Page 51 of Pin-up Girl

I grabbed the notes from him. They must have fallen in the box while I was packing things up. “Not if you use the right ratio, and add the appropriate catalyst.”

“Really. I wouldn’t have thought…” Brodie sounded genuinely intrigued. “Then what happens?”

“They become flexible and bond into a strong thread.” I was pleased with the discovery, but didn’t have anyone to explain it to. “Like synthetic spider silk.”

“You mean similar, but not identical,” Brodie said.

I washed down my chips with a long swig of soda. “Technically, yes, because the chemical composition is different. But functionally? I think I can get it close enough to identical to matter.”

“No one’s been able to do that.” Brodie was staring at me.

Finally I knew something he didn’t. “I have.”

Dee was gobbling her chips and drink at an unnatural rate. I placed a hand on her arm. “Slow down, kiddo.”

“You guys are boring.” She hopped from her stool. “Can I go play?”

She was about to spend more than a week at her mom’s, and it was unlikely she’d get to do much besides watch dance and read. “Sure. You can tumble on the mats in the gymnasium, but don’t push yourself too hard.”

“Thank you, Dad.” She ran to the door, stopping long enough to wave at us. “Bye, B.”

“See ya.” He waved back, then turned to me again “You have to tell me more.”

I had to take a moment to be smug that I was the one with the information now. “Maybe. Stop trying to invite yourself on our date.”

“I already told you I gave up. Does Aubrey know it’s a date?”

I doubted he’d dropped the other topic so easily, but his question was a sharp reminder that Aubrey and I needed to talk about a few things. “I’m not trying to hide the fact from her, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“She’s still my fiancée.”

Fucking… Really? “I’m not doing this with you.” Arguing about who was a fiancé and who was a spouse.

“There was a time when you would have done a lot with me.”

“That was a long time ago, and then you left.” The words came out with more of an edge than I thought.

Brodie opened his mouth to reply, and the buzz of his phone cut him off. He grabbed the device and frowned as he stared at the screen. “I have to deal with this, but I want to finish this conversation. I’ll catch up with you. Have fun with Aubrey.” He was walking out the door as he finished talking.

Right. That was interesting, but it was done. I could focus on my life again.

I couldn’t get the conversation with Brodie out of my head though, as much as I wanted to. It stayed with me through wrapping up classroom work, taking Dee to lunch, and getting her home to pack.

When Regina came to pick her up, Dee buckled herself into the back seat, while I tossed her luggage into the rear of the vehicle. I closed the tailgate, to find Regina standing next to me.

“We need to talk when you bring the rest of her stuff up tomorrow,” Regina said.

Dee was moving up there for the school year a few days early, because of her insistence about attending dance class.

I already had one infuriating conversation stuck in my head; I didn’t need my ex-wife taking up brain space as well. “Don’t do that. Don’t give me vaguely threatening statements and then leave.”

“I’m not trying to be deceptive.” The usual snideness was gone from her voice. “I may need to change our custody schedule, but I don’t know yet. No reason to get into it if things don’t happen the way I hope.”

Nope. “You can’t keep Dee full time.” That was a hill I’d die on.

Regina clenched her jaw. “There’s nothing to talk about until I know more. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Her words mixed with Brodie’s visit, both refusing to leave my mind as I got ready for my date with Aubrey.

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