Page 42 of Carver’s Craving

“Those kittens are lucky to have you and Cody. But yes, kids are higher commitment. Shall we get to work? Oh, there’s Stella and Aimee. We’re going to be pushing hard today.” Foster eyed me. “We’re not finished. I notice you didn’t answer my question.”

As we stepped toward the site, I had to think. What question? Did he mean when he asked me about my weekend? I’d said…great? And sort of meant it—even if I was still totally overwhelmed by Styx’s appearance in my life.

After dinner last night, we’d walked home, and then I’d set Styx up on the laptop with a new profile and access to a few programs to get him started. Several times, he asked about voice features. Whether he could dictate and if he could have the computer read things to him. I should’ve asked him if he needs glasses. There’s a good optician in town— Yet I hadn’t. I’d answered his questions and headed to bed—leaving him to take the dogs out for their final pee. I hoped he felt good about my putting my trust in him.

He’d brought the dogs into my room just as I was about to turn out the light.

For just a moment, he’d stood there. Unmoving.

Then Walter shifted, Styx put him on my bed, Poppin settled in her bed, and my guest slipped from the room. A missed opportunity? I couldn’t be certain.

Now, I shifted into high gear and got to work. Worked steadily until lunchtime when I hunkered down in one of the kitchens in the multi-unit building.

Lorcan and Foster joined me.

Stella, Aimee, and a few of the others headed to Subway for lunch.

“You’re distracted today.” Foster took a bite of his tuna sandwich.

I blinked. “Him or me?” I gestured between Lorcan and myself.

Foster tipped his chin at me.

“He’s not wrong.” Lorcan took a bite of his egg salad sandwich.

I eyed my ham sandwich.

Ryan had gently insisted we take home a container full of ham. In truth, he really had cooked a lot of the stuff. Even if Simeon ate ham sandwiches every day this week—and if they ate it for dinner every night—they would’ve been hard pressed to finish it.

Styx had grabbed the container, thanked Ryan profusely, given me a look that had me adding my thanks, and then we were off. Oh, and Styx might’ve asked them to join us Saturday night.

I didn’t gape. Nearly—but not quite.

I didn’t argue. Although that’d been my instinct.

What I’d been was downright pissed. Styx had no right to do that. He had no idea why I didn’t invite people into my home. He hadn’t earned the ability to just make himself at home. All the way home, I’d been tempted to give him a piece of my mind.

Yet…so much was said and yet left unsaid in that invitation. Like is he going to be here on Saturday? Is he going to cook? Are Ryan, Simeon, and Chia actually going to show up? All questions I didn’t have answers to.

Lorcan cleared his throat. “I think you just made Foster’s point.”

I blinked. “Yeah. Sorry. I don’t mean to be distracted.” Distracted could get someone killed. “I’ll do better.”

Foster nodded. “Sure. But do you want to share? I find sometimes talking things out helps. Like me telling you about Malika and Joshua. Just having someone to share my stress with helps—as long as it doesn’t add to yours.”

“Nope.” I pulled a piece of ham from the sandwich. “I like helping other people. In fact, I’m helping an old friend right now. He’s staying at my place. Keeping Walter and Poppin company.” My coworkers hadn’t met my dogs, but I’d shown pictures like the proud papa I was.

“Oh?” Lorcan cocked his head. “How old is old?”

“Well, he’s just twenty-three. But we knew each other from back—” I gestured vaguely to the east. Unlike Styx, I definitely knew my directions. Although, to be fair to him, I did live in the middle of nowhere surrounded by trees.

“Was he around when, you know…” Foster’s eyes radiated compassion. I’d told him about Frank. About how the police determined someone else was responsible, but the death had happened on my watch and I took that personally. How that made me ever more safety-conscious.

“He was the singer in the band where the drummer died.” I swallowed. Then, when I was a bit steadier, I took a bite.

“Ah.” Lorcan exchanged a look with Foster.

I cocked my head, swallowed, and asked, “What?”