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Jade put her hands to her cheeks. “Am I blushing? What gives it away?”
“You smell less sad,” Claude crossed his arms. “And you laughed when I didn’t even tell a joke.”
Jade hugged him again. “I missed you like crazy. Want to see if Mr. Miles will fly us out to the Comet Stalker today?”
“The boy has school.”
“But only in the morning because Miss Cherie is going to do nursing stuff this afternoon,” the cub nodded.
“Well, run and ask him then. Come into the kitchen and have some plumcotta pie, darling.”
“I will... And then I want to meet with Avis before we go back to the ship. I don’t know my way around it too well yet, but I can show Claude the engine room and the cargo bay.”
“Pleeeease, Grandma?” Claude tugged on her paw.
“I already said to run and ask Mr. Miles, silly, you’re the one standing still.”
Jade watched him run off.
He’d be a good big brother. A cousin, maybe. Honorary family.
“Come in and have that pie before you call Avis. You look like you need to keep your strength up.”
AFTER THE DELICIOUS pie and several cups of tea, Jade managed to sneak away to see Avis in the most luxurious house in town—the mayor’s big, sprawling barn of a place.
“You’re back!” Avis squealed, hugging her. “I’m so glad you came up for air before you left!”
“Everyone thinks I’m insatiable, huh?” Jade tried to keep the edge from her voice as Avis pulled her into the simply furnished house. Simple—but stately.
“And everyone thinks I’m shuttle trash, but Lewis loves me and takes time to listen to me. We learn a lot from each other.” Avis shrugged off Jade’s comment and beckoned her to follow. “I have some fresh goat’s cheese in the dining room, and I’ve been making millet muffins for days. They’re Lewis’ favorite, and they give him so much energy.” Avis giggled and swept ahead of her guest. “I can comm the other girls real quick and see if some can join us.”
“No, no. I mean—I’ll see them soon. I wanted to see you.”
Avis looked surprised. “Are you okay, honey?”
“I’m okay. I’m... I’m better than okay. Ardol is wonderful.”
“I’m so happy for you,” Avis gushed, a genuine smile on her face. “Muffin?”
Jade took one to be polite, her appetite was nonexistent after all the pie and tea she’d just finished. “You and Lewis wanted to try the chromosomal booster shots, right?”
“We start next week. You have to be at the right place in your cycle.” Avis clasped her hands together. “He has a son, you know. You met him? He’s a sweet boy, a good boy. Lewis lost his twin girls. God, I don’t know if I hope this cub will be a boy or girl.”
“You might have one of each. Layla did.”
“That’s right. Now, I heard that the boosters don’t make multiple births more likely, but I’m young. Lewis is in his prime. We could maybe have three or four cubs, even if we have to go one at a time.”
“You want to be pregnant that many times?”
“Well, I’ve never been pregnant before, so it’s not about that, hon. It’s about having a family with Lewis. I love him. He loves me. I used to dream about getting married and having a little house with a little lawn for kids to play in—and now I have that. Only it’s a big lawn and a big house—and one extra large Lynxian hubby!”
Jade rolled her eyes with a good-natured smile. The mayor was quite portly, but she knew her old colleague wasn’t talking about the size of his waist. “Since you’re bragging on your husband, can I ask a Felid-human romance question?” Jade dropped her voice.
“Anything! I’m an open book.”
No doubts there, Jade smirked. “What’s the deal with their tails?”
Avis leaned forward, cup (more like bowl) clutched in her hands. “Oh, aren’t they divine? It doesn’t surprise me that you already figured it out.”
