Page 31 of Guarding My Love

“I’ve got a schedule for things like that,” she said. “Which makes me sound rigid.”

“You’ve got a lot of names or titles for yourself,” he said. “Not always positive ones either. Why can’t it be that you’re organized or disciplined?”

They’d stopped by his open garage door. The trunk was up and she saw his big duffel bag in there with a few bags of food.

“Why couldn’t I have known you when I was a teen? I think hearing these things would have changed so much in my life.”

He shrugged. “No reason to go back in time and wish for things that wouldn’t have happened.”

He was logical too. Not something anyone would have said she was. Or not often.

“Good point,” she said. “Don’t jump, Marco.”

Foster squatted down and picked up her puppy. “He’s getting so big. I can’t believe how much he’s grown in two weeks.”

So he knew how long it’d been since they’d last talked.

“He’s growing fast. Eats a lot too,” she said.

“I know I’m going to eat a lot tonight. I’m sick of eating out. The worst part of traveling.”

“I used to love to eat out,” she said. “I’m starting to realize the positive quality of eating good food at home.”

“My mother is a good cook,” he said. “Even if it was simple meals for a long time. Had to stretch it for all those mouths.”

She could only imagine how hard it had to be when his mother was a single parent with all those kids.

Looked as if Foster landed on his feet well.

Must have been raised right because he sure was a worker.

He had the money by the looks of it to hire people to do work around his house, yet he was outside mowing his lawn and doing landscaping like she was.

Sort of. He had a lot more to take care of.

“My mother didn’t cook a lot,” she said. “We went out more than not. Or when she did cook, it wasn’t simple fair. I found I like a good burger more than a fancy piece of fish smothered in sauce.”

“I could do without fancy fair but have had my share,” he said. “Just like burgers are on the menu tonight. You’re welcome to join me.”

Her mouth opened and closed.

It was the last thing she expected.

“Just being neighborly?” she asked.

“Sure,” he said. “That’s it.”

He didn’t sound convincing and she wasn’t sure if she was happy about that or not.

11

AN INDIVIDUAL MEMORY

What the fuck possessed him to invite Charlotte to dinner?

Foster was moving around his house faster than ever before trying to find any sign of who he was.

Three pictures were taken off the shelves in his living room and put in a drawer. Then he rearranged a few other things to take up those spaces and all it did was show dust.

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