“It’s the first day for the teens. Pete’s co-op doesn’t start until next week.”
“Oh.” The hand holding the basket dropped.
“I suppose I could still get away.”
“He could come,” Noah offered, but she shook her head.
She wasn’t bringing her son along on a second date – not even when that date was with Noah Kapono. Their lives were already overly intermeshed and messy. She needed time to get to know him – just him, as he was now.
“Your kid already crashed our first date,” she joked.
Noah winced. “I’m sorry about that.”
“Don’t be,” she said immediately, putting a hand on his arm. “Your responsibility to those kids comes first. I get that.”
“And you don’t mind me stealing you away from yours?”
“He’ll be fine. He’s hyperfocused on his mongoose today. He’s been watching cat training videos and trying to apply them to Rikki.”
“How’s that going?”
“The results aren’t in yet.”
“So… are you up for a picnic?”
“I’d like that.” She twisted a strand of red hair around her finger. “Where are we going?”
“Just here on the cliffs. I’ll have you back before school gets out, I promise.”
“That sounds perfect. Let me just go check with my mom. I want to make sure she’ll be here for Pete until we get back.”
“Sure.”
Anne ran up the stairs and found Dawn sitting in the master bedroom, reading a book in a comfy chair by the window.
“Hey Mom,” she said. “Will you be here a while?”
“I don’t have any plans today. Why?”
“Noah invited me on a picnic, and I don’t want to leave Pete here alone.”
Dawn’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Are you and Noah an item again?”
“Just two people on a picnic.” Anne kept her voice breezy. “So you’ll be here?”
“I won’t leave Pete alone.”
“Great. Thanks!” She hurried downstairs and went to check on Pete, who was on the back porch with Rikki and a bag of cat treats.
“Mom!” He perked up when he saw her. “Watch this! Rikki, up!”
The mongoose popped up off the ground, standing on his back feet.
“Pete, that’s amazing!”
He sighed and said, “He’s supposed to jump into my arms when I say that.”
“Well, that’s a good start.”
