“That’s Professor McKnight to you.” She gave him a look that caused him to smile. “Kris, I’m not budging, so let’s find some place that delivers all-night Thai or Chinese or Italian food, then call it a night. Either that, or you can come back to my aunt’s house that I’m renovating and we can share a sleeping bag.”

She stared at him incredulously. “Are you joking?”

“You think someone broke in to your apartment,” he reminded her, reaching for his cell phone. “So what is it going to be? Pad Thai? General Tsao’s chicken? Mushroom and sausage pizza?”

“I can’t do mushrooms.”

One side of his mouth lifted. “I know.”

Kristi felt a traitorous glow of warmth that he remembered her aversion to mushrooms, which ticked her off to no end. “I guess…pizza…”

“What kind?”

“I don’t know.”

He got up from the chair. “Figure it out while I go get your bike.”

“My—bike?”

“Your dad asked me to bring it up. Knew you needed it and didn’t want to show up here and be accused of invading your privacy or being overly protective or whatever. It’s none of my business what goes on between you two, but, yeah, I did bring the bike. It could get stolen in the truck. I’ll bring it inside.”

“Great.” Kristi’s tone reflected her ambivalence.

“How about a combination, sans mushrooms?” Jay was already messing around with his cell phone, searching for a restaurant. As he headed outside, she could hear him ordering. A few moments later he returned with the bike. He slammed the door behind him, and Houdini, who had been hiding beneath the bed, finally made himself known by growling low at Bruno. The dog, still coiled into a sleeping position, barely raised his head.

“Another voice heard from,” Jay remarked as he propped the bike against the wall near the bathroom door.

Houdini wasn’t finished. Hissing, showing off his teeth, his back arching, he suddenly shot across the room, a black streak hurtling himself onto the daybed. Then he sprang to the mantel and from there picked his way to the bookcase.

“Is that cat always in a bad mood?” Jay asked.

“Yes.”

Bruno couldn’t have cared less. He let out a sigh and let his chin fall into his outstretched front legs.

Houdini suddenly scurried across the shelf, sending a picture of Kristi tumbling to the floor, where the frame shattered and the glass broke. Frightened out of his mind, he sprang from the shelf, flew across the floor, hopped effortlessly onto the counter, slipped through the partially open window, and was gone.

“Friendly,” Jay observed dryly.

“He’s getting better.”

“Uh-huh.”

“He is.” She picked up the broken pieces and tried to prop them up on the shelf, which was several feet above her head.

“Let me help you.”

“I can get it.”