Page 123 of Recipe for Rivals

Friday dawned nice and sunny.I got off shift early that morning and went home to shower. Thanks to a pretty boring night at the station, I felt nice and rested, too. I had the entire day to plan a date worthy of Nova, Ben, and Alice. I was trying to get three people to fall in love with me, which changed the stakes, but I thought I’d probably made good inroads already. Or Leia had.

Toweling off my hair, I tapped my phone to read the text waiting for me.

Tucker

What do you know about Costa Rica?

Dusty

Literally nothing. Is that where June wants to go on your honeymoon?

Tucker

No, but she’s stressed and planning our trip is something I can take off her plate. She said she doesn’t care where we go as long as there’s a beach

Dusty

What did Jack say? Didn’t he and Lauren go to the Bahamas on a cruise? They might have a good recommendation

Tucker

Good point. Lauren would know where we should go. Lauren knows everything

Dusty

I’d take her word, for sure

How are the other plans coming along? You haven’t asked me to a meeting all week

Tucker

June is doing those with my mom and Gracie Mae now. I’m so glad you said something to her at the fundraiser so she would stop making us attend. June feels bad she made everything drag out as long as it did

Dusty

It’s not her fault. I should have said something sooner

I did, in my defense, but I hadn’t been clear enough.

Tucker

You want to come over for dinner later? Invite Nova and her kids? We could throw burgers on the grill

That sounded like a great way to spend Friday evening. Nova and June got along, too. And I knew the kids would love Sadie, Tucker’s dog.

Dusty

Probably. I’ll talk to her and let you know

Tucker thumbs-upped my text. I finished getting dressed and sat on the edge of my bed to pull my socks on. Leia jumped ontomy lap, getting in the way, her tail curling under my jaw in a desperate cry for attention. I stroked her soft back. “I know, I know. I miss you when I’m at work, too. Just think, Leia. If Nova and the kids move in, you’llneverbe alone again.”

She turned her little orange head to look at me, blinking as though to say,don’t go too far, Dad.

“Okay, fine. We’ll take this one step at a time. But get used to the idea. You’re going to have siblings soon.”

She meowed, then jumped to the floor and walked away. The girl was a tease, but she’d loved all the attention Ben and Alice had given her when they met. I wasn’t too worried.

Grandpa and I had finished the United States puzzle Wednesday, so I’d ordered a new one online that night, and it had arrived while I was at work yesterday. I went downstairs to snap a picture of the New York skyline with a thousand little orange-lit windows and various shades of blue and black shadows, then sent it to Nova.

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