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I pull my precocious five-year-old away from Will. “Tonight was a special treat. It’s impossible for Will to take the time needed to do more tricks with you, let alone appear onstage in a show.”
“I’ll do it.”
My head pops up at Will’s offer. He doesn’t seem affected by the request as he walks toward the front door.
“I go to the schools a lot and discuss school safety, lockdown drills, and even visit the kindergarteners on Career Day. Standing on a stage and doing a super-cool magic show with the great Huntino is part of my job description.”
“Yes!” Hunter fists-pumps the air and gives Will a high-five. “It’s gonna be the best!”
Hunter runs up the stairs, squealing. I open the front door and walk Will out. Not knowing how to do a good-bye with him, I salute him. He gives a salute back and starts walking down the stairs. He’s about five steps away when he turns around.
“In case I didn’t tell you, you look really pretty with your new hair.”
I blush. Yes, I’m blushing like a teenager who was just told she was pretty by the high school quarterback. My cheeks are warm, and my head has a slight tingle.
Thankfully, he retreats down the stairs and hops into his truck. I don’t watch him drive away. Instead, I walk back into the house and jolt back when my dad, standing in the foyer, shocks me with his presence.
“Officer Bronson is a nice man.” Dad’s words are baiting. I merely shrug in agreement. “He wouldn’t have anything to do with Mr. Snuggles appearing mysteriously the other night.”
“That was a favor. It was nothing,” I say, and Dad makes a harrumph sound. I mimic him. “What was that for?”
He makes the sound again. “Dinner at five o’clock is early for you. I can’t figure out if you like him and needed to find a way to get him to stay or if you fed him early so he’d leave early.”
I make that sound but for real this time. Honestly, I have no idea which of Dad’s scenarios is right.
My pause is too long because Dad rubs his hands together, his brows pinching.
“Don’t be introducing the children to anyone you don’t plan on keeping around a long time.”
“I doubt we’ll ever see him again.”
“We’d better. He just promised my grandson he’d do a magic show with him. And if you ask me, that man doesn’t like magic as much as he lets on.”
“Why would you say that?”
“Because he looked ridiculous in those capes.”
thirteen
“I’M GETTING CONFUSED. DOyou like the guy or not?” Jillian asks as she gives a right-hook, uppercut-elbow sequence to the freestanding punching bag beside mine.
We’re at a kickboxing class together, beating the bags as rock music from the early 2000s blasts through the speakers.
“No.” I slam my elbow into the vinyl and then switch stances to do the sequence with my left arm. “It’s complicated.”
“It’s really bad for business.”
“He was never a client. They didn’t sign a contract.” I brush a hair away from my face and grab hold of the top of the bag. “Wait. Do you think I did something unethical? I would never put our business in jeopardy.”
She rubs her forearm over her auburn head. “If word got out you’re dating a prospective groom, that would be detrimental to our reputation.”
“I’m not dating him,” I explain, and she gives me the side-eye as she goes back to working out. “I swear. We didn’t even hook up.”
She gives a more severe side-eye this time as she right-hooks the bag.
“That one time, but it was … you know what? Doesn’t matter since Will and I are not hooking up or dating or anything other than being people who happen to have met.”
“Nice hair,” she says with a sly grin, mostly because she knows how he surprised me with a trip to the salon.
