Page 34 of Trick or Truce

Noah beams. “See?”

“Since our divorce, I’ve been too nervous to get back into the dating scene, so I’m taking this time for myself.” I slap my palm against my forehead. “That sounds pretty lame when I say it out loud.”

“That’s not lame. Dad is single too. He hasn’t dated anyone in for-ev-er.”

Grant ignores Noah’s comment, but redness creeps into his cheeks.

“There was one woman, like, a long time ago,” she continues. “But she was weird.”

Grant drops his fork. “She wasn’t weird.”

Noah shoots him a dubious look. “She had an ant farm in her house.”

He picks up his fork again and shoves a mound of potatoes into his mouth.

“Exactly.” Noah returns her attention to me. “I was five and terrified of bugs, and this woman was living with them inside of her home.”

I stifle a laugh. “Everyone is into different things. I’m sure she was a nice person.”

“Ants, Lenny.” Noah’s eyes are wide. “The woman was harvesting ants. I don’t care how nice you are. One wrong move, and you’re being carried away to the ant queen.”

A laugh escapes me as the visual assaults my mind.

Grant glares at me, but amusement dances in his eyes. “That was the first and last time I let my friends put me on a dating app.”

“She wasn’t hot enough to overlook the ants, huh?”

He rolls his lips between his teeth. “I had a five-year-old clinging to my leg, refusing to sit in the same room as her because she thought she brought the ants with her in her purse. It wasn’t going to work.”

“Yeah, right. Blame it on me.” Noah rolls her eyes. “The woman was nuts.”

He looks uncomfortable talking about this, so I try to take the heat off him. “What about you, Noah?” I waggle my eyebrows. “Got your eye on any hotties at school?”

Grant chimes in right away. “Yeah, any necks I have to break?”

She looks truly horrified, mouth open and eyes wide. “Oh my god, no. We are not having this conversation.”

“For someone who has so many questions, you sure don’t like to talk about your personal life.” Grant pokes her arm with his fork. “Spill the beans. What boys have asked you to make out under the bleachers?”

“Or girls,” I add.

Grant pauses. “I’d prefer that.”

“The bleachers?” Noah screeches. “It’s not 1976.”

“When does your family life class start?” Grant’s fork clanks against his dish. “Did it start already?”

Noah buries her face in her hands. “Dad…”

“Did you learn about sex yet?”

“Oh my god, stop!” Noah jumps up from her seat. “I am leaving this room right now. I’ve suddenly lost my appetite.”

She runs out of the room like it’s on fire.

My head tilts back as I laugh and clutch my stomach. “I think we just traumatized her.”

Grant grins. “I’ve never seen her run so fast.”

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