“Did you say interesting?” I echo, trying not to melt into a puddle right here in the plaza.
“Among other things.”
“What other things am I?” I ask, because apparently, I have zero shame when it comes to fishing for compliments from attractive detectives.
“Beautiful,” he says simply. “Smart. Brave enough to tackle a killer with nothing but attitude and cute cats.”
He called me beautiful.
Yeah, I know he called me smart, too. And that whole cute cat thing probably deserves mention.
“The cats helped,” I point out, because I’m blushing so hard, I probably match the autumn leaves.
“They do,” he agrees. “This is a very professional operation.”
“ENOUGH!” Delora’s voice reaches frequencies that probably violate noise ordinances. “Dexter, I am appalled by your behavior! This is completely inappropriate!”
“Mother—”
“Don’tmotherme! You are making a fool of yourself over this... this theme park hussy!”
“Hey!” I protest. “I prefer entrepreneurial spirit with a side of sass.”
“That’s better.” Dexter nods approvingly. “And sounds far more accurate.”
“Dexter James Drake!” Delora’s using his full name now, which means we’ve officially reached DEFCON 1. “You will stop this nonsense immediately!”
“What nonsense?” he asks innocently. “Having a conversation with a business owner?”
“A business owner?” Delora sputters. “She runs a carnival!”
“Theme park,” I correct. “And a very successful one, thank you very much.”
She narrows her eyes to slits. “Success built on what? Cat ears and murder memorabilia?”
“Built on giving people what they want,” Dexter says, picking up one of the plushies. “Entertainment, escapism, and apparently, really well-made merchandise.”
“You’re defending her again!”
“I’m stating facts.”
“The fact is, you’re smitten with someone completely inappropriate!”
“The fact is,” Dexter says calmly, “I’m old enough and perfectly capable of making my own decisions about who I spend time with.”
She gasps so hard, I think she inhaled a keychain. “Not when those decisions affect your professional reputation!” If my murderous merch kills again, I may have to consider discontinuing it.
“My professional reputation is fine, Mother.”
“Is it? Because from where I stand, you look like a lovesick teenager!”
I try not to react to the wordlovesick, but my traitorous heart starts throwing a parade.
“I look like a man who appreciates intelligence, humor, and the ability to solve a murder while running a business,” Dexter counters.
“She got lucky!” Delora riots.
“She got results,” he corrects. “Which is more than most people can say.”
