Ginger’s lips remain tightly closed while I give her a tour of my house. She nods when Makoa shows her his Power Rangers Halloween costume and then when Alani shows off her soccer trophies. Her gaze never finds me, instead focusing on whatever someone points out to her.

I finally gain her attention once we enter my small bedroom. Ginger looks around before glancing at me and laughing.

“What’s so funny?” I mutter.

“How do you stretch out?”

“Very carefully.”

Still smiling, Ginger follows the kids into the living room and past the kitchen where Mom quickly whips up the coleslaw she offers all guests. The kids introduce her to our indoor cats in the screened porch and then insist on tugging her outside to meet the outdoor cats.

“I don’t like cats,” Ginger whispers to me while the kids chase an indoor cat who escaped outside.

“Tough,” I say, wrapping my arm around her shoulders. “Life is full of hardships, and I come with cats and kids and an amazing mother.”

“She hates me.”

“Why would you say that?”

“She said the words before asking if I wanted a glass of water.”

“Oh, you heard that, huh?” I say and fight a smile. “Nothing personal.”

“Sure.”

“You were the one who threatened to shoot her.”

Ginger cocks an eyebrow as if ready to challenge me. “Does she know that?”

“No.”

“Well, that thing with the sniper was business. If I threaten her in the future, just know it’s personal.”

“Don’t threaten my mother.”

“Or what?”

I lean down, so our noses nearly touch. “Or I’ll find a way to piss you off.”

“Right because it’s been a struggle for you to come up with ways so far.”

Studying Ginger, I notice her watching my kids, and I’m dying to know what she’s thinking.

I end the suspense by asking, “What are you thinking?”

“You make pretty babies, Oz. They look so much like you too.”

“I wonder what ours will look like.”

Ginger immediately shakes her head. “I don’t want kids.”

“I’m a package deal with my kids.”

“I mean of my own.”

“You’ll change your mind. You have a tender, mommy side to you.”

“Or you’re a bully who thinks he’ll get his way with me just as he does with everyone else?” she says, reaching up on her tiptoes to give me an eye-to-eye glare.

“Why can’t it be both?”

Ginger rolls her eyes. “I should leave.”

“No. The kids want you to stay.”

“They’re busy playing with the cats.”

“Yes, but the second you try to leave, they’ll beg you to stay. That’s how kids work.”

“Do they like school?”

Smiling, I lean down and give her lips a quick kiss. “Look at how you care about them already.”

“Everyone cares about children.”

“No, they don’t.”

Feigning indifference, Ginger shrugs. “I’m curious about them. No need to piss yourself over a question or two.”

“Parents love talking about their kids.”

She fights a grin and rests her head against my chest. “So, do they like school?”

“Yeah, they’re lame that way.”

“I liked school sometimes. I liked having solid meals, and normal people to talk to. Learning was even fun, and a few teachers were cool.”

“What a fucking nerd,” I say and laugh at her expression. “How can Ginger Snaps be a teacher’s pet?”

“I’m a well-rounded person, dingus.”

“So is Alani. She’s good at school and sports. She makes friends easily and tries new foods without blinking an eye. The kid’s fearless.”

“What about Makoa?”

“He’s really good at math. They give him extra work because he learns it so fast. Not great at the rest of school. Just okay, but at math, he’s a little nerd.”

“Does he like sports?”

“Makoa likes skateboarding and playing with his friends. He doesn’t want to be bossed around and says the coaches only tell him what to do, so he doesn’t want to be on a team.”

“He sounds like his daddy.”

“Yeah. I see more of me in him than Alani. She reminds me more of her tutu. Tough as nails. Smart and loyal.”

“You have a real sweet family, Oz.”

“Thanks, Ginger,” I say, cupping her face. “Aren’t you relieved you swallowed your fears and dropped by? Nothing scary here.”

“True, unless I feared cats. Then I’d be in trouble.”

“Most of the cats aren’t ours.”

“At the Silver Swan, you said Tana wanted to move closer to the center of town. How many cats would you bring with you, if that happened?”

“Five,” I say and then remember how one of the outdoor cats weaseled his way into staying inside most days. “Probably six.”

“Don’t you rent?”

I get where Ginger is going with her line of questioning. Her concerns have been voiced many times to my mother. Landlords aren’t cool with so many pets. Though Rawlins isn’t a big enough place for landlords to be so picky, I’ve worried about finding anything decent when our family comes with a litter of clawed monsters.

“Yes, but I’ll figure it out,” I say, not wanting to discuss cats or rental issues.

Ginger grins at my annoyed tone. “Do I really have to eat the pineapple thing Tana’s making?”

“Every single bite.”

“I like you, Oz, but it’ll take some practice to accept you come with a family.”

“I feel the same way with your crew. Pepper threatens me every time we cross paths.”

“Just assume every one of the crew has a shitty backstory when it comes to men. It’s not personal.”

“Will they ever warm up to me or should I always prepare for daggers in my back?”

Ginger clearly enjoys my fake fear. “They’ll only hurt you if you threaten them. I know you won’t, so you should be fine. And, yes, they’ll warm up to you, but we’ve only lived in Rawlins for a few weeks. Once we’ve moved into the townhomes, and the town feels like home, you’ll be surprised by how mellow they can get.”

“Mellow, huh?”

“Well, for us,” she says, smiling at the thought of her friends. “Do you think your guys will ever stop making lewd comments?”

“Sure. Once they find women that’ll keep them on tight leashes. Until then, nothing will keep their tongues from wagging.”

“Well, you could keep them from being pigs to my crew.”

“Wouldn’t be good for morale,” I say, nearly laughing at the thought of me telling the guys to edit their mouths.

“Remember that whenever my crew mentions dissecting balls when your guys are around. I mean, I could tell them to stop, but, you know, it would be bad for morale.”

“If no balls are harmed, I don’t care what they say,” I murmur, kissing her forehead and wanting to go lower.

“You know, one day one of my girls might have a problem with one of your boys. What happens then? Well, besides my girls winning the fight and you putting together a memorial?”

“Weird how you can call your friends ‘girls’ and it doesn’t sound derogatory, but whenever you say, ‘boys’ for my guys, I feel like you’re insulting me.”

“Maybe a therapist could help you with that problem?”

Shoving my hand into her back pocket, I tug her against my body. “I’m glad you stopped by.”

“Me too.”

We look to my kids in unison, drawn by the sound of Alani’s laughter. Ginger smiles at the sight of Makoa trying to sweet-talk one of the cats into jumping down from the back shed. The way her blue eyes light up when watching my kids twists up my heart. Just fucking Ginger won’t satisfy me. Rather than girlfriend material, she’s the woman I plan to keep. I have no doubt that sooner or later she’ll submit to the reality of our connection and stop trying to escape what we both need.