“The rope I want to see you in.”
“You’re persistent,” she said, shaking her head.
“Yeah.”
“Can I let you know later this morning?”she asked, hedged, dodged.Maybe some distance would give her some clarity or, even better, resolve.
He nodded.
They sat together in companionable silence for a long time and she was aware of ahewsound, most likely belonging to a mockingbird.When it flew, she saw a flash of white on its wings.“We had one in our neighborhood that could perfectly imitate a car alarm.Through a series of whoops and beeps.”
He lifted his hat so she could see the skepticism in the set of his dark eyebrows.
“I kid you not,” she promised.“They’re amazing mimics.”
“You’re not joking?”
“Look it up,” she encouraged.“No, wait.Put fifty dollars on it.”
“A wager?”
She smiled.
“You’re on.”
They each juggled their mugs to their non-dominant hands so they could shake on it.
“They can make dozens of sounds, maybe hundreds.It’s one of the ways males attract females.”
“Keep talking.”
“I’m serious.”
“And you’re an expert on birds?”
“We did a lot of inexpensive things when we were little, including looking at birds.And we had some in our yard.I used to like watching them.Did you know that they’re the Texas state bird?”
“Keep talking,” he repeated.
She splashed him.When he looked across at her with dark eyes, she hurried to add, “That was teasing, not bratting.”
“I get to decide that.”His voice had gotten lower, deeper, sending a corresponding shiver through her.
“I swear,” she promised.
“Uh-huh.”
“And you can admit it when you hand over the fifty bucks.”
He shook his head, but she moved back to the far side of the tub.
She was a little sorry that he didn’t hold her accountable, and she kind of expected him to when they went inside.But even while she cooked breakfast then repacked her belongings and dressed for work, he made no mention of it.
“I hope you decide to come back tonight,” he said when they stood outside, a foot or so away from her vehicle.He hefted her overnight bag.
“I’ll let you know.”
“Better bring my fifty dollars.”
