Page 40 of S.O.S. Billboard

Maybe she should have petitioned the courts for a complete name change once she’d reached her majority, but by that time she was so used to being called O’Shea, she hadn’t bothered.

Celia shook her head. “I know there’s more to that story than you’re telling, but I won’t pry.”

O’Shea nodded, thankful for the reprieve.

The woman’s face, however, suddenly brightened, and she clasped her hands together gleefully on the table in front of her, leaning in.

Here it comes…

“I’m more interested in finding out what’s going on between you and my son.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

“Stop grilling O’Shea, Mom.”

Billboard stalked into his mother’s house, cradling a hot cup of coffee compliments of O’Shea, and caught the question his mother had just posed. He hoped his tenacious matriarch hadn’t bothered O’Shea for… How long had they been up? The empty plates of eggs indicated it had been a while.

His mother beamed. “Don’t get your tail in a twist, my sweet boy. We were just having a friendly conversation.”

“Why don’t—?”

He was cut off when a very large, bright orange cat leaped up to imbed its claws into the front of his shirt, hanging on like he was a tree. Billboard managed not to spill his coffee as he sucked in his endangered abs and blindly placed his mug on the counter beside him.

Once his hands were free, Billboard mock-growled, lifting the feline up with a hand under her butt to scruff her fur with the other before twirling her around above his head. Bringing her back down, he kissed her fluffy ear and scritched her under her chin.

The cat purred like his Bronco engine.

“You really do like cats,” O’Shea marveled, regarding him with wide eyes.

“I do,” he answered, “and…”

Squash wound around his legs begging for time equal to Pumpkin’s. He picked her up, too, and cradling both large, revving chunkers against his chest, he chuckled. “…and these two have been plaguing me like this for ten years. Seriously, though? I couldn’t ask for a more adoring pair of grumps. I taketheir over-the-top attention as a compliment. They’re not exactly nice to everybody.”

Celia snorted. “Now, George, you know they’re just particular about who they like. But I think O’Shea has a good shot at being considered a friend. They’ve already attempted to trip her.”

“Oh, I think you’re in, then,” Billboard teased O’Shea. “Trying to drop you on your ass is their way of showing affection.”

“Good to know.” O’Shea rolled her eyes. “I wonder what Zoe will come up with to make me feel so wanted?”

“You’ll have to wait and see. In my experience, cats are patient, but inevitably fiendish.”

His stomach chose that moment to growl, and he glanced over at the empty pan on the stove, hoping there were more eggs. He sighed, seeing it was empty.

“Would you like me to fix you some breakfast, George?” his mother asked, clearly picking up on his cues.

“Maybe Mom, but you haven’t answered my question yet.” He put the cats on the floor and crossed his tatted arms over his chest. “Tell me if you’ve been asking O’Shea nosy questions?”

“Down boy. Down.” O’Shea sent the admonishment to him, but it was full of good-natured snark. “Your mother has been nothing but charming. She fed me, we’ve talked about my hometown, our cats, and my aspirations of moving to Boston. Nothing uncomfortable happened, at all.”

Yup.That was his mother.Crafty.She’d start with the soft pitch stuff before letting go with a fastball up and inside. He gave his diabolical parent the stink-eye, but judiciously took a seat. “It’s a good thing I got here in time, then, before things got ugly. And yes, I’d love some breakfast, Mom,” he added sweetly.

She took no offense, and he’d meant none. They’d always loved a little morning, verbal swordplay to start the day.

“I’ll make it as quick as I can,” she responded. “I know you have to be in the office soon, unlike me. This is one of my late mornings in.”

His mother worked for a law firm, and three mornings a week they let her do her job as their law clerk, remotely. It was an arrangement she loved.

“No hurry,” Billboard assured her. “In light of the circumstances—meaning my two houseguests—I called Del and asked for the day off. Since I just finished up an assignment and haven’t taken any ‘me-time’ in six months, he agreed, and gave my early morning call to Perk.” Who would pout, but…oh well.

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