“I do. Okay, I’ll think about it.”

“Good. Now, where would you like to eat? It’s the middle of the week, so we won’t need a reservation anywhere. What’s your favorite food?”

“Good Italian with lots of garlic bread. A nice crisp green salad with lots of onions. Cold frosty beer, and I’m a happy camper. But it has to be good sauce. Not that canned junk they doctor up.”

“Ah, a girl after my own heart. I need to take you home to meet my parents. That’s how I like my Italian, too. We’re going to stink, you know that, right?”

Cady laughed. “Who cares?”

“Not me, that’s for sure. Listen, do you have any decorating experience?”

“I think you need to be a little more specific.”

“I moved into this apartment, and it looks like I just moved in. Can you help me spruce it up? My mother’s house was always warm and comfortable. I can never seem to get that kind of a feel in an apartment. Can you help me out?”

“Is that the same as inviting me over to see your etchings?”

“Yeah, that, too. Am I that transparent?”

“Uh-huh. Okay, I’ll take a look and see what I can do. Green plants make a world of difference, but if you aren’t the watering type, you need to get silk ones. Then you just use a blow-dryer to blow off the dust. You need color. Your furniture isn’t leather, is it? Leather is never cozy or warm.”

“No. I’m a chocolate-brown person myself. All kinds of browns, if you know what I mean.”

“In other words, dull.”

“Dull’s good. Yeah, dull. I had this girlfriend who was into earth tones and everything natural. She was so neutral about everything it made me crazy. I guess her colorless decorating skills rubbed off on me.”

Cady felt a pang of jealousy hearing about the faceless, neutral woman who had been a part of Boomer’s life. She felt herself starting to withdraw the way she always did when a man said something she didn’t like. She gave herself a mental shake. That was the old Cady. The faceless, neutral girlfriend was gone. She laughed.

“Tell me something. How come you never got married?”

“Just never met the right woman, I guess. Maybe I’ve been waiting all these years for you and didn’t know it. I feel compelled to tell you I have a thing about women who climb trees in their underwear. How about you?”

Cady knew her face was turning three different shades of red. “In the beginning when I started college there wasn’t time for a serious relationship. Then as I got older and had even less time, maybe I was too picky. Then again, maybe I wanted bells and whistles. It didn’t happen.”

“Did I tell you I really like that dress you’re wearing? When you move, it slithers.”

Cady laughed again as she wiggled her eyebrows just for fun. Boomer burst out laughing.

The ice was broken. Cady leaned back and relaxed. Boomer did the same thing, almost on cue. She looked down at her watch. Seven-thirty. It was going to be a lovely evening. She could feel it in her bones.