“To be fair, she’d just found out I had a date with her cousin the next day,” Zed said. “And Dani’s not crazy, at all. I don’t think. Most of the time that comes out in the first couple of conversations.”

Bael pointed to his face. “Unimpressed.”

“So, to change the subject to something only slightly less awkward,” Jillian interjected. “Uh, what’s going on with your mama and my honorary father figure?”

“What do you mean?” Zed asked.

“You haven’t noticed that Clarisse has been spending an awful lot of time with Mel?” Jillian prompted. “At night? Alone?”

Zed scoffed. “That doesn’t mean anything.”

“She made him boudin and spatzel for dinner the other night.”

“Aw, shit, she does like him,” Zed sighed.

“And then they watched The Bridges of Madison County,” Jillian added.

Zed gasped. “That’s like The Notebook for old people!”

Zed remembered what happened the last time he and Pam Beulieu watched The Notebook together. And he gagged. He was not prepared for his maman to date. He knew she’d been alone since his Papa died, when Zed was just a cub. And he knew she deserved love and companionship more than anyone on Earth. He just didn’t want to think about his mom being a sexual creature. In his mind, when she and Mel said goodnight, she pushed him out the door and went to bed alone on a mattress made of angel feathers.

“Your bear shifter mom is dating my river frogman dad,” said Jillian. “It sounds like a bad sitcom set-up. How do you feel about that?”

Zed shuddered. “I don’t know. I mean, if she’s interested in him, he must be pretty great. And instead of threatening to bury his body somewhere in the swamp, I should probably respect her feelings and try to make things as easy as possible on both of them. I should get to know him and give him a fair chance and make him feel welcome in my loving family. Damn it.”

“Being a grown-up sucks, huh?” said Jillian.

“It really does. And on that depressing note, I bid y’all good day.”

Bael called over his shoulder. “Hey, Zed, remember all the shit you gave me about mooning over Jillian? Payback’s a bitch.”

Zed boomed, “Fuck you, Bael!”

And because his neighbors were used to this sort of exchange, none of them batted an eyelash—except of course for Bathtilda Boone, who poked her gray head out of her office and snapped at Zed, “Watch your mouth in my establishment, Mr. Mayor!”

Zed approached the counter as Siobhan slid Dani’s pie in front of her with a side of thick-cut bacon. He crossed the dining room, barely stopping for the people who called greetings out to him. He sat at the counter seat on Dani’s left.

“I’ll have a piece of blueberry, Miss Siobhan,” Zed called.