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“Even better,” Bam said, standing up with the sort of calm competence that told you where Quinn had got it. “We’ll go play a game. Chinese Checkers is my favorite.”
“I’ve never done that game,” Troy said.
“Then you’re about to discover one of life’s joys,” she said. “Let’s go to the den, and you kids can tell me what you’re going to be for Halloween.”
“What we’re going tobe?”Janey asked.
“Your costume,” Bam said.
“Oh,” Janey said. “Aren’t I too old? I mean, some kids go to parties, and I think they wear costumes for that, like, sexy ones, but nobody’s invited me to any parties.”
Beckett thought,Sexy ones? Parties? Wait.
“I don’t know how,” Troy said. “I heard of it, but I don’t know how you do it.”
“Well, this is your lucky night,” Bam said, “because I do. And you’re not too old to take your brother trick-or-treating, Janey. That’s what big sisters are for. I’ll tell you a secret. If you wear a costume, too, and hold out a pillowcase, you’ll get candy yourself. Get a friend to come with you, and you’ll have a great time. That old part of town where Quinn lives? That’s the best spot there is for trick-or-treating. Come on. Let’s go make a plan.”
Beckett asked Quinn, once the kids had left the room, “You sure you want me here for this?” Was he backup, or what?
“If Dad’s got questions,” she said, “let’s answer them. Because this is ridiculous, Dad. Yes, Beckett and Iarenow sleeping together, and your radar has clearly detected it. Yes, I haven’t known him that long, and here we are, more or less living together, and it looks like it’s more serious now than it was even a week ago. How long did I know Craig? Threeyears,and he still cheated on me and sucker-punched me! How long did you know Mom before you guys got married? This wins the argument,” she told Beckett. “Nine and a half weeks from meeting to wedding.”
“That was different,” Cash said, the leathery skin over his cheekbones reddening some. “I was heading out on the circuit. What, I was going to ask her to wait around for a bull rider? You know her folks wanted nothing to do with me. Here she was graduating from college, and what was I? They were itching to set her up with their neighbor’s cousin’s son, too. He was a doctor, and, man, did they want that doctor for her. I was nothing but heartbreak. So of course I snapped her up while I could. Who wouldn’t have?”
“Careful,” Quinn said. “You’re making it sound like I’m less appealing than Mom. And wasn’t there a song about that? Oh, wait,Iknow. It’s yours andMom’ssong.Someday Soon,”she told Beckett. “About being in love with a guy who rides the rodeo, and how her dad can’t stand him, because he was just as wild when he was young, but she’s going to marry him anyway. In what possible way—” she was back talking to her dad now— “isn’t this the exact same story?”
“Maybe because he’s not asking you to marry him?” Cash said.
“Oh, for—” she said. “Beckett just had this conversation withhisdaughter today, about why you should wait to have sex, because girls can ‘catch feelings’ and get hurt. Whatisit with men? I am not some fragile blossom. I’m thirty-eight years old, and sorry, Dad, but I’ve had sex with quite a few men by now, starting at age eighteen. That’s twenty years of sex without a single commitment. Nobody’s given me a ring so far, and look! I’ve survived! And I’m not clinically insane!”
“I don’t need to know that,” Cash said. “That’s not what we’re talking about.”
“But nobody in the past, oh, almost fiveyearsbesides Craig,” she went on. “You want to know why?”
“No,” Cash said.
“Because I’m a judge. Because Igetjudged. Because a woman in my position has to be careful of her reputation, as laughable as that idea is, like my sex life has anything to do with my job, so somehow, my job means I have to give up sex, like I’ve become the Bride of Christ. And then I meet this guy who’s a great dad, who’s funny and sexy and honest and weirdly kind, who I trust, even though I shouldn’t know him well enough for that yet, who respects my no but who wants my yes. Hereallywanted that yes. I know you don’t know what that means, so I’m going to tell you.”
Did Beckett want to be here? Yes and no. Yes, because he needed to know this, and no, because she was telling herdad.
“I told you,” Cash said, “this is too much sharing. I’m your dad. You want to share, share with your mom.”
“I endorse this plan,” Beckett said.
“You don’t get to decide,” Quinn said.
“Clearly,” Beckett said.
“I don’t have to share with Mom,” Quinn told Cash, “because Mom saw us together and got it. That welikeeach other. That we can talk to each other. And that he wantsme.Even though he could get somebody younger, he doesn’t seem towantsomebody younger, or less bossy, or with bigger breasts. He doesn’t want somebody who makes less money than he does and loses all their arguments and skis worse than he does. He also apparently didn’t decide that I’d do for now, because I’m all that’s available. I actually seem to be his choice.Chime in here any time,” she told Beckett.
“Uh …” he said. And he’d thoughthewas a direct communicator. “Yeah. That’s about it. Although I’m pretty sure I make more money than you. Not that that’s a dealbreaker for me, but as we’re being honest here.”
“Easy for him to say,” Cash said. “Anything’s easy for a smooth guy to say.”
This was now an officially bizarre conversation. What the hell, though. Nobody’d ever accused Beckett of lacking confidence. He said, “First, I’m not that smooth. Second, my wife’s been dead for two years and I’m gagging for it, so I’ll take Quinn until I find somebody better? That the idea?”
“You saying that’s not it?” Cash asked.
“First time I went out to lunch in this town,” Beckett said, “the waitress put her phone number on the receipt. I’m a pretty good-looking bloke with a sexy accent and a great job. I’ve got blue eyes, and I even know how to dance. Sorry, mate, but if that’s all I was looking for, I could’ve had it the first week, and God knows there are easier women.”
