Page 4 of Their Rustic Retreat

“It’s gender neutral.”

“But Batman’s sidekick is a boy.”

“That’s because it’s his superhero name. Batman’s legal name isn’t Batman. And he’s had girl Robins, too, for that matter.”

She rolls her eyes. “Robin Williams is a guy.”

“I assure you I had a few girl classmates named Robin, growing up. It’s very much a girl’s name too.”

We stare at one another, the absurdity of the moment catching up with us. We didn’t even know one another five minutes ago, and now we're deep in an inane conversation about names, like we’ve been close friends for years.

It’s a vibe I love to have with a girl. It lets you know that you’re in tune with them and that you’re going to go far.

“I’ll believe you. For now,” she says, giving me a playful stink eye. “You and your supposed female Robins.”

“Why would I lie about such things? And lie to someone so gorgeous too?”

She turns a beautiful shade of red. “Oh, yes, no one ever lies to the pretty girls. People are always completely honest with me and never make things up.”

“I mean, yeah, sure. But that’s usually by claiming I’m a billionaire. Or an astronaut. Or a billionaire astronaut. Not that I think a particular name you almost had is gender neutral.”

The dog walks up and looks up at me earnestly, its tail wagging joyfully.

“Can I pet him?” I ask, looking down at the friendly canine.

“Hmm? Yes, sure,” she affirms. “Although, I’m surprised he’s so friendly with you. He’s usually ruthlessly defensive of me and growls until he’s sure they won’t hurt me.”

I kneel down to the dog, who comes up and licks my face as I give him a few strokes on his back. “What’s his name? So we can steer our conversation to dog names instead?”

“Reuben.”

“Like the sandwich?”

She nods. “My nine-year-old self found it pretty, despite thinking the actual sandwich was disgusting.”

I laugh as the dog cuddles up to me. “It is an actual name, too, if that helps.”

“What are you, some sort of nameologist or something?”

“Not really. It’s just how our wonderful relationship has started.”

She giggles. God, I love the sound of it. “Guess it’s not that weird. My parents met in a butcher shop and had a long conversation about what quality beef makes the best hamburgers.”

“And a loving relationship was formed. Isn’t life beautiful?”

She smirks and kneels down next to me. “He’s really taken a liking to you. Do you have dogs of your own?”

“Nah. I wish. I grew up in a small apartment in the city. Always wanted one, but I kinda agreed with my parents that having one in such a small environment would be cruel, no matter how many walks I took them on every day.”

“That’s weird. Usually dogs only open up so quickly to other dog owners. Probably something to do with the smell.”

“Guess he just thinks I’m cool, then.” He is a cute guy, and very loving. That he’s so happy makes me think Serena is all the sweeter.

“City boy, huh? What brings you out here to the middle of nowhere?”

I go silent, not wanting to give a hasty answer. I don’t want to lie to her either. “I just wanted to get away from it all, really. The hustle and bustle. And I thought a more serene place like Evergreen Valley would fit perfectly.”

“And you’re working for Mr. Bell too. He mostly employs people just passing through. Not usually people who put down roots.”

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