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“It was good. My last client canceled, so I could pick up Max from camp.”
“Oh yeah. He must have been pretty stoked to see you there.”
She smiled as she pictured how excited Max had been when he’d spotted her across the field. Hopefully, that kind of excitement lasted for several more years. “He was.”
“What are you guys up to tonight? I was thinking maybe I could come by after Max goes to bed and we could hang out and watch a movie or something.” The innuendo hung in the air.
How the hell was she supposed to spend the evening with Austin when all she could think about was freaking Jeff Smith? “Not tonight. Max and I are at Vika’s place, and we’ll probably stay here for dinner. Some other time, okay?”
“Sure,” his voice dropped with disappointment. “I’ll call you later.”
“Sounds good.” She hung up the phone and looked at her sister.
“Trouble in paradise?” Vika raised one eyebrow as she studied her.
“I wouldn’t say trouble exactly. Just… I don’t know, it’s complicated. So far he seems like a good guy, but…” She shrugged. “It’s just a lot. I introduced him to Max briefly the other day, and you know how Max is with new people, well, men, so I’m taking it slow.”
“Honey, you’ve been dating him for six months. How slow do you want to take things?”
And that was the million-dollar question. Introducing a guy to her son as a friend of hers was one thing. Involving him in their life and routine was something completely different. She didn’t want to do that until she knew he had some staying power. “Can we not talk about Austin right now and focus on what I should do about Jeff?”
Vika picked her phone back up. “Right, operation daddy stalk can recommence.”
“Operation daddy stalk?” Kia laughed. “Where do you come up with this stuff?”
“Is that not what we’re doing?”
The front door opened and Vika’s husband, Tyson, walked in and pulled up short when he saw the women on the couch. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing. We’re just being creepy and checking out sexy baseball players.” Vika winked at her husband.
“Oh yeah? You see one you liked at Max’s camp?” he asked Kia, then dropped a kiss on his wife’s lips. “Hey babe, if you get all turned on looking at shirtless men, you know where to find me.” He flicked a glance at the screen, then walked out of the room and down the hall.
“You guys are so weird.” Kia watched as her sister’s gaze followed her husband out of the room.
“How are we weird?”
“Oh, I don’t know. He doesn’t care if you get all hot and bothered by some other guy? That’s weird.”
“No, it’s not. As long as he’s the one I’m with, what does he care how I get turned on? You should see some of the books Ty buys me.”
“Whatever works for you.”
Vika grinned. “Oh, it definitely works.”
A couple minutes later Tyson emerged from the bedroom, showered, and dressed in a t-shirt and pair of jeans. Any remnants of the day at the garage were long gone. He wandered into the kitchen, then came out with a beer in one hand and the bottle of wine in the other. “Figured if you ladies are ogling you probably worked up a thirst and need a top up.”
Vika smiled up at her husband and held out her wineglass. “You know us so well. How was your day?”
“Eh, it was there. Couple of assholes thought just because they’re paying me they can tell me how to fix their cars, but I set them straight.”
“I’m sure you did, baby,” Vika said.
“So, you looking at anyone in particular?” Tyson nodded toward Vika’s phone.
“Jeff Smith,” Vika replied.
Kia shot her sister a look, warning her not to say anything about who Jeff was yet.
