Irresistible

“You should go. It’s magic.”

“So you said.”

“Eat, honey,” Elissa urged, feeling a little guilty for trapping Walker into dinner.

“Okay.” Zoe took a bite of her spaghetti. She chewed, then looked at Walker again. “Do you have any pets? We want to get a dog, but we’re not home very much. Mommy says a dog needs a lot of attention. We could get a cat….” Her voice trailed off.

“We’re not really cat people,” Elissa told him. “I know their independence is supposed to be noble and all that, but if I’m buying the food, I want a little gratitude from my animals.”

“I’m scared of the claws,” Zoe whispered.

“A girl in her class got scratched up pretty badly. She’d been teasing the cat, so it was sort of her fault,” Elissa said. “But it looked awful and it had to hurt. How’s dinner?”

He paused in the act of tearing off a piece of garlic bread. “Good.”

He seemed to be inhaling his food. She wanted to tease him about going for the land speed record in eating, but knew that wasn’t fair. She’d put him in an uncomfortable situation. Not a great way to thank him, despite what she’d said earlier.

Why had she messed with the status quo? Why him? Why now?

“I’m sorry,” she said, aware of Zoe listening. “For, well, you know. I shouldn’t have done it.”

“Why did you?”

“I don’t know. I thought it would be nice. I thought we could be friends.”

Zoe stared at him. “Don’t you like Mommy?”

What had been charming a few seconds ago suddenly became uncomfortable. She regretted allowing Zoe to guilt him into staying for dinner. “Zoe, don’t ask questions like that. Walker has been very good to us and to Mrs. Ford. We’re grateful for that, but we don’t want to keep him too long.”