“I’m sorry I wasn’t with you today down there.”

She took his face in her hands. “You don’t tear yourself apart with guilt and recriminations enough that you have to start grabbing stuff at random now? He doesn’t have a job. I’m done now. I can’t hold on to it like that or it’ll eat me alive.”

He nodded and she smiled.

Natalie opened the front door. “There you are! Cake!”

“Can’t miss that.”

Ezra led her back into the house, his hand at her back. “First we’ll eat cake and then later, back at my place, I’ll eat you,” he said before they reached the kitchen.

She groaned. “You’re a menace.”

He stopped her, kissing her quickly. “I am. But I’m really good at eating pussy.”

She laughed, hugging him. “So modest, too.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

THE FOLLOWING WEDNESDAY as she turned after locking up the gallery, Ezra was standing there with Loopy on a leash. Happiness surged through her at the sight of them both. “Hey.”

He hugged her and she hummed her delight at his kiss. “What brings you to town?” She bent to give Loopy some attention and got a few sloppy kisses in thanks.

“Vet appointment. Just a checkup. But you’re between the vet and the ranch so we thought you might be up for some company.”

“I need to finish up some work tonight. I have supplies for sandwiches, though. I bet we could find something for Loopy.”

“I can leave her outside. She’ll love your garden.”

“She can hang out in it if she wants, but she’s welcome in my house.” Tuesday knelt in front of Loopy again. “You got between me and a predator. That was pretty brave of you. You’re welcome to get dog hair on my sofa any day.”

“We’ll follow you over after we walk you to your car.”

“I didn’t drive today. It was so warm and pretty I walked over. It’s only fifteen minutes or so.”

“Well come on then, ride with us.”

* * *

NATALIE AND PADDY were in her kitchen when they arrived and Ezra halted her. “Is it awful that I want you all to myself?”

“No. I’m awesome so I’m not surprised,” she teased.

He hugged her. “I missed you this week. You could come to my place. Bring your supplies. And a change of clothes. Sleep over. I feel like I haven’t seen you in a long time. Obviously I need to get at what you’ve got under your clothes—that goes without saying. But I promise to give you the space and time to work. And I’ll make you breakfast tomorrow.”

“Wow, you’re like Santa all the sudden. I really can’t say no to any of that.”

She could have. But she didn’t want to. He struggled with pulling her closer, she knew. He’d come to her that day and it didn’t feel as though he’d resentfully given in to what he wanted. It felt like he wanted her as much as she him.

They went in and Ezra hung out in the kitchen with Paddy while Loopy followed Natalie and Tuesday upstairs.

“Yes, you can lay on my bed,” she said to Loopy as they entered her bedroom. Loopy head butted her and trotted ahead. First she sniffed around and then hopped up to settle on Tuesday’s bed, her head on her paws as she watched Tuesday and Natalie.

“You let a dog on your bed? You totally love him. Oh my god.” Natalie sat down on the bed next to the dog and Tuesday rolled her eyes as she changed from her work clothes into some capri pants and a T-shirt.

“I’m so glad you’re not a drama queen,” Tuesday said as she tossed her makeup bag into a duffel.

“I like it. On you I mean.”

“Stop.”

“Nope. You poked and prodded me for a year over Paddy. You think you get a pass? What sort of best friend would I be then? Deal with it, East...Easton. That takes me back.”

“Sometimes I forget I didn’t start out as Eastwood.”

“Anything else from them or did you do as I suggested and block her number? You know your mother would tell you exactly what I did.”

“Well, Diana told Tina Heywood she was a dumb hooker the last time we were all together, so my mother isn’t unbiased.”

Tuesday zipped her duffel and shouldered it.

Natalie snorted. “She’s not unbiased on any subject I’ve ever encountered. Diana has feelings about everything. But this isn’t terry cloth versus other kinds of cotton.”

Both women cracked up. Tuesday’s mother hated terry cloth in that terry cloth was the mortal enemy of all mankind way. Diana could rant about it for a good half an hour.

“Anyway, Tina Heywood is human terry cloth as far as Di is concerned. Everyone knows that.”

“It’s truth. It’s not as far as your mom is concerned. Tina Heywood wants you to pay for her own sins with her children.”

“She’ll never be able to make up for that, though. Don’t you see? She is terrible—I’m not denying it. But Eric is gone and she will never, ever be able to make that right. I try to give her extra space when she’s a dreadful bitch.”

“Yes, but she has another son she’s driven away, too. If she wanted to change her ways, why isn’t she talking to Sammy?”

Tuesday wasn’t sure Sammy would hear it anyway. He’d done what Eric never could, which was to fully let go of their mother and adoptive father and live his life, surrounding himself with people who were positive. He’d come to the memorial but hadn’t stayed with the Heywoods; he’d stayed with Tuesday’s family instead.