We’re both quiet as he drives me home, grabs the dresses, and walks me to my door. I unlock it and open it slightly. I hardly want the night to end. “The Ruby Glow? It’s doing great,” I say, stalling.
His gaze sails down to my lips once again. They feel tingly under his stare. “Because you take good care of it.”
“I’m just good at following directions—that’s all.”
He scoffs, looking me in the eyes again. “Nah. It’s more than that, Remy.”
I buy some more time. “Is it?”
“Yeah. You’re detailed. You remember things. Not everyone can take care of a plant.”
“It’s not a dog. Or a cat.”
“But someday it will be, right?” It’s a reminder of what I told him—that my plants would become real pets.
“See? You’re the one who remembers things. But yes, someday it’ll be a dog keeping me company as I plan dates for my clients. For now it’s plants,” I say, and I’m doing it again. I’m trying to extend the night. I force myself to shift gears. “What time tomorrow?”
“How about noon?”
“Perfect,” I say on a rough swallow. “I have to be at the arena two hours before the game. And you need to be there two and a half hours early, so it should all work out.”
There. That was businesslike.
“Yes, I’ll text you the address, but you should know I always take a nap on game days. So, bring your nap blanket.”
I go inside with a black dress for me and a white dress for someone who never got to wear it, but all I’m thinking about is a small, soft fleece.
25
THE NAKED TRUTH
LAKE
“Called it,” I declare once I round the corner into the kitchen, spotting my dad assembling the border of the Signs with Sayings puzzle.
He shoots me a look that says calling it was child’s play. “Yes, like it’s a surprise, too, when Thor rubs his face on the catnip banana.”
I stop in the doorway, arch a brow. “Did you just compare your love of puzzles to the cat’s obsession with a catnip banana?”
He stops, stares at the ceiling with a puzzle piece in hand, then shoots me a smug smile. “I did.”
As if on cue, Thor rounds the corner and leaps onto the table then skids, sending a handful of pieces skittering onto the floor.
“You are such a dick,” I say to the big boy, but I pick him up and scratch his chin.
He permits five seconds of contact before ejecting himself from my arms and onto the floor where Dad’s kneeling to pick up the scattered pieces. I bend down and help him out.
When he returns to the table, he slides a piece in, thennods to the stove. “You want some breakfast? I can make you something.”
Shaking my head, I grab a banana from the hanger on the counter, then a bowl. “Nope. Just gonna have some cereal then take off. I’ve got morning skate.”
“And a game this afternoon.”
And…something in between. Something like a date. Or maybe a date-ish. But that reminds me of something else. As I peel the banana and slice it into a bowl, I say, “Dad, I forgot to tell you the puzzle is a gift from…” I pause, since I’m not sure how I want her name to sound coming out of my mouth. Affectionate? Fond? Fucking obsessed?The latter, dickhead, since it’s the truth.“Remy.”
His smile looks positively feline. “That so?”
I head to the pantry to grab the granola. “Yeah, she thought you might like it.”
