Page 125 of Beware of Dog

Cass took a breath, ready to bullshit her way through it, but Shep said, “I work security. Private security.”

When Cass glanced at him, she saw that he’d schooled his features: utterly casual, utterly convincing.

Cass leaned back and caught Raven’s gaze behind her mother’s back. Raven nodded, surprised but pleased.

“That sounds dangerous,” Emily said, tone frightened rather than judgmental.

“Eh. It’s not too bad, most of the time. If you look tough, and you glare at people, they usually back off.”

Emily regarded him a moment, then nodded. “I suppose so.”

Shep’s ears turned pink at the tips.

Cass said, “He’s very good at what he does, Mum.”

Tenny smirked. “What he does being—”

“Provide protection for important clients,” Raven said, loud and pointed.

“Ooh,” Emily said, interest piqued. “Anyone famous?”

“Uh…” Shep said. “Yeah. Sometimes.” Quickly, as Emily was gathering breath for a follow-up, “I can’t say who. They value their privacy, you know?”

“Oh.” Emily deflated, disappointed. “Of course. That makes sense.”

Desperate to change the subject, Cass said, “Mum, Raven’s going to help me with a dress tomorrow. Maybe you’d like to come look at some with us?”

Her face lit up. “That would be wonderful!”

From there, the conversation split once more, guys and gals, and the boys thankfully didn’t get so loud. Raven pulled outher phone to show Emily pictures of Nat, and Emily cooed over her appropriately.

When the plates were cleared, and the waiter went to get their checks, Emily said she needed to go to the restroom. Shep and Cass slid out of the booth to let her by, but she paused at the edge of the table and said, “Cassandra, would you come with me?”

She’d been dreading this moment all evening. “Yeah.”

The bathroom was glassy green tile and faux marble counters, cool and lemon-scented. Clean, and, thankfully, empty.

Emily didn’t head for a stall. Instead, she set her purse on the counter and regarded her reflection a moment. Pushed her glasses up onto her forehead and dug a compact from her bag to dab beneath her eyes where her earlier tears had caked her makeup.

“Mum,” Cass started, and Emily snapped the compact shut and turned to her, tremulous smile breaking across her face.

“You sound worried. Don’t be worried, darling.”

Cass let out a shaky breath. “I know you think it’s strange. It is strange.” To Emily. To Cass it was the most natural thing in the world. “You can say it.”

Emily rolled her eyes to the ceiling, but her smile stretched, and steadied. “It isn’tstrange. I was surprised. I still think of you as this little girl.Mylittle girl. And he’s…he’s a man. A grown man.” Her gaze dropped to Cass. “But you’re not a little girl, not anymore. You’re a woman. And he looks like a man. But he’s…”

“Still mentally thirteen?” Cass guessed.

“Perhaps not quite that young.” Still smiling, she said, “How old is he actually?”

Cass folded her arms to keep from fidgeting. “Do you really want to know?”

“Yes.”

Cass braced herself. “Forty-six.”

But Emily, cheerful, optimistic, tilted her head and considered. “Older than I thought,” she said, but without negativity. Her expression turned almost sad. “He’ll be elderly before you are, darling.”

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