Page 38 of Flint

Ruby scoffs. “Maybe a little too sweet.”

“Oh hush, Ruby. You’ve been living too much club life. Not everyone is out to get you. Some are just nice people. She’s a vet, after all, and without her and her sister, no clue what would have happened to Izzy and Princess.” Mama Bear rubs her tummy at the last part.

Abigail tilts her head to the side. “What do you think she meant about her sister and parenting?”

I shrug, not really sure, but I’m also as curious as Abigail is. Nat isn’t contributing much, and I wonder if we’re scaring her. I might not be fully vested in the club, but we’ve already discovered that I’m just plain old crazy as I am, so I fit in well.

“I think she’s got autism. She’s got the signs for it,” Izzy explains.

“How can you tell?” I ask as I turn to look back, watching them cross the street and get into an SUV.

“I work with child protective services. I’m required to take a yearly course to make sure I recognize things, like abuse, especially on a disabled individual.”

“Oh, that’s cool,” I say as I keep looking, watching as the sister takes her headphones off and puts on a football helmet.

Well, I guess that’s the sign I need.

Turning back, I realize I’m not the only one watching. Hope we aren’t that obvious. I was looking just ’cause I was curious. Got the feeling Mama Bear and Lady are doing their thing, being overprotective mamas and watching over another child, no matter the age, and being a representative to make sure the child’s taken care of.

I might not know a ton, but I get that. A sweet soul is a sweet soul. I actually like the vet a bit more, even after just meeting her, as it seems she puts her sister first in everything. That’s sweet.

I sip my hot chocolate and turn my head to ask Natalie about school, but only then realize that while we were watching the two sisters, her attention was caught on another woman. I do another look back and see her watching with no subtlety at all. Just staring down a woman in a dress suit who’s talking to two others in the same kind of business attire.

“Ah, Nat, see someone you know?” Ruby asks. I give her a look, and she shakes her head, having no clue what’s going on either.

“Nat?” I try this time.

“Huh? Oh yeah, what?”

“Just asking if you know them over there?” Ruby gives her an eyebrow raise, and I do too. But both of mine go up ’cause I have no idea how to do the one only.

“Who?” She looks confused, which just makes me confused.

“The ones you’re staring at.” Abigail is the one to state the obvious.

“Oh, no.”

“Okay….” Can we say awkward silence? I sip my drink since I don’t know what else to say till I remember my original thought. “So, Natalie, are you studying physical therapy, too, or—”

“Excuse me.” I back up quickly as she stands and moves swiftly to the table she was watching. The one that now only holds one woman, one with Asian descent and blonde hair. An interesting combination, but it works for her.

“Ruby?” I hear the hesitation in Abigail’s voice.

“No clue.”

“Want us to call in the boys?” I turn to see Mama Bear is already locking eyes with Jumper, but Ruby is shaking them off.

“Nah, ain’t our scene. Not yet anyway. Let’s see how it plays out.”

I got to say, for a small café, it surprisingly sucks at helping us with sending conversations our way. We have zero audio. But we get a hell of a lot of hand waving that we can see from Nat as the businesswoman looks at her like she’s crazy and shakes her head a lot before she gathers her stuff and walks out. Nat’s hot on her heels, holding the door as the other woman walks through it.

“You better tell them to keep their fucking business to themselves and not to look for me,” she yells after her, and the entire place stops moving for a full minute as we watch her curse and return to the table, sitting down and drinking her coffee. Chugging most of it.

“So, you know her?” Ruby draws out.

She shakes her head as she wipes the foam off her top lip. “Nope.”

“Riiight.” Ruby glares but says nothing more. And we all take our cue from her, the unspoken leader of this Wednesday coffee talk.

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