Page 107 of Out Of A Fix

“You all right?”

“I’m fine,” she sniffled. “Why do you ask?”

“Because your eyes are starting to get a bit puffy.”

“Are they?”

I nodded.

“I asked before I came, and John and Vi assured me you didn’t have—ohmygod, cherry on the cake of my life,” she groaned as Wink came flying into the room like he was being chased by a demon or something, before leaping up on the table and walking over in front of me, only to sit down and stare at Quinn. He really was the cutest thing, and the way he tilted his head as he regarded her was adorable.

“He’s trying to kill me.”

“More likely he senses you don’t like him and therefore must befriend you.” When he took a step toward her, I grabbed him. “See?”

“Yes, he’s charming. Keep him over there.”

“You poor thing,” I said to Quinn.

“You’re saying that because I look like ass.”

“No,” I lied. “But how bad is the allergy?”

“Why? Is my skin getting blotchy?”

“Just a bit.”

“Would it kill you people to call and share the news that you got a cat with Luke’s folks?”

“No. Should’ve done that,” I agreed as she sneezed again.

Wink took that opportunity to dive sideways, run off the table, and leap at Luke.

“Owww, you little shit,” he groused, carefully unhooking Wink’s claws from his cardigan.

All the kids said board at the same time, and Luke, carrying Wink, walked over to his board, where he erased the number two and put a one.

“No swear words is good,” Viola said.

“Yes, but I really wanted Chinese food next Saturday, because I know I’ll be sick to death of turkey by then,” Luke whimpered.

“I’ll take you, Daddy,” Tatum told him. Her board was at five. We were supposed to be having Thai today, but I was thinking, with Luke’s folks here, that wasn’t going to happen.

Quinn sneezed again, and both Tatum and I turned to her.

“Besides the cat,” she said, sounding pretty stuffed up, “I hate rain. Does it do anything else here?”

“Who hates rain?” Tatum asked me, like that was the worst thing she’d ever heard.

“People in flood zones,” I answered her. “Probably Noah. Anyone who’s lived through a hurricane or lives next to a river.”

“The Noah thing is funny.” Tatum grinned at me.

“Do you want an allergy pill? I have lots of different kinds in my medicine cabinet,” Darwin offered Quinn. “Sometimes I have to double up because of my hay fever.”

“I’m right there with you, buddy,” she told Darwin as Griff delivered a second box of tissues.

“How many of these do you think she needs?” I asked him.