school, which helps. There’s no way she’d manage at a human school, but she has enough control to maintain ninety-five percent of the time. She comes to my house when she’s having trouble. It seems my cat helps her hold onto her control, while her dad’s expectations make it harder.”
“They don’t get along?”
“She had him wrapped around her little finger when she was younger, but then she became a teenager and she lost his trust. She’s still his baby girl, and always will be, but she knows how to push his buttons, and he’s more than happy to blow up at her when she does. Mostly, they’re okay, but I can hear them fighting from my house about once a month.”
“I didn’t see you as the mom type, before, but I can totally see it now. You want kids of your own?”
“Eventually, but not yet. I bought a house that’s way too big for me — partly because it was an excellent investment and I’ll be able to sell it for a fortune when the market recovers, but also because there’s a chance I’ll want to grow a family there someday. Also, my cat likes it.”
I wasn’t at all happy about her living by her ex, and yet, the fact she was still there for his kids endeared her to me even more. I’d met her ex and had deemed him trustworthy and capable from a business perspective, but hadn’t delved farther than that. Now, I wished I had.
I needed to know more about why they were still a little bit together even though they were divorced. Most people split the company up and say goodbye to their step kids. These two had bought houses next to each other.
“Did you buy first, or did your ex?”
“I bought my house and moved out first, and then he bought the one next to me. I was pissed, at first, but it’s worked out okay. The kids needed me to be closer, and he needed help being a single parent. I set up ground rules and boundaries, and we’ve adjusted them as needed. He’s a good man, we’re just wrong for each other. Cats and dogs, right? Shoulda figured that shit out ahead of time.”
No more difficult than cats and birds, but I hoped she wouldn’t think of that.
“What did you tell him while you were spending so much time at the clubhouse?”
Those brilliant green eyes met my gaze head on, but she had her emotions locked down behind a screen of defiance. “Told him I was getting an itch scratched, I was safe, and he didn’t need to know more.”
“And he left it at that?”
“Yeah.” There was a challenge in the answer. She’d keep answering questions, but was I sure I wanted her to?
I looked at her plate. I was ahead of her, since I’d kept eating while she went to the bathroom. “Eat up. Our fourth course will arrive soon and you’re behind.”
“I’m good. Why so many questions about my ex?”
“Just tryin’ to understand. I take it you haven’t had men sleep over too much?”
“Not at all, actually.”
“You gonna let me pick you up the next time we go out?”
“Is there going to be a next time?”
“I thought maybe we could ride into the Little River Canyon Saturday and make a day of it. I can pick you up at your house with an extra helmet. You got a leather jacket?”
“In the summer?”
I didn’t have to read her micro-expressions to understand she was really asking if I’d lost my mind. Both of our animals prefer cold climates, which means Birmingham in the summer is especially miserable. There are worse things than the heat, though.
“Road rash is a bitch. Even if you can change to heal, it’s hours before you’ll have a chance, usually.”
“Yes, I have a leather jacket. You’re really gonna take me for a ride?”
The waitress brought our brisket orders out, and I dumped the rest of my fries onto the new plate and set the old one to the side. “Yeah. Text me your address and I’ll pick you up at nine Saturday morning. We’ll make a day of it.”
For a minute, I thought she was going to tell me to pick her up somewhere else, but then she shrugged, swallowed, and said, “Okay, but you can’t come home with me tonight. Nora’s staying with me.”
“Hadn’t planned on it.”
She rearranged her food to get it all on one plate, and I could tell she was considering whether to say