Page 154 of ClickBack

“Come with me.”

She leaves her hand on the laptop. “For the weekend?”

“For the weekend. Meet Mom. Let Von annoy you in person. See some of the city.”

“And the meetings?”

“You can skip those. I want you around afterward.”

Her expression changes slightly. “So you can tell me what happened?”

“So I can hear what you think, too.” I pull out a chair. “I’ve been down there to play and to see my brother. That’s different from thinking about where I’d live or what my days would look like. I want you there while I’m looking at it.”

She sits across from me. “I can visit a city with you. I can’t tell you which team is right.”

“I have Cam for that. And I know what I need on a court.”

“What do you need from me?”

I reach across the table. She puts her hand in mine.

“Your company. Whatever you notice that I miss. Somebody I actually want to have dinner with after people spend all day telling me what a great idea this is.”

“You want me to disagree with them?”

“I’m sure you’ll find something.”

She laughs. I turn her hand over and trace the crease across her palm. I want to tell her there is nobody else I can picture taking. I want to tell her I have already wondered which part of the city she might like, whether she would stand in a kitchen down there and complain about my cabinets the way she does here.

I haven’t asked her to solve any of that. I’m asking for three days.

“Let me look at Friday,” she says.

I release her hand so she can open her calendar. She moves one appointment, checks another, then asks what time we would leave. I send her the itinerary Cam gave me, including the meeting blocks and the return flight.

“I’ll need an hour to work Saturday morning.”

“You’ll have it.”

“And I want to know what your mother has planned before I pack.”

“Dinner Friday. Nothing formal.”

“Your version of nothing formal or hers?”

I pick up my phone. “I’ll ask.”

She smiles at me over the laptop. “Then yes.”

I go around the table and pull her chair away from it. She looks up, already laughing when I bend to kiss her.

“Trying to get me to change my mind?” she asks.

“Trying to get you out of this chair.”

“Give me five minutes.”

I let her finish the calendar. Then I take her upstairs.