Page 57 of Slots & Sticks
“Yeah. We’re not in Reno anymore. So, if the opportunity arises again, in a nicer location, and he still doesn’t want me, I’ll be back.”
Cash gets to his feet. “Don’t bother. I’m gonna get more sprinklers. And I’m not answering my door.”
My audience is over. Time to skedaddle. I make it to the end of the walkway before he calls my name.
“Hey, Dot?” He crosses his arms and leans against the beam that supports the porch roof. “Tell your dad I’ll be by to visit him this week. If he ever needs anything, I’ll make an exception to the rule about answering the door.”
Chapter Thirteen
Camden
I stop at the pet store on the way home. Dot’s order covered the basics, but I’ve never had a pet—and I fully intend to spoil Soot rotten. Bonus: the store’s hosting a pop-up vet clinic, so she gets a checkup and shots before she even sets foot in the condo. By the time I pull up, I’ve acquired a new mushroom-themed cat tree, a ten-pack of jangly catnip-laced mice, one of those shindigs with the stick and the feathers, and a laser pointer.
The condo feels too quiet when I walk in—no Dot humming, no dogs snoring. Just me and the soft scrape of Soot’s crate on the tile.
I leave her to it while I erect the cat tree. Soot tiptoes out to inspect her new home. When she’s not being harassed, she’s a curious little critter. I watch her from the corner of my eye as she peruses the accommodations, sniffing here and there as she goes.
“That had better be good enough for now,” I tell her. I go to the fridge for a beer, despite the relatively early hour. After the last few days, I think I’ve earned it. I flop onto the couch and sigh. Dogs are cute, but the quiet of my apartment and my new roommate are a welcome relief. My head’s buzzing from too many miles, too much adrenaline, too much almost. I’m grateful for the quiet, but the quiet makes me miss her more.
Soot sniffs the cat tree, meows once, and trots over to the sofa. In one smooth leap, she jumps onto the couch. Another hop puts her right in my lap.
“Hey, there.” I tickle her chin. “You want some lovins, huh?”
Soot climbs up onto my chest and kneads at the material, purring all the while.
“Do you think Dot’s thinking about us right now? I mean… she’s definitely thinking about you. Do you think she misses me?”
Soot yawns.
“Yeah, I know. I’m a broken record.”
A knock on the door makes us both jump. Soot’s back arches.
“It’s okay. No reason to worry.” I cradle her in one arm—I am not foolish enough to let another animal escape through an open door—and go to answer.
Geo’s lips purse when he sees Soot. “Finally getting some pussy, I see.”
“She bites, sheds, and has zero interest in me. You and she will get along great.” I roll my eyes at him even as I usher him through the door. “This is Soot. A little souvenir from the trip I took with Dot.”
“My parents brought back a souvenir from their honeymoon. Nine months later. It was me.” George wiggles his eyebrows. “Any chance…?”
“Hell, no. There was none of that, and if there had been, I would have used a condom.” God knows there were enough ofthoselying around.
George’s expression is one of pure incredulity. “You had an overnight away from everyone and… nothing? Why not?”
“Because she’s still raw, and I don’t want to be another bruise that never heals,” I say quietly. “She trusts me. Anything more is… new.” I grab a second beer from the fridge, press it into his hand, and return with Soot to the sofa. “Can we talk about anything else?”
“Sure.” George uses the bottle opener on his keyring to pop the cap. He sits down next to me at an angle to get a better view. “New topic: have you asked Dot on a date yet?”
“For fuck’s sake,” I mutter.
George hooks a finger behind one ear. “What was that? I didn’t hear you clearly.”
“No. I didn’t ask.”
George tuts at me. “You are such a disappointment. I have a friend in the NHL. I thought you’d be great for material. What do I get from you? Nada. Zilch. Butkus. Nothing.”
I pretend to wipe a tear from my eye. “I thought you befriended me for my personality.”
