I glanced at the wall dividing our bedrooms.
What ifIdid?
CHAPTER 9
ERIC
We left the condo at around ten the next morning. I was relieved Jesse agreed with my logic about leaving after rush hour instead of trying to beat it. Selena always preferred to be out the door by the crack of dawn, ensuring that we were out of the city well before the morning commute kicked off. It worked, but it also meant I was dragging ass for the rest of the day.
This leisurely approach of eating breakfast, drinking our coffee, and saying goodbye to the cats? Definitely more my speed.
“Are you sure they’ll be okay without us?” I asked on the way to the car. “Err, I mean, without you?”
Jesse smiled. “They’ll be fine. As soon as Auntie Maureen gets here, they’ll forget we ever existed.”
I laughed. “Really?”
“Mmhmm. She brings over treats and toys.” He waved a hand at the condo as we got into the Jeep. “We’re old news.”
I scoffed as I dropped into the driver seat. “And here I thought Chili liked me. Turns out he’s completely mercenary.”
“My dude. He’s a cat.” Jesse buckled his seat belt. “What did you expect?”
“Hmm. Fair. He’s convincing, though, I’ll give him that.”
“Fortunately, it goes both ways. If we show up with treats and some new toys when we get home, they’ll forget all about her. We’ll be the favorites again, and balance will be restored to the universe.”
I laughed as I started backing out of the space. “Okay, so their mercenary ways can be used to our advantage, too. Good to know.” I shifted gears, then glanced at him. “This means we’re buying treats and toys on the trip, right?”
“Obviously.”
“There are some shops where we’re going that’ll probably have just the thing.”
“Yeah?”
I nodded, focusing ahead as I drove out of the parking garage. “There aren’t a lot of places in that town, but they have some that sell like quirky locally made stuff. I swear I remember one had hand-crocheted catnip toys.”
“Ooh, the boys would love those.”
I glanced at him. “They like the nip, I assume?”
“Oh my God, yes.” He groaned. “When they were maybe a year old, I gave them some fresh catnip. Got a noise complaint from my downstairs neighbor.”
I barked a laugh. “No shit?”
“No shit. They swore I was having a party or had a bunch of kids running around or something. I bumped into them a few days later and apologized. I told them it was just my cats cracked out on catnip for the first time.”
“Seriously?” I glanced his way again. “What did they say?”
Jesse chuckled. “They laughed. They apologized for the complaint once they understood what was really going on. We’re pretty friendly now.”
“Wow. That’s one way to make friends with your neighbors.”
“I know, right?”
Conversation continued like that for a while, shooting the shit about neighbors, pets, and whatever came to mind as we left the city.
At one point, some orange signs came into view up ahead. After they’d whipped past, Jesse dryly said, “Oh, look, construction on the turnpike. Who could’ve guessed?”
