I flipped the phone shut and stared at it.

“I think Tex and Mom are on the weirdest date in the history of the world.”

Eddie put down the remote, took the phone out of my hand, slid it on the coffee table next to the remote and then put his hands under my pits and dragged me across the couch, twisting me so I was pul ed over his lap. He pushed me back and he slid out from under me, to his side and came up on his elbow. He rol ed me to my side at the same time he leaned forward, pressing into me, grabbed the remote, his eyes went back to the TV and, with his arm stil around me, he started flipping through channels again.

It was a complicated maneuver but he pul ed it off effortlessly and completely ignored my comment.

I twisted my head around to look at him.

“Eddie, did you hear me? I think something’s happening between Mom and Tex.”

Eddie’s eyes didn’t move from the TV.

“Good. Gettin’ some would improve Tex’s disposition and I figure it’s been awhile for your Mom too.” Eek!

“You did not just say that,” I said.

Eddie found a basebal game and tossed the remote on the table. He looked down at me. “She’s a woman, she’s pretty. He’s a man, he’s gonna notice.”

“He’s not a man, he’s a crazy person. He’s got a shotgun and I think he has grenades.”

“From what I hear, tear gas too,” Eddie’s eyes went back to the TV.

That was it.

I pushed away and got up.

“That’s it, we’re going over… oof!”

Eddie tagged me around the middle, pul ed me back on the sofa and rol ed over me.

“You got enough to worry about, Chiquita. You don’t have to make shit up.”

My eyes widened.

“I’m not making shit up!”

His eyes got warm, his eyelids lowered, his hands started roaming and I had other things to worry about. His mouth started roaming with his hands and I stopped worrying altogether.

“This works out, Tex’l be your stepdad,” Eddie said against my neck, his hand going under my shirt.

I thought about that. It actual y wasn’t a bad thought. Tex was a nut but he was a good guy.

“He’d be a good stepdad,” I said into Eddie’s ear and I slid my hands in his shirt.

Eddie looked down at me.

“Shit works out in weird ways.” He touched his lips to mine then he lifted his head and said, “Two months ago, I couldn’t get you to look at me, now you’re livin’ with me.”

“Temporarily,” I said.

“Whatever, just as long as I get to make you sweet on a routine basis, I don’t give a f**k.”

My breath caught.

The doorbel rang.

“Pizza time!” I said a little loudly, considering his face was less than an inch away.

Eddie’s eyes lit, he smiled and then he kissed me, the smile stil on his face (I could feel it), making the pizza guy wait. Then he angled up and left me panting on the couch and thinking that, just as long as Eddie kissed me like that on a routine basis, I didn’t want anything to do with temporarily.

* * * * *

We both took off our boots and settled in for the night. We ate the pizza, Eddie drank a couple of beers and, as I’d already had over my alcohol quota for the day (and had to be prepared for whatever the evening would bring), I drank Diet Coke. We watched a game for awhile; me up against Eddie’s side with my bare feet tucked under me on the couch, Eddie’s feet were on the table.

It felt good. It felt nice. It felt so good and so nice that I could get used to it. I knew I shouldn’t but I decided just to go with it… for now.

It was when Eddie was clearing away the pizza box that my mobile rang.

It was Indy.

“Don’t talk, just listen,” she said.

Oh no. Here we go.

“Okay,” I replied.

“At around ten, Al y’s gonna come to the door. Eddie’l answer. You be in the bedroom. Leave a note for Eddie and crawl out the bedroom window. You don’t need anything, just your purse and you. We’ve got everything else covered.”

Dear Lord. This did not sound like a good escape plan.

In fact, it sounded like a terrible, amateur escape plan that Eddie would total y figure out.

I heard Eddie walk back in the room.

I looked at the time on the DVD player. It was just after nine.

“Do you understand?” Indy asked.

“Yep,” I said.

“Ten o’clock, bedroom window. See you then.”

“Sure,” I said.

She disconnected, I flipped the phone shut and put it on the coffee table.

“Everything okay?” Eddie asked.

“Yeah,” I lied, trying not to hyperventilate.

“You sure?” Eddie was standing by the couch.

I looked up and gave him a bright, false smile.

“Sure I’m sure,” I lied again.

He took one look at my face, his brows drew together and I was pretty certain he was going to tel me I was ful of shit again.

I needed a reason to be in the bedroom in less than an hour.

I’d always been a good girl, I’d never been grounded, I’d never had a reason to be sneaky. I wasn’t out of practice, I’d never been in practice.

I stood up and did the best I could.

“I’m going to bed,” I announced.

Eddie looked toward the bedroom, then back to me, then his eyes narrowed under his drawn brows.

“‘Night,” I said and walked right by him into the bedroom.

I yanked my pajamas out of my bag. They had a stretchy, peach eyelet camisole and lightweight cotton drawstring pants. They were cute. I bought them for myself for Christmas last year but hardly ever wore them. I figured they were thin enough, I could put my clothes back on over them in a flash.

I was focusing on my pajamas and practicing deep breathing when Eddie walked in.

I headed to the bathroom.

“You don’t have to come to bed, you can finish watching the game,” I told him, making to walk by him but he grabbed my pajamas and threw them so they landed on my bag.

I stopped and watched them fal .

“I was going to put those on,” I said.

His arms slid around me, his face was closed and he was watching me.

was watching me.

I held my breath.

Final y, he said, “Bed sounds good.”

Damn.

He walked me backwards, his hands coming under my tshirt and then up and then it was gone.

Hmm, this didn’t seem to be going to plan. If I couldn’t pul off the first part of it, how was I going to manage the last?