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“We can bring him if you want. The college is hosting a charity barbecue in the park, if you’d like to eat there.”
It’s a nice, sunny day, and I always prefer the outdoors. It’s one of the reasons I ended up in my line of work.
“That sounds fun. Just let me grab his leash.”
A few minutes later, we’re pulling into the park where a good amount of the town appears to have had the same idea. Most of the picnic tables are full, but we manage to find an empty one back by the creek after getting our food.
Sam loops Puffbutt’s—god, what a name—leash to the bench of the table and puts a paper plate of shredded meat in front of him before turning to her own food.
“How long have you had him?” I ask, gesturing to the dog who now has his nose buried in barbecue beef.
“Just a couple of days. I saw him at the shelter and knew he was mine. Do you have a dog?”
I pop a french fry in my mouth. “Cat, actually.”
She grins at me. “A cat person, huh? What’s its name?”
Now, it’s my turn to be embarrassed. “First, I didn’t name him. My sister got him for my nephew but he was so allergic, they had to give him up. I didn’t have the heart to change the name.”
“Now I really have to know.”
“Cat.”
She stares at me. “His name is cat.”
With a sigh, I add, “Short for Catthew.”
Her laughter fills the air, scaring away a few birds that had been inching closer, hoping for crumbs. “That’s the best thing I’ve heard all week. He must be adorable.”
“He’s a terror.”
She takes a sip of her drink. “Do you have any kids?”
“No. No kids, never married.”
“Same here.”
I’m surprised, not about the kids, but that she’s never been married. She’s beautiful, and fun to be around. “Do you want kids?”
Her eyebrows raise. “No, I’m pretty happy without that particular responsibility.”
I meet her gaze as I sip my drink. “I feel the same way. Had a vasectomy to make sure.”
Smiling, she holds up her cup. “To life without semen demons.”
I nearly choke on laughter as I touch my cup to hers. “To sex without collateral damage.”
It’s quiet for a few moments before she asks, “So, do you usually punch people at the bar?”
Yeah, I figured that wasn’t just going to go away. “No, I’m not violent. Never been in trouble or anything, but I wasn’t going to let him stand there and insult my date.”
“I wasn’t your date.”
Shrugging, I sit back. “Turned into an amazing date.” I reach across the table and tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear. “Two now, and hopefully more.”
“After you defended my honor and all, I can’t very well turn you down,” she teases.
We sit there talking a while longer and then walk along the creek, letting Puffbutt play in the water until he wears himself out. He flops down at our feet when we sit on a bench at the far end of the park, away from all the noise and people. I’m shocked to see how late in the day it’s gotten. I can’t remember ever losing track of time with someone like this. She’s so easy to talk to, and we find quite a few things we have in common, including our love for horror movies and hate for reality television.
