Page 47 of For the Night

“So she called me Dad and told me to mind my own bedtime,” Ash finished.

Damn right!

“Well, all right, then,” Penelope said, closing the door. “Mildly disturbing I’m dating your child, but…”

Ash set the takeout bag on the table. “Oh good, so it’s official. I was waiting for you to pull your head outta your ass.”

“Is that how you speak to your daughter-in-law?” Penelope challenged.

Ash stood straighter and cocked a brow. “Is that how you speak to your father-in-law?”

“This is fun.” I grinned. But also, I was hungry for Chinese food, so I took my seat at the table and waited for their little staredown to end. “Are you gonna eat or what? And how much do I owe you, Sir?”

That seemed to break the playful pissing contest, and Ash huffed and sat down across from me. “Owe me for what?”

“Uh, the food?”

He looked at me like I’d grown a second head.

“She’s young, Ash,” was Penelope’s explanation. “They’re always Venmoing each other for something.”

Ash nodded once as he dug out a bunch of containers. “I’m not unfamiliar with it. I Venmo my kids money all the fuckin’ time. Gas this, makeup that—oh, but all my friends are getting it, Daddy! Why can’t I?” His mimicking what I presumed was his daughter’s voice was hysterical.

I figured it was best to stay silent. He seemed to be in a ranty mood.

“Worst is when they ask for somethin’ and haven’t done their chores yet, and I gotta reason with the little fuckers,” he muttered. “Have kids. Don’t have teenagers. I’m half kidding. I love my babies. Even when they’re terrors.”

Penelope laughed and went behind me, and I realized she was picking up Paws. Ash hadn’t noticed the rascal.

“Maybe the kids will do their chores if they can play with your birthday present afterward?” she suggested.

“Huh?” Ash stopped unpacking his chopsticks and looked up.

I beamed as Penelope brought the little kitten over to him.

“I know it’s early, but happy forty-sixth, friend. Nora named him Paws.”

“Which you can obviously change,” I added quickly. “If you insist.”

A dozen different emotions flitted past in Ash’s expression, from confusion and disbelief to wonder and however I would categorize “look how fucking cute that thing is.”

Then he exhaled a laugh and accepted the kitten. “Get outta town. Are you serious?”

“Of course.” Penelope touched his scruffy cheek, and we kind of lost Ash for a moment.

“Look at you…” He nuzzled Paws’s face and seemed immediately smitten. “You comin’ home with me, little guy? Huh? Fuckin’ hell, he’s cute. Yeah, you are.” Not to mention lively. Paws was all paws and curiosity. “I bet those baby teeth hurt like hell.”

I cleared my throat and scooped some rice onto my plate. “And the claws…” I had some scratches on my arm already.

“That’s okay. I like ’em feisty,” Ash murmured.

Penelope and I smiled at each other. Safe to say, she’d scored a home run with that present.

“I’ve taken care of all the kitty accessories too,” she added. “He has a litter box, some toys, food…oh, and I got a carrier.”

“You’re goddamn amazin’, sweetheart.” Ash leaned over and kissed Penelope’s cheek. “Thank you.” He returned his attention to Paws and smiled. “And you’re not allowed to leave me. That’s not how this works. No, you gotta love me forever.”

Yikes.

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