Page 4 of Wolf's Midlife Bite

Her daughter let out a bark of sarcastic laughter that sounded far more mature than her eight years should allow. “You haven’t been there during practice. We’re supposed to clap along to the first song. You know, to the beat. But Gabriel is off every time, no matter how much Mrs. Collins goes over it.”

“I don’t think that’s the end of the world, kiddo,” Ed Cassidy noted with a smile.

“Grandpa, Lucy screeches instead of singing,” Kennedy went on, undeterred. “It’s like she’s trying really hard to sound like an opera singer, but it’s horrible. Mrs. Collins put her all the way in the back where she won’t be as close to the microphones, but I don’t think it’s going to make much of a difference. She’s so loud.”

“Sounds like I won’t be missing much,” Robin said with a barely suppressed laugh. She would’ve gladly put up with Lucy’s screeching and Gabriel’s off-time clapping if it meant she got to see Kennedy perform, but it was getting harder and harder to do these days.

“You know, Robin, I heard Dr. Sweeney across town has an opening for a hygienist,” Mrs. Cassidy commented as she shook a thick layer of pepper over her meat.

She pressed her hand to her heart and rolled her head back. “I wish.”

“Well, then why don’t you just put your application in?” her father suggested as he grabbed the bowl of mashed potatoes and added a heaping second helping to his plate. “The worst they can do is say no.”

“Actually, the worst they can do is say yes and then tell me just how little they’re going to pay me,” Robin corrected. “I’d love to work for a pediatric dentist, but I can’t give up the paycheck I’m getting at Dr. Watson’s right now. Not after all the attorney’s fees with the divorce and running a house on one income.”

“You could always move back in here,” Mrs. Cassidy suggested. “Your room is right where you left it, Nirvana posters and all.”

“Oh my god, Mom. No.” Robin knew she was lucky to have parents who supported her in anything and everything she did. They’d even tolerated her when she was in sixth grade and thought she was destined to be a drummer in the next big grunge band. That alone should’ve made them saints, but there was no way in hell she could move back in with her parents at this point.

Her mother rolled one shoulder. “It’s just an idea. You’ve been complaining about working for Dr. Watson for quite some time now.”

“That man must’ve made a deal with the devil to run such a successful business,” her father commented. “I never knew of a dentist’s office that kept the sorts of hours he does. Even with that, you can’t get an appointment for anything.”

Robin poked her fork at her vegetables. She really loved being able to help people, and she was particularly good at comforting them when they came in terrified of the place. She hadn’t been able to do that part of her job lately. There was no time for friendly chitchat with her patients. As soon as she was finished, she had to shove them out the door and prepare for the next one. Her job had turned into a paycheck instead of a career. Right now, though, she needed that paycheck. “Yeah, and he can be a total jerk sometimes. The thing is, with the expensive procedures and sheer volume of work he does, he can afford to pay a lot more than anyone else around Eugene. That’s quite the carrot dangling in front of me every morning when I look at myself in the mirror and decide if I’m going to work.”

Kennedy turned to Renee. “Can I do that, Mom?”

“What?”

“Look at myself in the mirror in the morning and decide if I’m going to school,” Kennedy explained.

Renee’s lips tightened into a hard line, and she was silent for a moment. “No, honey. You have to go to school. You already know this.”

Leaning back and rubbing his full stomach, Ed asked, “Did you see that thing on the news about that young woman that’s gone missing?”

His wife elbowed him in the ribs and nodded toward Kennedy. “I don’t think that’s exactly dinner table talk.”

“I’m full. Can I go outside to play?” Kennedy had already pushed her chair back from the table, barely waiting for the answer and clearly not worried about anything her grandfather had to say.

“I’ll come with you,” Robin volunteered. Spending time with her niece was an easy excuse to get out of the cheesecake that would inevitably be offered momentarily.

“I think I could use a little fresh air, myself.” Renee grabbed her plate and Kennedy’s and brought them to the sink.

A few minutes later, Robin and Renee stood under the massive oak tree in the backyard. It was the same tree they used to turn into a fort by throwing a blanket over one of the lowest branches, the same tree whose wide trunk had hidden them when they’d first tried a little pot. Now it was the tree that sheltered them from the evening sun as they watched Kennedy run around with their parents’ old Labrador, Sunny.

“I swear he loses about half of the years on him when she comes over to play,” Renee commented as she folded her arms in front of her chest and smiled. “He’s straight from couch potato to Olympic champion as soon as she shows up.”

Robin had to agree. A tattered rope toy dangled from Kennedy’s hand as the dog zoomed after her. The girl was squealing with delight, and Robin was sure Sunny would be, too, if he could. “You’re so lucky to have her. She’s the closest I’ll ever come to having a kid of my own.”

“Hey, you never know. I mean, now that JC is out of the picture.” Renee waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

“Right, because high cholesterol and reading glasses are the perfect prerequisites for pregnancy.” Robin shook her head, knowing so much time had been wasted. There was no point in dwelling on it, though. She still had a whole life to live ahead of her. She just had to figure out what that meant.

“Speaking of JC, did you go through with getting that nasty old tattoo covered up? I felt bad that I couldn’t go with you, but with Ben out of town for work, I’m on full-time mom duty.” She glanced over at her charge, who was now engaged in a game of tug-of-war with Sunny.

“That’s okay. I can’t say it all went as planned, but I did it.” Turning her back toward the house, Robin pulled down her leggings and held up her muffin top. “I think it turned out pretty good, though.”

Renee let out a long, low whistle. “That’s a hell of a lot better than JC’s piece. But what went wrong? I thought you really liked Poppy when you went in for your consultation.”

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