Page 127 of The Moment We Know

When Paige opened the door, she greeted them both with a big, welcoming smile. “Come on in. I’m so glad you two could make it.”

“So are we,” David told her, as he and Jacob stepped inside the small entryway, which smelled faintly of … bacon. This woman was truly his soulmate.

Turning to the little boy, she said, “Hi, Jacob. It’s good to see you again.”

“Hi.” Jacob’s reply was polite, and accompanied by a shy smile, only to have his attention completely diverted when he spotted Sputnik coming out of the kitchen, having just finished his dinner. With wide, almost enraptured eyes, Jacob watched the gray cat stroll across the narrow hall, tail in the air, and come to a stop a few feet away.

“That’s Sputnik,” Paige told Jacob. “You can pet him if you want. He’s really friendly,” she added, and when Jacob seemed hesitant, she knelt down and began petting the cat, making him arch his back and start purring. “See?”

Crouching beside Paige, Jacob watched for several moments, before reaching out and petting Sputnik. Starting at the top of his head, Jacob worked down to the cat’s tail with soft strokes, over and over, until he sounded like a chainsaw.

“He likes you,” Paige said.

It was a scene filled with Norman Rockwell perfection, until Sputnik, in typical cat fashion, decided he needed to go somewhere else and abruptly fled the entryway, disappearing into the living room a few seconds later.

Looking slightly crushed at being abandoned like that, Jacob stared after the cat. Then, as if unable to help himself, Jacob jumped up and quickly followed Sputnik, leaving Paige and David to look after the little boy in surprise, until he, too, was gone from sight.

Paige got to her feet and shared a soft chuckle with David over the lighthearted moment. “I really miss having a cat,” he mused.

“Maybe it’s time to go get one, then.”

“Maybe.”

He moved into her space and kissed her; he hadn’t seen her in almost a week, and that was unacceptable. “Thanks for inviting us over.”

“You’re welcome.” She gave him a quick smile, then cleared her throat. “Speaking of inviting …”

“What?” he prompted.

Paige put her hands on his chest. “Try not to be mad, okay?”

“Mad about what?”

Before Paige could respond, a voice in the living room was heard asking, “And what’s your name, young man?”

David’s eyes widened in slow-motion horror, because he knew that voice, and couldn’t believe his fucking ears.

Jacob’s reply was a little softer, but still audible. “Jacob.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, Jacob. I’m Dolores, but you can call me Dolly, like all my friends do.”

David opened his mouth, then closed it, not having ever gotten that privilege. Hell, he hadn’t even been upgraded from Mrs. Harte to Dolores, yet. Jabbing a finger in the direction of the living room, he whisper-hissed, “The barracuda’s here?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“She stopped by to bring me a book that I’ve been wanting to read, and I … invited her to stay and have dinner with us.”

“You invited her to have dinner with us?”

Even though it was more of a statement than a question, Paige answered anyway. “Yes.”

“Oh, God,” David groaned and clawed at his beard. “Please tell me you didn’t.”

“I couldn’t just ask her to leave—”

“Yes, you could’ve, but you’re way too nice.” It was something he loved about her ninety-nine percent of the time, but during the one percent … it became a problem. Then, as something occurred to him, he turned and started heading toward the living room. “Shit. Jacob’s alone with her, and she’s probably scaring the shit out of him.”

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