She looked up and offered him a smile and half of her banana.
“No, thanks.” He stood, even though every muscle in his body begged him not to, grabbed a cup and helped himself to coffee. “I’m sorry I had to skip out on Mom’s party.”
“At least you showed up. I didn’t think you would.” She poured him a bowl of dry sounding flakes. “It meant the world to Mom that you came.”
Do I remind you of your mom? He recalled Cali asking him.
He didn’t want to discuss his mother. He settled back into his chair. A meow called from the door. Brit turned and Mama Cat was sitting on the threshold. Slowly, she edged out, until she stood beside his leg. Dipping her head down, she rubbed her face on his ankle.
“Look at that,” Susan said. “I’ve tried food, sweet talk. But no, I’m not good enough. You just like men, huh? Slut,” Susan said, pointing at the cat with her spoon.
“It’s just because I’ve been feeding her,” he said as his sister turned back to her cereal bowl. “What happened to donuts for breakfast?”
“Got to keep my girly figure.” She smiled at the cat. “Guess I like men, too.” She poured blue-looking skim milk into his bowl of flakes. “Five more pounds and I’m at goal weight.”
“You were fine the way you were.” The cat gave his leg another tap before disappearing back into the laundry room.
“I was fat the way I was,” she said. “But, thank you.”
“I’m really sorry for not being here this time. Between Keith’s case and Cali’s, I’ve been running in tight circles.”
“I like her.” Susan spooned a bite of banana and cereal into her mouth. The crunch filled the silence.
“Me, too.” For the life of him, he didn’t know where the relationship was going. Until Cali, the idea of a real relationship would have sent him running for cover. But now, he was still scared, but not so ready to run.
“Has Cali gotten up yet?” He deposited a bite of cardboard flakes floating in watered-down milk into his mouth.
Susan’s eyes widened. “She didn’t call you?”
“Call me?” He swallowed the bad feeling along with this sorry excuse for a breakfast.
“Yeah. She left first thing this morning.”
“Shit!” He sprang to his feet so fast he hit the table. The milk in his bowl sloshed over the edge. “You let her go?”
Susan dropped her spoon. “Let her? Oh, I didn’t know you were keeping her against her will. If you’d told me, I’d have handcuffed her to a doorknob.”
“I didn’t…” Tension curled up in his body.
“She called.” Susan took her spoon for a lap around her bowl. “She said she was with a friend. Said she planned to stay there.”
“Did she say it was Tanya?”
“She didn’t give a name.” Susan stood and grabbed a dish towel.
Brit grabbed his phone and started hitting buttons to find Tanya’s number.
“I don’t think she wants to talk to you.” She wiped his mess from the table.
He looked up. “She said that?”
“Not in so many words, but she apologized for skipping out and said she just needed to get away. Then she said she would call you later. And the way she said it sort of implied for you not to call her.”
He popped his phone closed. “Did she mention that her ex-boyfriend is a murderer and now he’s after her?”
“She told me some of it.” Susan dropped the towel in the sink. “But she also said she was safe. Do you think the boyfriend could find her at this friend’s place?”
He hadn’t thought it the other day, but right now, thinking took energy he didn’t have. He wanted Cali here. He needed her here. Pocketing his phone, he turned to leave.
“Brit?” Susan’s tone gave him pause, and he faced her.
“What?” he asked, annoyed and not hiding it.
“If she isn’t in any danger, maybe you should give her some space. She sounded, I don’t know, upset or something.”
“Well, then I’d best go and resolve things.”
“When a woman wants time to think, it’s best to leave her be. Let her call you when she’s ready.”
“I know you just want to help, but don’t. Butt out!” He started for the door.
Of course, Susan followed him. His sister never backed down from a fight. “Take a nap first. If you go there now you might make things worse.”
He couldn’t take a friggin’ nap. He needed Cali to sleep.
Susan stepped in front of him. “Get some rest. You’re grumpy, you’re tired, and you’re bound to mess something up when you talk to her.”
“Mess things up like Dad always messed up?” he asked, suddenly remembering Cali asking him some hard questions.
“I didn’t say that,” she snapped. “Good God, Brit! You’re nothing like him.”
“Then why did you talk to Cali about Mom?”
“I didn’t. I just said that you grew up wanting to protect women.”
He shook his head. “Look, Sis. I don’t like knowing that my partner is the guy trying to get in your pants. But I’m not butting into your love life, so get out of mine.”