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Willa looked incredulous. “You do?”
“Yeah, it’s a type of fruit. Heart healthy.”
Willa shook her head. “Nope.”
“Wait, I know. It’s a baby penguin.” He turned to Ashley and Greg with a cheeky wink. “Pretty sure I’ve got that right.”
Willa shook her head, her lips stretched wide in a smile. “Wrong again.”
“Darn. I was so sure I had it. Alright then, tell me.”
“It means to travel or wander from place to place.”
“Wow! So when I’m on the road for a hockey game, I’m peregrin—what is it?”
“Peregrinating! Exactly.” Willa loved when the words had a real-world application, and Ashley loved when her daughter’s smarts were engaged in a fun way.
Greg was intimidated by his daughter’s intelligence and interest in science, as if it made him seem less smart, but Dex was wonderfully unbothered by it. He had no ego and didn’t have to be the big man on campus. It made for such a nice change.
She loved that he treated her daughter so well.
That he treated her so well.
Greg was quietly seething. Ashley recognized that look, the one where he had nothing to say but was trying to think of a way to verbalize it. Usually it was some snide comment, and it didn’t take long for him to come up with one.
“This is some PR thing, I suppose, because of your legal issues?” The sneer was added for free.
“It is, yeah,” Dex said amiably. “At least it started that way.” He shot a quick grin at Ashley that had her melting. “I’ll probably be signing up for more shifts, though. Can’t get enough.”
The implication was clear—to the adults, anyway—what exactly Dex couldn’t get enough of. He ran a hot palm over her back just in case it wasn’t.
“Dex, could I have a moment please?” Sophie called out.
“Nice to meet you, Craig,” then to Ashley, “Later, babe,” before he swaggered off.
Later, babe?
She had never been “babe” to anyone, and she thought she might like it. Or maybe she just liked Greg’s sourpuss expression.
Greg turned to Willa. “Honey, could you let me and your mom have a quiet word?”
Willa grimaced. “Uh oh.”
“No uh oh,” Ashley said. “We’ll just be a second.”
Willa wandered off to check on the kittens while Greg pulled her aside.
“Really, Ash? You’re sleeping with him?”
She held up a hand and headed toward the back office, with him following.
“What if I am?”
“He’s …” Spluttering ensued. “A total slut! And far too young for you.”
Trust Greg to pick at the older/younger scab.
“You don’t know him.”
