"Fine!" she counters, a mischievous gleam in her eye. "Then I won't tell you about my ride home with Nate."
My gaze snaps to her, eyes wide, eyebrow raised.
"Tina, you didn’t!" I echo, giving her a suspicious once-over.
"I didn’t," she murmurs, her tone tinged with regret.
I tilt my head, narrowing my eyes. "Is that disappointment I hear?"
"Okay, I'll tell you!" she exclaims, her voice playful now. "Sitting next to him in the car? It was pure torture! It took every ounce of self-control not to reach out and touch him. Especially after we dropped off Beth. The buffer was gone, you know? Ugh, he was so close! I could smell his cologne." She closes her eyes and inhales deeply, savoring the memory. "It was hard not to run my fingers through his hair. His arm was stretched out, hand on the wheel, and all I could think about was tracing the veins in his arm. I caught myself glancing at him a few times, hoping he didn’t notice. Did you know he has a small scar over his lip? I swear, I wanted to kiss it. I kept telling myself, resist, damn it, resist!"
"What about Vincent?" I ask quietly.
"Are you judging me?" she shoots back, locking eyes with me.
"No," I snap, a little defensive. "I'm just curious."
"Nate is six-foot-four of pure muscle and testosterone. His sex appeal practically radiates from him. He's irresistible to anyone with a pulse, so it's not my fault I'm attracted to him. The magnetic pull I feel toward him is pure animal attraction. The man is ninety percent hot and ten percent glaring red flags, big enough to run themselves up the flagpole."
“And Vincent?” I ask. "How attracted are you to him?"
“Vince is amazing,” she says, breaking into a big smile. “He’s sweet, affectionate, attentive, sexy, caring. He treats me like a queen.”
“No red flags?”
She hesitates. “Well, besides the thirty-something-year age difference and his thirty-something-year-old daughter, there aren’t any.”
“Does that count as one red flag, or two?” I ask, trying to lighten the suddenly serious mood.
“He doesn’t see Meghan enough for her to be an issue,” she says. “The age difference bothers him more than it does me.”
“Well, if it bothers him,” I begin, “it’s only a matter of time before it starts bothering you.”
“I doubt it,” she replies, her smile returning. “The age-gap trope is in style right now. From bestsellers in contemporary romance to real-life couples in Hollywood and Washington.”
“This isn’t a romance novel, Tina,” I remind her. “This is real life. Your life. Your future.”
“I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again,” she says. “Vince and I are taking things slow. It’s too early to think beyond the present, and the present is what I’m enjoying right now.”
"Okay," I say, heading toward the hallway. "Have a good night."
"Don't think I didn't notice how you changed the subject to avoid talking about what happened next door."
"See you in the morning," I reply, starting up the stairs before she can see the big smile that spreads across my face.
***
"Good morning, sunshine," Tina greets me as soon as I step into the kitchen. "Want some toast?"
"No. Cal and I are taking Hannah out for breakfast this morning."
"Speaking of," she starts, eyeing me over the rim of her coffee cup, "how's it going with Meghan? Especially the custody situation?"
"We’re still waiting," I reply, watching her spread whipped butter on her toast.
"Really?" She raises an eyebrow. "Sounds like she's backing off. Maybe she’s reconsidered. Being a full-time mom might seem appealing on paper, or as a way to get back at Cal, but once she thinks it through... it might be more than she wants to take on."
"That’s what we’re hoping," I say. "Don't take me wrong. We love the fact that she's been spending more time with Hannah, but we're still questioning her motive. Is it to be a good mom, or is she putting together a plan."
