“That’s pretty easy, I would think.” She regretted the words as soon as they came out of her mouth. He’d just told her at dinner the other night that illegal drug use was rampant in Fallen Springs, and the Sheriff’s Department was hiring more deputies just to keep up with it. “I didn’t mean that the way it came out,” she added, hoping to curb any hurt feelings her comment might have caused.
“Granted, it’s not the toughest job in the world of law enforcement, but we have our moments. I thought I’d stop by, check on you, see how your dad’s doing.”
“Dad’s just fine. He actually drove to Pine City yesterday to see Grandpa. If you didn’t know, you would think he was in perfect health. Yesterday was a good day, though. He’s starting a new medication, so I’m hoping he’ll have more good days rather than bad ones once he’s been on it for a while. I guess time will tell.”
Brent walked over to the empty display, where the music boxes had been. “What happened to all the fancy boxes?”
“I sold them,” she added, wanting to ask wasn’t it obvious, but she kept that thought to herself.
“Nice,” he said.
“Actually, I just sold them this morning. To a new customer. I sent the customer to Ruby’s so I’d have time to wrap them all.”
“A collector?” Brent asked.
“I don’t think so. They”—she didn’t want to say he because Brent would question her even more—“said they were buying them for a birthday gift. Apparently, the lucky person’s birthday is Christmas Day.”
“Not sure if I’d like that.”
“Me either, but it’s not like one has a choice,” she said, grinning. “It’s kind of out of your hands.” She thought of Madison’s new baby. Not a Christmas birthday but maybe a Fourth of July baby. That would be a bang, she thought.
“Pretty much,” Brent said.
She nodded.
“So, you have any plans tonight?” he asked.
She knew checking on her dad wasn’t the only reason he’d stopped by. She did not have plans, other than working, then realized she hadn’t told Brent about her new book contract. And for some odd reason, she didn’t want to tell him just yet. Later, after her trip to Seattle, she would, but at the moment, she wanted to keep this to herself. “Actually, I’m doing some research, so I’ll be glued to the”—she almost said Internet, but he didn’t need to know that either—“books. Just a project I’m interested in.”
“Well, I hope that’s all it is,” he said.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
He shook his head. “That you’re not just saying that to keep me away.”
“Brent, I don’t want to get into this now. You know how I feel.” And this was not the time to discuss her lack of romantic interest in him. “I do have some good news to share with you. I’m going to be a mom,” she said, but when she saw the look on his face, she realized she’d left out one critical word. “A cat mom.”
She saw the relief on his face.
“I went to the shelter this morning, and not only did I adopt a momma cat—her name’s Daisy—I also adopted her kittens. Evie and Yule.”
He laughed. “For a minute, I thought you were having a baby. Yeah, that’s a good thing to do. Animals are a good substitute for kids.”
“Brent! That’s mean,” she said, and she wasn’t joking.
“You know what I meant,” he said. “Until you settle down and have a family of your own. Pets are almost as good as kids. Unconditional love and all.”
Lauren wanted to tell him there weren’t a lot of choices in Fallen Springs, but that was a low blow. She wasn’t that cruel. “Yes, they do give love in return. The shelter wouldn’t allow the kittens to be separated from their mother, and I agreed to take all three. I think Dad will get a kick out of it. You remember how crazy he was over Buzz?”
Brent laughed. “He thought that cat was a dog.”
“He did, and Buzz acted like a dog, too. I miss that furry guy.”
“Well, as I said, I just wanted to stop in, check on your dad. You tell him I’ll stop by for a beer this weekend,” Brent said. “And I’ll bring pizza from Papa Joe’s.”
“Sounds good, I’ll tell Dad,” she said, relieved that he was leaving.
“Saturday or Sunday? Which day is best?” he asked.
The bell jingled on the door, and, of course, Mr. Hunk’s timing couldn’t have been worse.