Page 48 of Just My Ex

I want to hug him so badly.

Maybe I can manage to do that soon, for real.

Chapter 18

Henry

Yesterday’s meeting with my family wasn’t kittens and bubbles.

But things with Navie turn out toinvolvekittens and bubbles. Quinn and I drive her into town to volunteer at Patty’s Palace, a cat daycare, boarding house, and spa. It came highly recommended by Stella.

For a town as small as Longdale, there are a surprising number of cats in the palace today.

And sidenote, it’s not a palace, unless you call the makeshift addition of a sloppily painted turret on a ranch style home from the seventies “palatial.” Good thing the cats don’t mind. And to Navie? The place is Mecca.

After Patty gives us a tour, she gets us settled into the kitty sensory room and lets in four cats for play time. There’s a machine in the corner that spits out bubbles and Navie is fascinated.

Navie’s delighted sigh of contentment makes the faint, underlying scent of cat urine in the air almost a non-issue. Almost.

I steal a glance at Quinn. She’s staring at Navie, one side of her mouth turned up in a smile.

The cats seem to take to Navie quickly, and she leans back on the padded bench as they step into her lap.

“I wasn’t sure she’d like coming here since I know she loves dogs,” I say.

“She loves all furry things. Her adoration for animals doesn’t discriminate.” Quinn pauses and gives me a look. “Reminds me of someone I know.”

I chuckle. There are a lot of things about Navie that remind me of myself when I was young, but even more that remind me of Quinn. Navie got her wild imagination from me, and her eyes are like Quinn’s. Her nose and mouth, basically the whole bottom half of her face looks like me. And she’s got Quinn’s stubbornness and way with words.

Navie could speak in full sentences at a year and a half. I’ve always thought it was a blessing that I got to hear so much from her before Quinn and I split up.

“Thanks for agreeing to come,” I say to Quinn.

She arches a brow. “Didn’t think I had a choice. It does state in the rules that we have to be in the same vicinity at all times.” But there’s a hint of teasing in her voice. “Besides, even though Sebastian’s suite is gorgeous, it feels good to get out and into town. Oh, we should stop at the grocery store on our way back so we can stock up on food.”

“I’ve missed your cooking.”

At her frown, I hold up my palms. “Hey, it’s a compliment. Are compliments not allowed?” I soften my voice. “Sorry. I guess that was bringing up the past.”

Quinn sits cross-legged on the floor and smiles as an orange, long-haired cat steps into her lap.

“It wasn’t bringing up the past, not exactly. It’s okay.” She focuses on the cat, sliding her hand along its back. “And thank you. How about you? Tried any new dishes lately?”

We cooked together when we first got married and talked about traveling the world to try as many new and exotic foods as we could. But I was deployed and then with working for the Ostlins, I was in and out so much that those plans never got much traction.

“Does avocado toast count? I made it once because Evangeline was homebound and her chef was on vacation. She never asked me to make anything for her again, so I don’t know whether to take that as an insult or a stroke of good luck.”

Quinn laughs. “Maybe it’s both. So, are there other things you can tell me about work these days?”

“I have to go to Bern, Switzerland, for a couple of months because now that Evangeline is stepping down as ambassador, she wants to go back to one of her childhood homes.”

She nods, focusing on the cat.

“But I’m working on things. Making plans for changes in the future. What about you? You going to reapply at the university for the fall semester?”

“Unless something different comes along.” She darts a look at me, one I don’t quite understand.

I wonder if she feels the way I do, like how can we possibly go back to our separate lives after this?

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