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Back in the pickup, I was acutely aware that it was just me and Tova. I shouldn’t have suggested just she and I go run errands. She was my nanny. I knew better, and I’d still done it. I waited for daunting regret, but nothing rose.
She crossed one leg over the other and squinted out the window. “Where do you get cat supplies in town?”
“Probably the farm and tractor place in Coal Haven.” The general store in Crocus Valley would probably have what we needed, but Coal Haven was only ten minutes away and the quality would be better.
I wasn’t aiming for more time alone with Tova. Iwasn’t.
“It’s been an exciting weekend. I get to see Coal Haven.” She straightened her long skirt over her legs. How could a garment that covered her so much still make her extremely sexy? “And I’ve met two more people today.”
“I met Vienne at Aggie’s wedding. She gave me the information for renting the house, mostly because she was complaining about the owners and how little they did with it. She’s an interior designer and would love to get her hands on the place. And I’ll consider Sutton family forever. I can’t help my brother fucked that up.”
“I don’t think I’ve heard you swear, Milk Daddy.”
“I get dirty when the occasion calls for it.” Fuck’s sake. Did I really let that slip out?
Thankfully, she laughed, covering my shock at what I said. I hadn’t flirted in...Had I even flirted with Meg after our first date?
Regardless, I shouldn’t be goddamn flirting now.
She shrugged. “I’ve heard it all, so no worries.”
“Do you perform for a tough crowd?”
She shook her head and twined her hair over one shoulder. I liked when she wore it loose like that. I pictured wrapping it around my hand and—
Gritting my teeth together, I kept an eye on the road.
“More like I performwitha tough crowd. Seasoned dancers learn not to put up with shit. In the early days, I played for rougher clubs, and guys in the crowd could get lewd, but...I learned how to take care of myself.” She peered out the passenger window. “Or so I thought.”
Her ex. “Turned out the trouble was closer to you?”
“I took too many chances. I should’ve seen him for what he was.”
Anger kicked at my gut. “It’s not your fault. People don’t wear their labels on their forehead.”
“I wish I was as smart as your wife.”
Meg had been smart, but Tova seemed just as savvy. “Meg was tenacious, but don’t sell yourself short. People like Meg and my in-laws only learn what they do because they study the crap people pull for a living.”
“Your in-laws are lawyers too?”
“Makes for a wild Thanksgiving.”
She laughed, and hell, I lived for making her smile. “My ex’s parents were in the arts—the prestigious kind. Operas, art galleries, auctions. They despised me.”
“Then they have no taste.”
“Wait until everyone around you thinks I’m a stripper. Opinions change.”
I got what she was saying, and I didn’t think the people around me would care if she stripped for a living or not, but I couldn’t deny she had likely faced a metric ton of crap for her line of work. “Is that what happened with your ex? He didn’t respect you because of your profession?”
Her mouth pursed. “Most definitely did not, but he was good at hiding it.”
“Asshole. Did you even give him a cool nickname?”
Her mouth quirked. “No cool nickname.”
“Good. He didn’t deserve it.” I pulled into the parking lot of the tractor supply store. I wouldn’t take for granted Tova had opened up to me, but I also didn’t want her to dwell on what she clearly thought were mistakes. “Time to raid the pet supplies.”
