freezer to get out a pint of low-fat coconut ice cream, Mindy glanced at Jack. “I wonder if he had a tail.”
“Oh God, I’m going to have nightmares now.”
“He was still better than the guy who wanted you to diaper him.”
Jack grabbed two spoons and sat across the kitchen bar from her. “True.” He tipped his head to the side and thought for a moment. “And, weirdly enough, that one didn’t call me Daddy.”
“I’d say you’re being too picky, but good God, you’ve had some weird ones.”
“Well, to each their own, but sometimes I think I’m being punished for something. I can’t figure out what, though.”
Mindy fought for room in the small container with her spoon. “Whatever happened to Steve? He seemed pretty normal.”
Swallowing a cold bite, Jack nodded in agreement. “He was, and he was pretty nice too, but I don’t know. After a few dates, we just weren’t clicking. He wanted something casual, and that seems kind of ridiculous at my age.”
“You always say that like you should be in a rest home and using a walker. Forty-seven isn’t that old.”
“God, I love your horrible memory. I turned forty-nine this year.”
Mindy rolled her eyes. Jack knew what was coming, but he let her go on. “You’re a silver fox. You work out. You eat right. You’ve even got great skin, for God’s sake.”
“Emphasis on the silver.” Jack pointed a finger at the top of his head, his hair more salt than pepper. “Not to mention the crow’s feet, enough dental work to put my dentist in a summer home in France, reading glasses….”
“Whiner.” She took another bite of ice cream, making a face when it was obviously too cold for her. “You’re in great shape. You’re hot. You’ve got a steady career. The only reason you end up with crazy people is because you’re not willing to leave the house unless you’re at work, at the gym, or with your grandkids. All those hookup sites get you is one-night stands and post-traumatic stress disorder.”
Jack let out a loud bark of laughter. “I do not have PTSD. I just have very bad luck.”
“Maybe it’s not PTSD, but I know for a fact that you took at least five showers after the diaper guy.”
He arched a brow at her as he tossed the empty container of ice cream into the trash can. “How do you know that?”
“I could hear the water running from next door.” She flicked her corn-silk blonde hair to get it out of her face as she spoke. “You ran out of shampoo and borrowed mine around shower number four.”
“I guess you should count yourself lucky that my sex life isn’t more active.” He waggled his eyebrows at her and conjured up his most wolfish grin. “You’d never sleep.”
Mindy shrugged, laughing. “I’ll invest in earplugs if you ever invest yourself in a relationship. I promise.”
Sighing, Jack put his arm around Mindy’s shoulder. “I’m working on it, I swear.”
“Uh-huh.”
Jack gave her a squeeze when she shot him a doubtful glare. “Don’t look so skeptical.” He couldn’t really blame her, though. Jack’s efforts in the area of romance had been halfhearted at best. “This is just harder than I remember it. Or, harder at my age. Or, harder with men. I don’t know.”
Mindy said playfully, “I should hope it’s harder with men….”
Jack pinched her and let her go with a playful shove.
He looked at her for a long moment. She was a great girl. One of the best people he knew. “How are you still single?”
“Because I’m in love with a gay man?” Mindy batted her eyelashes as she swooned into him.
Jack caught her and gave her another push toward the kitchen, shaking his head in mock sympathy. “Tragic.”
“I know, right?”
Cleaning the kitchen took longer than it should have. They talked, giggled here and there, and teased each other as always. As Mindy packed the leftover soup into a container for Jack’s lunch, she glanced at him almost shyly and bit her lip as if she wasn’t sure
“Oh God, I’m going to have nightmares now.”
“He was still better than the guy who wanted you to diaper him.”
Jack grabbed two spoons and sat across the kitchen bar from her. “True.” He tipped his head to the side and thought for a moment. “And, weirdly enough, that one didn’t call me Daddy.”
“I’d say you’re being too picky, but good God, you’ve had some weird ones.”
“Well, to each their own, but sometimes I think I’m being punished for something. I can’t figure out what, though.”
Mindy fought for room in the small container with her spoon. “Whatever happened to Steve? He seemed pretty normal.”
Swallowing a cold bite, Jack nodded in agreement. “He was, and he was pretty nice too, but I don’t know. After a few dates, we just weren’t clicking. He wanted something casual, and that seems kind of ridiculous at my age.”
“You always say that like you should be in a rest home and using a walker. Forty-seven isn’t that old.”
“God, I love your horrible memory. I turned forty-nine this year.”
Mindy rolled her eyes. Jack knew what was coming, but he let her go on. “You’re a silver fox. You work out. You eat right. You’ve even got great skin, for God’s sake.”
“Emphasis on the silver.” Jack pointed a finger at the top of his head, his hair more salt than pepper. “Not to mention the crow’s feet, enough dental work to put my dentist in a summer home in France, reading glasses….”
“Whiner.” She took another bite of ice cream, making a face when it was obviously too cold for her. “You’re in great shape. You’re hot. You’ve got a steady career. The only reason you end up with crazy people is because you’re not willing to leave the house unless you’re at work, at the gym, or with your grandkids. All those hookup sites get you is one-night stands and post-traumatic stress disorder.”
Jack let out a loud bark of laughter. “I do not have PTSD. I just have very bad luck.”
“Maybe it’s not PTSD, but I know for a fact that you took at least five showers after the diaper guy.”
He arched a brow at her as he tossed the empty container of ice cream into the trash can. “How do you know that?”
“I could hear the water running from next door.” She flicked her corn-silk blonde hair to get it out of her face as she spoke. “You ran out of shampoo and borrowed mine around shower number four.”
“I guess you should count yourself lucky that my sex life isn’t more active.” He waggled his eyebrows at her and conjured up his most wolfish grin. “You’d never sleep.”
Mindy shrugged, laughing. “I’ll invest in earplugs if you ever invest yourself in a relationship. I promise.”
Sighing, Jack put his arm around Mindy’s shoulder. “I’m working on it, I swear.”
“Uh-huh.”
Jack gave her a squeeze when she shot him a doubtful glare. “Don’t look so skeptical.” He couldn’t really blame her, though. Jack’s efforts in the area of romance had been halfhearted at best. “This is just harder than I remember it. Or, harder at my age. Or, harder with men. I don’t know.”
Mindy said playfully, “I should hope it’s harder with men….”
Jack pinched her and let her go with a playful shove.
He looked at her for a long moment. She was a great girl. One of the best people he knew. “How are you still single?”
“Because I’m in love with a gay man?” Mindy batted her eyelashes as she swooned into him.
Jack caught her and gave her another push toward the kitchen, shaking his head in mock sympathy. “Tragic.”
“I know, right?”
Cleaning the kitchen took longer than it should have. They talked, giggled here and there, and teased each other as always. As Mindy packed the leftover soup into a container for Jack’s lunch, she glanced at him almost shyly and bit her lip as if she wasn’t sure
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