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“Well, you already know how I feel about that,” Mimi said.
The rest of dinner went by quickly with the majority of the conversation devoted to talk of Allie’s upcoming ghost adventure.
“I think it’s really cool what you’re doing,” Cameron said, as he loaded the last of the dirty plates into the dishwasher. “Can I see your phone?”
“Cameron,” Mimi said, “We’ve been through this before. You’re not getting a cell phone.”
“All the kids at school have a phone. And Claire has one.”
“You’re not all the kids at school. And Claire is sixteen and driving. She needs a basic phone for security reasons. When you learn to drive, then you’ll get a phone, too.”
Cameron looked at Allie with those big brown eyes that looked exactly like Zeke’s. He’s going to be a heartbreaker. She didn’t envy Mimi one bit.
She pulled out her phone and checked it for incoming messages. Nothing. She’d hoped by now she would have heard something from Phoebe Van Cleave and The Sunshine Ghost Society, but either Phoebe wasn’t as interested as she’d first sounded, or there was nothing to report. It looked like Allie was going to be on her own tonight. She handed Cameron her phone. “It can’t hurt him to look at it,” she said to Mimi.
Cameron studied the phone for a few seconds. “Can I play a game on here?”
“Sure. Just don’t mess with my settings.”
Mimi gave Cameron the stinky eye. “Did you finish your homework?”
“Yep.” He ran into the living room, taking Allie’s phone with him.
“Thank God Zeke will be home tonight,” Mimi said, putting the leftovers in the fridge. “Oh, before I forget, take this.” She handed Allie a large wicker basket.
Allie opened the lid. Inside were candles, a lighter, a woolen blanket, cheese, crackers, and a thermos. “Gee, all that’s missing is a bottle of wine and some mood music.”
Mimi smirked. “Don’t think I wasn’t tempted.”
“This is all great, but I’m not going there to have a picnic.”
“Of course not, but you might get hungry. And there’s coffee in the thermos with a little zing added.”
The doorbell rang.
“I’ll get it!” Claire yelled.
“It’s Mr. Donalan!” Cameron chimed in a few seconds later.
Allie steeled herself. She could do this. She was, after all, a professional, and tonight could be the biggest night of her journalistic career. She picked up her backpack and Mimi’s basket of goodies and headed into the living room.
Tom wore jeans and a black turtleneck sweater and he looked…good. Too good as far as Allie was concerned. The stubble he’d been sporting this morning was gone, which meant he’d shaved for the occasion.
Claire stood behind him and mouthed WOW.
Yeah, my thoughts exactly.
Mimi shooed Claire away and that was when Allie noticed that Tom wasn’t alone. Standing next to him was a miniature version of him whom Allie could only assume must be Henry. No one seemed surprised to see him. Well, no one except her, that is.
“Thanks for letting Henry spend the night,” Tom said to Mimi.
“Henry’s welcome here any time,” Mimi said, smiling down at Tom Donalan’s progeny.
Cameron grabbed Henry’s overnight bag and the two of them were about to take off for Cameron’s bedroom when Tom interrupted them. “Hey, it’s rude not to say hello,” he said to his son. Tom turned to her with an expression Allie couldn’t read. “Henry, this is Cameron’s aunt, Allison Grant. She’s a journalist doing a story on the old senior center.”
As well as my ex-girlfriend, Allie thought he might have added. Probably wouldn’t have been appropriate, though.
Henry politely extended his hand. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Grant.”
