“But?”
She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t know. We have a lot in common. He’s smart, well-educated. We vote the same.”
Jimmy snorted. “You vote the same? Seriously? That’s your criteria now?”
“Of course not. It’s just...”
Jimmy slid out from under the sink. “Stand back. I’m about to test this thing.” He pointed to the far side of the kitchen. “Go stand there. I’ll put my body between you and the explosion.”
“Talk about a gentleman,” she teased. “There are so few of you left these days.”
“Most of us have died in garbage disposal accidents.”
She scrambled to her feet and walked to the other end of the kitchen. Jimmy turned on the water and flipped the switch. The steady hum of the garbage disposal filled the room.
“Impressive,” she told him when he turned it off. “Very impressive.”
“I’ve got game, I’ll admit it.” He washed his hands, then dried them with a towel. “So why do you see him? It’s not like you need a boyfriend.”
Ugh. They were back to David. She leaned against the counter. “I don’t know. I like him, I guess.”
He raised his dark eyebrows. “You guess?”
“He’s very solid and stable. That’s nice.”
“Unlike your surfing ex-fiancé?”
“You’re plenty stable now.”
“I’m practically staid.”
She took in the dark, shaggy hair, the three days’ worth of beard, the earrings and the tattoos on his arm. “Jimmy, people will call you many things, but staid isn’t one of them.”
“You say the sweetest things. So what’s up with David? Why don’t you dump him?”
“I don’t know. Maybe I should.” She frowned. “It’s so strange. I love my job. Seriously—it’s the best. And I like living in Los Lobos. I have a really good life.”
“But?”
“But there’s something I can’t put my finger on.” A restlessness, she thought. The sense of missing something important.
“Are you upset about your mom?” he asked. “About her getting married?”
“God no. She’s been a widow twenty-four years. If anyone deserves to move on, it’s her. Neil’s a great guy. We all like him.”
“Just checking. Weddings do funny things to people.”
“I promise, there will be no drama with my mother’s wedding. She’s a mature, responsible woman marrying a great guy.”
“I got an invitation to the engagement party.”
The thought of Jimmy being there made her smile. “Good. Are you going?”
“I thought it would be fun. You and David will be there, right?”
“We will.” She found herself wanting to ask if he was bringing a date but then realized she didn’t want to know. Which wasn’t fair. Of course she wanted Jimmy to be happy. He was a great guy.
“Why aren’t you engaged or married?” she asked.
He pressed a hand to his chest. “You spoiled me for other women.”
That made her laugh. “Right. You were so broken after our engagement ended that you took up with the one person I dislike more than anyone.”
“You are referring to the fair Erika?”
“You know I am.”
“But she’s lovely.”
“She’s mean, and if I recall correctly, she dumped you.”
Jimmy’s expression of amusement never wavered. “That she did. I suspect she was only trying to prove she could get me, not that she could keep me.”
“If I had an ego, I would say she went after you because I stole you from her in the first place.”
“You do have an ego and it’s well deserved. And you did steal me.” He glanced at the clock. “You have a date and I have to clean up my mess here.”
“What?” She followed his gaze. “You’re right. Thanks for reminding me.”
She walked down the tiny hall to the master bedroom. It wasn’t big, but her queen-size bed fit fine, along with the dresser she’d had since she was twelve when her mom bought all three girls new furniture. The piece wasn’t anything she would have chosen now—it was too ornate, with carving on the corners and drawer pulls in the shape of birds. But somehow it connected her to her past.
She walked into the en suite bathroom and used a headband to hold back her short hair. After washing her face, she applied moisturizer and sunscreen, then put on makeup.
David was taking her out for Mexican food, which meant casual rather than fancy. She slipped on a white tank top and short denim skirt, then chose black suede peep-toe wedges with a little fringe at the ankle. Drop earrings and several bangles completed the outfit. She fluffed her short hair back into the spiky style she wore, then grabbed a cropped black faux leather jacket for later—when it got cool—before returning to her kitchen.