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“Shit,” he muttered.

“What was that?” she asked.

He was watching her strangely, almost as though he’d never seen her before.

“Nothing, just never thought watching someone eat pizza could be so...umm...you got any beer?”

“Oh no, I’m sorry. I don’t drink beer.” She felt bad for some stupid reason. It wasn’t like she’d known he was coming around.

“Don’t be sorry. I should have brought some with me.”

“I’ve got pop, milk and water.”

He stood with a nod and entered the kitchen, when he returned, he had one glass of water and one of milk. He set the milk in front of her.

“What’s this?”

“Milk.”

“I know that its milk, but I don’t drink it.”

He raised both eyebrows. “Then what do you do with it?”

She blushed. “I use it with cereal. I don’t drink it out of a glass.”

“It’s good for you,” was all he said. As though that meant she should change her mind about liking the taste.

“I’ll just go get some pop.” She scooted forward.

“Stay there. That crap will rot your teeth, drink your milk.”

“You sound like my nana.” Whoops. Why did she say that? She nearly thunked herself on the forehead with her hand. No man wanted to be compared to someone’s nana for God’s sake.

“I do? She sounds like a smart woman.”

“She was.”

“It’s been a couple of years since she passed, hasn’t it?” There was sympathy in his voice that stupidly made the end of her nose sting as she fought to push back tears.

It had been, but she was surprised he knew that. “Yes, just over two years.”

She stared down at the half-eaten slice of pizza in her hand and suddenly didn’t feel so hungry.

“You lived here with her?”

“Yeah, my mom disappeared when I was a kid. Just up and left. She was there in the morning then when Max and I got home from school she was gone.”

“Max is your brother, yeah? He’s younger than you?”

“Two years younger. He hasn’t lived in Wishingbone for a while. He moves around a lot.”

“You’re not close?”

“Not really. He pops in when he’s in town.” Usually to wheedle or steal what money he could from her. That knot in her stomach tightened further.

“Did you ever discover what happened to your mom?” he asked.

“No, I never knew what happened to her. At the time, I didn’t think much of it, she wasn’t the best mother in the world. She tended to spend most of her time getting drunk and hanging out with her friends. She went through men like they were candy. I’m not even sure who my dad is.”