Page 63 of From Nowhere

I’m a leader.

I can be fearless.

And sometimes even a little badass.

But with Ozzy, I’m just a girl who doesn’t have to prove herself.

“Maren?”

I blow out a slow, silent breath before clearing my throat. “What if, in the future, I were to be in your neighborhood some evening—late at night? After you put Lola to bed. Could you sneak me inside?”

“Sneak you inside my house with Lolaandher grandparents?” He chuckles. “I don’t know. That’s—”

“You’re not a real sneaker. When I was in high school, my boyfriend squeezed his big body through a daylight window in the basement, nearly getting stuck on more than one occasion, just to make out with me for a few minutes before he missed his curfew. That’s dedication. You’re not dedicated to making this thing between us work.” I’m glad hecan’t see the massive smile on my face as I grab my bag and start toward the shed to check Bandit’s food and water.

Am I shaming a single dad for not acting like a teenager? Yes. Yes, I am.

I’m ruthless because he’s awakened my need for sex.

“Uh ...” A nervous laugh accompanies his drawn-out pause.

“I’m kidding.”

I’msonot kidding, but I’m thirty-three, and my conscience is getting the best of me.

“Lola’s in bed by eight on school nights. Realistically, she’s not asleep until closer to nine. My window is on the south side, and it’s a full-size window.”

I bite my thumbnail. Anything to keep from losing my composure. “Really, Ozzy, I was kidding. We’re grown adults. Sneaking around like this is silly. Right?”

“It’s probably unusual for two people in their thirties,” he says.

“Exactly.”

“It was your idea,” he says.

I nod to myself. “A joke. Clearly.” Bandit’s food and water are fine, so I give him a long stroke down his back and head to my RAV.

“Clearly,” he echoes.

A long pause settles between us.

“So you’ll drop the cat off Friday night?”

I’m not thinking of Bandit, because I’m too busy wondering what Ozzy’s room looks like, the size of his bed, and the thickness of his walls.

“Maren?”

“Yeah.” I fasten my seat belt. “Friday it is, unless I’m not in town.”

“Great. I can’t wait to see ...”

“Me?”

He chuckles. “Never mind.”

“What do you mean, never mind?”

“I was going to make a joke, but it’s inappropriate, and I’m a dad, so never mind.”

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