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Cameron took his plate and laid it in the sink.
“What’s going on in Panama City?” Allie asked.
Before either Mimi or Zeke could answer, Claire said, “I can take Cameron to practice.”
“And what? Drive by yourself?” Mimi said.
Claire made a disgruntled teenage noise. “I’m sixteen. I’ve had my license for three whole weeks now but you still think I’m a baby. Everyone else at school already drives alone and half my class has their own car.”
“Good for half your class,” Zeke said.
“If you’re nervous about Claire driving Cameron to soccer, I can go with them,” Allie volunteered.
Claire brightened up. “Would you?”
“Sure,” Allie said.
“I don’t know, technically, your aunt can’t drive right now,” said her not-so-helpful brother.
“What’s the use of having a driver’s license if you never let me use it?” Claire left the table in a huff with her plate barely touched.
Mimi pursed her lips.
Before Zeke could say anything about Claire’s behavior, Allie said, “I wouldn’t be driving. I’d be sitting in the front seat supervising her. There’s no law against that, is there?”
“She’s right, Zeke,” Mimi said. “If Allie wants to help out, then I say let her.” She glanced at her watch for the third time since they’d sat down for dinner.
“I get it,” Allie said, grinning at her brother. “It’s date night.” No wonder Mimi and Zeke seemed on edge. After Zeke’s out of town trip, they were probably chomping at the bit for some alone time. Not that Allie blamed them. Between Zeke’s job and the kids’ activities they hardly ever saw each other.
“Date night. Right,” Zeke said without much enthusiasm.
“Don’t forget we have to pick up Henry,” Mimi said. “It’s our turn for carpool.”
“I’ll call Tom and see if he can drive the boys.” Zeke excused himself and went to the other room.
Allie waited until Cameron left to get dressed for soccer before saying, “Speaking of the boys, why didn’t you warn me that Henry was coming over last night?”
“I didn’t tell you?” Mimi asked innocently.
“You know you didn’t.”
“He’s a cute kid, huh?”
“Very cute.”
“Just like his dad.”
“Yeah, just like his dad, who as I said before, I have no interest in, so if you’re thinking of playing matchmaker, I already told you, that’s never going to happen.”
“Never is a long time.”
“True, but in this case it’s an eternity. We’re partners, nothing more.”
“Partners?” Mimi said perking with interest.
“As in, we both have a common goal. As soon as I get this ghost story, I’m out of Tom Donalan’s hair for good. Other than an occasional rare sighting, I predict with my biannual visit back home, odds are I’ll only run into him every fourth or fifth year, at best.”
“Already figured out the odds, have you?”
