“You’re wrong. I do.” She quickly wrote him in. “See. There he is. Added.”
She did her best to sound defiant and not, you know, miffed. “They’d be a cute couple.”
“He is attractive. There’s only one problem.”
Jax looked at her friend. “What? Have you heard something bad about him?”
Cheryl gave her a pitying look. “No. He seems very nice. It’s that he’s not interested in Ryleigh.”
“How do you know? They haven’t met.”
“Meeting isn’t going to change anything,” Cheryl said, her tone pointed. “Because he’s interested in you. I can’t figure out why you don’t want to admit that.”
Jax brushed away the comment. “He’s not and even if he were, I’m not ready to start dating.”
“Why not? It’s been over a year since you split up. Don’t you want a relationship in your life?”
“I have Ramon.”
“Somehow that doesn’t seem the same.”
“I just...” Jax’s voice trailed off as she realized she had no idea why she wasn’t interested in having a relationship. She certainly didn’t want to live her life alone. Harris had been dating from practically the moment he’d moved out. Shouldn’t she want to start something herself?
“It’s too soon,” she said, falling back on what she’d been telling anyone who asked, although Cheryl’s point about it being well over a year since the divorce made her think she was going to have to come up with some other way to explain her firmly single status. More significant, figuring out why she was avoiding men might be a better use of her time.
“Anyway,” she continued, “I’m adding Marcus to the list. And I’ll talk to him about asking out Ryleigh.”
Cheryl chuckled. “I would pay money to listen in on that conversation.”
“Maybe he’ll want to date her.” She kept her tone cheerful even as she felt a whisper of unease at the thought of her contractor going out with her sister.
“Unlikely but keep telling yourself that if it makes you happy,” Cheryl said.
Ramon flew over and stared at her.
“Is he all right?” Cheryl asked.
“He’s not happy about the cat.”
“Can you blame him? It’s going to attack him or at least try to.”
“None of the others ever did and Lucy’s very sweet.” At least Jax assumed so. The cat wasn’t really warming up to her, although she was a complete purr monster around Ryleigh. Not that it mattered—Lucy wasn’t going to be her pet, but instead would be Ramon’s. Hopefully.
She held out her arm. “Hi, sweetie bird.”
Ramon hesitated before flying over and landing on her fingers. “No cat.”
“I want to try.”
Ramon blew a raspberry.
“That’s certainly clear,” Cheryl said. “Ramon, you’re an amazing bird and we’re all lucky to have you in our lives.”
“Thank you,” he answered, then squawked, “Marcus!” And flew away.
“That was quick,” Cheryl pointed out. “I’ll leave you to your young man.”
“He’s not my... Never mind.” Jax followed Ramon and found her parrot pressing his beak against Marcus’s cheek. She ignored the sense that he was trying to upset her—um, the bird, not the man.
