“Oh, Dad.”
Alex gave Ryleigh a quick wink before saying, “You’re already ‘oh Dad-ing’ me. Maybe you’re older than I think.”
Ryleigh smiled at Noah. “I kind of like the idea of yougrowing at the normal rate, if you don’t mind. You’ll be an adult soon enough.”
“A man with a car,” Noah said, sounding thrilled at the idea. “And maybe a dog.”
“No dog,” Alex said mildly. “We’ve talked about it.”
Ryleigh knew that was true. After Kim had passed, Ryleigh and Alex had wondered if getting a pet would help Noah adjust better. The psychologist he’d been seeing had suggested waiting. A few weeks later, Alex had decided that they weren’t ready for a dog. They were both gone all day long and it didn’t seem fair to leave the animal home alone all the time.
“What about a cat?” Ryleigh asked, holding in a smile. “My sister got one for Ramon and—”
Two heads swung toward her. “Jax got a cat for Ramon?” Alex asked. “But he’s a bird. Cats eat birds.” He paused. “Wait, she did this before, didn’t she? There was that cat that kept running away.”
“I’m not saying it was the best idea in the world,” she admitted and reminded them about Sam. “I’ll agree it was a strange relationship, but they loved each other for sure. And Ramon was devastated when Sam, ah, crossed the rainbow bridge.” She paused as she wondered if Noah was going to react to the pet death, but he seemed to be listening intently rather than getting upset.
“Does Ramon want another cat?” he asked. “He lives in the bookstore with a lot of people around him, so I don’t think he would be lonely.”
“I don’t think he is, but Jax feels he needs a cat.”
“Have they met yet?” Alex asked.
“No. So far Lucy’s been in the apartment, getting used to being there. I hung out with her for a couple of hours over the past few days and she’s really a sweet girl. So pretty and friendly.”
“Thinking of getting a cat?” he asked. “You sound wistful.”
“Not wistful exactly.” It was just being with Lucy was nice. The soft fur, the purr. She liked the companionship, which waskind of pathetic. “I’m looking to make some changes in my life. Maybe a pet would be a good first step.”
She didn’t say anything else on the “change” front because she and Alex had agreed to not discuss a potential move in front of Noah. She didn’t know how he would react to the fact that she was considering leaving town and didn’t want to risk upsetting him before she knew her actual plans.
She would miss him if she moved, she thought. And Alex. She also knew they would miss her. Since Kim had gotten sick, she’d become a big part of their lives. They were close and had a rhythm that worked for all of them. Funny how in a way, she was more involved with Alex and Noah than she had ever been with Dustin. Something to think about, she told herself.
But if she moved... She held in a sigh. If she moved it wouldn’t be just Alex and Noah she missed. As Jax had pointed out, she would also miss spending time with Gentry and Xander. Visits home wouldn’t be enough. And despite how her moving would change so much, Alex was only being supportive. He didn’t tell her not to go or try to guilt her, unlike her sister.
Was she making a mistake in even considering relocating to San Diego? Was she going in search of something or simply reacting to what had (or hadn’t) happened with Dustin? Hopefully seeing San Diego in person would help her decide. While they would be doing the usual fun touristy things like going to the zoo and the Model Railroad Museum, she would have time to explore on her own. Alex and Noah had tickets to one of the puppet shows. She would drop them off, then drive through neighborhoods and swing by a couple of elementary schools—just to get a feel for what it was like in the area.
The GPS directed Alex to exit the freeway. As he drove down the off-ramp, Ryleigh pointed out the window.
“See all those trees there?” she asked. “That’s Balboa Park.”
“Whoa, that’s huge.”
“It is. There’s so much to do.”
“I can’t wait for the zoo. I want to see the hippos.”
“Not the lions and tigers?”
“Them, too, but hippos are funny.”
The GPS led them to a quiet neighborhood tucked in behind the park. It didn’t take long for them to find the condo building. They took their luggage up the elevator and found the unit.
The condo was bright with floor-to-ceiling windows and an open floor plan. The large living room led to the dining area and a large kitchen. Modern stainless steel appliances gleamed in the afternoon light. The main bedroom was on one side, the two guest rooms with a shared bath were on the other.
“Noah and I will take these,” Alex told her.
“What? No, you take the main bedroom.”
