change your mind on that, or we’ll have problems. Don’t do that to the kids. If you cut me out of their lives, I’ll buy you out of the business and hire someone to do your job so fast, it’ll make your head spin.”
He spun around and met my gaze. Pissed.
I shrugged. “And then they’ll turn eighteen and come back to me. You know they will. Nora, at least. You need help with her and you fucking know it. Don’t go to war with me just because I’m finally dating someone. Grow the fuck up or get out of my life. Those are your choices. Now, get off my land before I kick your ass, too.”
And no, I couldn’t beat him up in human form, but in our animal forms, my cat would tear him apart.
I turned my back on him, went in the house, slammed the door closed, and pulled my phone back out. Are you free this evening? I’m making pork and beef lasagna.
I can be there in about two hours.
Perfect. See you then.
I was pissed, and hurt. Gil had no right to try to control my life. However, he could legally keep me from seeing the kids, and it rankled.
But I wasn’t going to fucking heel for him. He didn’t own me anymore. Dammit.
I stomped to the alarm control panel and changed the code on the doors and the alarm. He’d be able to guess every number combination I could come up with, and I finally decided to use the Fibonacci sequence, but not from the beginning — 581321. There, figure that one out, you son of a bitch.
For good measure, I closed the gate coming into my driveway. I texted Frost again. Give me a 4 to 7 digit number you can remember.
35813
I stared at it. The fucking Fibonacci sequence, but he’d started one number sooner.
Fibonacci? Really?
Is that a problem?
No. You’ll know when to use it.
Was someone trying to tell me this was supposed to be? I didn’t know, but I suddenly felt better.
I also felt like being outside. It didn’t take long to fry the meat and put the lasagna together. I put it in the oven, programmed it to cook for an hour and then warm until I told it to stop, and I took the camping supplies to the backyard. It felt good to be doing something. This was my new life, and I could make of it what I wanted.
By the time Frost arrived, I had everything ready to take outside for a meal under the stars. Including the whiskey. I’d opened all the windows on the tent, as well as the skylight — we’d have a breeze and a view, but no bugs.
And so, we ate on a picnic blanket in front of the tent while we took turns pouring shots of whiskey, and then stretched out and talked about the stars and the universe.
“What’s up with the gate being closed? It was open when I came before.”
“I keep it closed when I’m not home, and at night. Gil’s being an ass, so it felt better to close it. I changed all the codes, too. He’s threatening to keep the kids from me. If they can’t come, there’s no need for him to know the codes to my damned house.”
“Not many people recognize the Fibonacci sequence.”
“I’m an artist. Math is the language of the universe. You can’t draw nature without understanding it.”
“Flowers. Seashells. Greek architecture.”
“Right. I’m kind of surprised you know it, though.”
“Engineering degree. I helped my parents run their contracting business for years.”
I smiled. “Also, owls are rumored to be of above average intelligence.”
“Most of us, yes.”
“Do you want to sleep out here, or would you prefer my air-conditioned bedroom?”
“This is nice. I like your land. We’re in a neighborhood, but it feels like the forest.”
“Well, a mosquito just bit me, so we either go into the tent or into the house. There’s plenty of airflow, and we can see outside through the mesh — there’s even a skylight.” I looked around. “But, it’s hot.”
“Hot’s okay every once in a while. Let’s move into the tent and see how it goes. We can go inside later if we want.”
I’d put a fitted sheet on the mattress, and another sheet to go on top of us, but neither of us would want a blanket in the heat of the summer. I took my nine millimeter out of the bellyband and settled the weapon and extra magazines to the side of the