“New car?” I dropped a black disc into the frame, watching it plunk and settle on the bottom. Nick let a red one slide from his fingers, right on top of mine.
“It’s Joey’s.”
“He seems nice.” I didn’t know many men who could sit through an episode of Blue’s Clues.
“He talks too damn much.”
“I heard that,” Joey grumbled from the couch.
“He’s been moonlighting as a mall cop at night and helping his mom on the weekends,” Nick explained. “He conked out on your sofa about thirty minutes ago. I figured it couldn’t hurt to stay and play a few rounds with Delia while he grabs a few z’s.”
“It’s fine. I just wasn’t expecting a visit. You said you’d call.”
He watched me position another disc over the frame. “I heard about the fire at the farm.”
My hand froze around my game piece. “Oh?”
“I wanted to make sure you and the kids were doing okay.”
“We’re fine,” I said cautiously. “Do the police know anything yet?”
“No idea. The farm’s not in my jurisdiction. But I can ask around the lab. Maybe Pete’s heard something. Give me a day or two to nose around and see what I can find out. If you’re free on Saturday, maybe I could fill you in over dinner.”
My throat tightened as I looked up at him. There was nothing platonic in the way he was watching me over his coffee as he sipped. “Just dinner,” I clarified. “It wouldn’t be like a date.”
“Not if you don’t want it to be.”
“Because I’m seeing someone,” I rushed to add.
“A lawyer. I know. Vero told me.”
“What else did she tell you?”
He set down his mug. “That you’re not in a committed relationship, and he’s out of town for the week.” I made a mental note to murder Vero in her sleep.
Nick toyed with a disc, dragging it slowly back and forth across the frame as he picked the perfect place to drop it, boxing me in. “I was planning to check out this new restaurant with Joey on Saturday night, but he’s ditching me—”
“For my mother,” Joey interjected. “I promised I’d take her to bingo.”
“—and I thought maybe you’d want to go.”
“Please go with him, Finlay,” Joey begged, “or I’ll never hear the end of it.”
I kept my eyes glued to the game, afraid if I looked up again, I’d agree to something I shouldn’t. “Oh, wow, Saturday … That’s not a lot of time. Vero’s usually off, and I don’t have a sitter.”
“Yes, she does,” Vero called from the top of the stairs.
“I don’t have anything to wear.”
“Yes, you do!” she shouted.
That’s it. I was definitely going to kill her.
Nick leaned closer and whispered, “We could always have dinner at my place. I’ve been told I make a decent chili, and my biscuits are pretty amazing, too.” The disc slipped from my fingers. I scrambled to catch it as it clattered toward the edge of the table. His hand caught mine as it closed around the runaway game piece. “It’s just dinner.” His eyes fell to my mouth as he slowly let go.
Just dinner. I could do that. Only to get an update on the arson investigation.
“Okay,” I said.
His eyebrows shot up as I slipped the token in the rack. “So that’s a yes?”
“Yes. But maybe we should skip the chili and try the restaurant instead.” The last thing I needed was to be tempted by his biscuits.
“Then it’s a date … I mean … definitely not a date.” He held up his hands, the picture of innocence as he dropped a final token into the frame, connecting a line of four. He took a last long sip from his mug as he stood, setting it in the sink on his way out of the kitchen. “Thanks for the coffee, Vero!” he called from the foyer.
“Anytime, Detective,” she sang back.
“Thank god,” Joey whispered in my ear as he reached for his jacket. “The guy’s been insufferable. If you didn’t say yes, I was going to have to shoot him.” He slipped a toothpick between his teeth and winked at me as he opened the door.
“You’re leaving?” Delia cried out, scrambling down the stairs as Nick shrugged on his coat.
“Gotta go, Dee, but thanks for the game.” She wrapped herself like an octopus around his legs. “Keep practicing. I’ll be back in a few days for a rematch.” He scooped her up and planted a kiss on her head. I’m pretty sure confetti exploded from my ovaries as he set her gently on her feet. “I’ll pick you up at six,” he told me on his way out.