Page 59 of Love Without Demands

“Nice to meet you, Tabby. I’m Cruz Estrada, Lehra’s neighbor and resident spider killer.”

“One time,” I shot back, holding a finger in the air, “and he was one of those jumping ones. Scared the hell out of me.”

“Well, Cruz sounds like a good man to have around. Did I hear something about Chinese food?” she asked sweetly.

“Yes, ma’am. It should be delivered in about twenty minutes. There’s plenty for all of us.”

“Ooh, can we eat Chinese, Lehra?” Mom asks me with pleading eyes before turning back to Cruz. “The only delivery we have in our little town is Domino’s Pizza. This is all very exciting.”

“Sure, Mom,” I said with a laugh, “if Cruz doesn’t mind.”

“Not a bit. I’ll just go wait for the food and come back in a few.”

“Well, he’s a cutie patootie,” my mother said when he left, her shrewd eyes narrowing on me. “Boyfriend?”

“Motherrrr,” I groaned, “I just got out of a relationship about ten seconds ago.” No way in hell was I telling her about the hot tub tryst.

“I think it’s smart to wait. It’s hard to find your footing after getting out of a long relationship. The next person you date is rarely the one you end up with. I dated the same boy for three years in high school, and when he broke up with me after graduation, I immediately started dating the boy from the farm next door.”

“Really?” I asked, settling onto the couch and patting the cushion beside me. I’d never heard this story before.

Mom took her shoes off and sat. “Oh yes, his name was Jimmy. Or was it James?” She drummed her fingers along her jaw as her eyes rose to the corner of the room. “I don’t really recall. What I do remember is that he smoked a lot of weed.”

I snorted out a laugh. “And what about you? Did you try the Mary J?”

She leveled me with a flat look. “It was the eighties. What do you think?”

“Probably more information than I needed to know.”

“You asked,” she pointed out.

“Guilty. So what happened with Jimmy James?”

She waved a hand at me. “Oh, he was just a placeholder. Someone to have some fun with until a certain handsome plumber moved into town.”

“Dad.”

“Yep. Easton Kincaid was a hottie of the first order. And he knew what to do with my pipes, if you know what I’m saying.”

I closed my eyes and grimaced. “You could say less right about now.”

My mom bellowed out a laugh. “I’m just saying, don’t use this Cruz fella for a good time. He seems like he could be a keeper.”

“You’ve talked to him for all of five minutes, Mom.”

“I know that, but in my old age, I’ve developed a good eye. He’s polite and funny, as well as a spider assassin.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “And not bad to look at.”

Cruz arrived with the food before I could reply. She wasn’t wrong though. The man looked as good in khaki shorts and a black tee as when he was wearing one of his suits.

“Here we go, ladies. I got Mongolian beef, kung pao chicken, and garlic butter soy prawns.” He set down the bags, and the air filled with the scent of spices. “Also got pot stickers and egg rolls.”

“Good lord, Cruz! Were you buying for the entire building?” Mom asked.

“It’s good to have choices.”

I grabbed paper plates, and we settled onto the couch, Cruz in the middle, with me and Mom on either side.

“Tabby, Lehra tells me you're a nurse.” He spooned a little of everything onto his plate.

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