Page 47 of The Best Shot

I set it down. “You’ve been everywhere.”

“Work takes me places.”

I looked back at the photo of Tokyo. Rain, umbrellas, one woman in a kimono cutting through it all.

“Must be something,” I said. “Seeing all that.”

She tilted her head. “You’ve never traveled?”

“No. I’ve never left the state.” It came out more like a confession than I meant it to.

She squinted at me, processing. “Why not?”

I started to answer, but the bedroom door opened before I could.

A woman stepped out with an empty water bottle in one hand and the other resting on her very pregnant belly. She was short, generously built, and stopped cold when she saw me.

Family stuff.

“CeeCee, this is Hale,” Yasmine said. “He’s helping with the locks. Hale, this is CeeCee. She’s staying with me.”

I set the Coke down and held out my hand. “Nice to meet you.”

She shook it. “You too.”

“Congratulations,” I said. “When are you due?”

“Four months to go.” She rubbed her stomach. “Already feel like I’m the size of a house. This kid better be cute as fuck, is all I’m saying.”

“If he takes after his mother, without a doubt.”

She peered at me. “Are you flirting with a pregnant woman?”

“No, ma’am. Got eyes, is all.”

“Smooth, but I’ll allow it.” She looked at Yasmine. “Keep this one. I like this one.”

“Not mine to keep,” Yasmine said.

“Mm-hmm.” She looked unconvinced. “Came out for water. Didn’t mean to interrupt whatever this is.”

“You didn’t interrupt anything,” Yasmine said.

“Sure.” CeeCee started toward the kitchen, then paused, her eyes dropping to the tools at my feet. “And thank you.”

I didn’t have the full picture, but that gratitude was for more than locks.

After filling her bottle, CeeCee disappeared back into the bedroom and closed the door behind her.

Pregnant woman in the spare room. Brand new deadbolt. Family stuff had a shape now.

“She seems nice,” I said.

“Yeah.”

That was all she gave me. I let it be.

“So,” I said, picking up the toolbox. “Let’s take a look.”