Page 37 of Take This Heart
When I rap on the door and she answers, her face brightens before she schools it back into nonchalance, and my life is made.
“How are things going?” I ask.
“He’s sick of me hovering,” she whispers, leaning forward. “He’s not feeling bad anymore and now he’s just cranky.”
“I heard that,” Everett says, shuffling to the door. “Hey, Milo. Have you come to mother me too?” He grins to soften his words.
“I think that’s already covered.” I walk in when Goldie opens the door wider.
“Is it ever,” Everett groans. “Do me a favor and get her out of the house for a while.”
“Dad!” Goldie gasps. “I’m not leaving you.”
“Please.” He leans over and kisses her cheek. “Please leave me. Go do something fun. It will make me feel better.” His eyebrows lift and he points at her. “It’s Thursday! Trivia night at The Loon…that sounds like just the thing. Huh? Huh?” He elbows her and she scowls at him before sighing.
“Okay. But only if you promise you’re feeling fine.”
He holds his hand up. “I swear. I’m feeling fine.” He points at me. “You should go with her. We can get back to work tomorrow.”
I open my mouth to protest and he shakes his head.
“I think the only place you’ve been is Kitty-Corner Cafe. You gotta see more of this place than that!”
My eyes narrow and I bite the inside of my mouth. “Okay. You’ll message us if you need anything?”
He holds his hand up again. “I swear. I’ll message if I need anything.”
I glance at Goldie. “I see now where you got your sass.”
She rolls her eyes and starts reciting a list of rules for her dad to follow while she’s gone. He shoos us out the door.
“How’s your week been?” I ask on the brief drive to The Loon. I feel strangely nervous with her in my SUV.
“Well, you saw that man at the house. Impossible.” She grins fondly. “The highlight of the week was the chocolate-covered strawberries I made last night.” She sighs. “I can never resist a strawberry. Put chocolate on it and I’m gone.” Her hand flies up in the air and I laugh.
Trivia night at The Loon is already loud when we walk in. There are lights strung haphazardly above the booths and thefloor is sticky with beer. Someone yells, “Oh, fer the love of Pete!” across the room, only to be met with, “I s’pose you thought you could schlep that attitude in here!”
Goldie beams. “Man, I’ve missed this,” she says, practically bouncing as she spots someone.
A woman who looks like she could be theWe Can Do It!lady walks over from the corner booth. Except her bandana is blue with white polka dots and her tank top saysTrivia Slut.
“That’s Erin,” Goldie tells me. “Brace yourself.”
Erin thrusts a laminated sheet at me and waves a dry-erase marker. “You must be the architect. Very sexy, very proper. You look like you alphabetize your porn collection and silently judge people who don’t.”
“Doesn’t everyone?” I say, raising an eyebrow.
“Ah, he’s quick, Goldie.” She winks at me. “And you’re hot. I get it now.”
“Erin,” Goldie groans, but she’s laughing as she motions for me to sit down. I do, and she slides into the booth beside me, her knee brushing mine. “Hands off. He’s on my team.”
“Baby, you know I swing for the other team,” Erin says, giving Goldie a mischievous smile. She points at me. “My last name’s Cox and I’ve had enough Cox in my life…that’s why I turned to women.”
With that gem, she winks and walks away.
Goldie groans. “That is not what I meant, and you know it,” she yells over the racket.
“Team name?” the host calls, looking at us.
