point of getting physical.
His respectfulness for Tucker’s needs was another sign that Luis cared about more than simply getting laid while he was in town. Tucker’s chest expanded, all his wishes from earlier returning full force. And while he might not get those, he did get tonight, and he was absolutely going to make the most of it.
Chapter Twelve
“I think you’re right. The cat has it in for you.” Tucker looked up from his eggs.
Luis had scrambled them with spinach and queso fresca, then topped his own with chorizo, cilantro, and salsa macha while Tucker got extra of the cheese and some avocado. Luis had been pleased to discover the same tiny Mexican grocer that his mother had frequented was still in business, still stocking decent brands of some of his family’s favorites like the tortillas he’d heated up to go alongside. It was a cozy little late dinner at the small table in his room. Well, it would be cozy if the cat would stop glaring at both of them from her perch on top of the fridge.
“See? Watch.” Luis held out a piece of chorizo, but all Blaze did was sniff the air mightily. Selfishly, he was glad that at least she hadn’t immediately taken to Tucker, who tried the same gesture but with egg, and got a swish of her majestic tail for his efforts.
“Maybe it’s simply humanity in general she’s not impressed with,” Tucker suggested as he used a piece of tortilla to scoop up more eggs.
“No, she adored Mike. In his lap every chance she got, eating from his hand, acting like a spoiled princess getting a massage when he brushed her...so it’s not all humans. Just most.”
“Well, maybe not everyone can be as special as that.” There was something guarded about Tucker’s expression and a certain cautiousness in his tone. “Maybe Mike was just one of a kind?”
“He was. Big blond bear of a guy but exceptionally gentle with little kids and small animals. But despite Blaze’s devotion, he wasn’t a saint.” He didn’t want Tucker thinking that like the cat he’d put Mike on a pedestal where no other guy could ever reach. “He could be moody, and we fought about stupid stuff enough that I used to tease him that if I was a cat I’d win more arguments with his stubborn ass.”
Tucker laughed at that, but it was muted as were his eyes. “And still you miss him. I get that. You don’t see yourself ever having