between them. “Maybe a little. But so are you."
She grinned at him and helped herself to a slice.
"Where do you usually play?” he asked.
She swallowed her food. “Sometimes at Double Dan's. My roommates like that place. As a kid, we had a pool table at home. My brothers used to have tournaments all the time."
"What was that like, growing up with three brothers?"
She grimaced. “It was hell. They teased me and beat me up all the time. I was afraid to bring guys home because they'd do the same to them. But I held my own with them. I had to be tough, but my parents tried to make me ‘girly’ by forcing me to take ballet and tap dance and musical theater."
He grinned. “Tap dance? That I'd like to see."
"When hell freezes over,” she said, also with a smile.
"So tell me about your brothers."
She told him about her three older brothers, Tanner, Brett and Liam, all now working for her dad's investigation firm. Then he prompted her to talk about her dad. “That must have been cool as a kid,” he commented. “Having a dad who's a P.I."
"Well, I don't know if I'd say it was cool ,” she replied slowly. She took a small sip of beer. “It wasn't very cool watching my parents’ marriage disintegrate because he was never there."
"Oh."
She shrugged. “So many times we'd have plans to do something—a family birthday or a school concert—and at the last minute he'd get a call and have to work. I hated it, actually."
"Being self-employed is like that.” He watched shadows flicker in her eyes.
"Nobody should work that much,” she said firmly. “Actually, he was having an affair. That's what finally ended their marriage."
Zach felt his mouth drop open in surprise. “Really?"
She shrugged. “I don't talk to my dad about it, but that's what my mom told me."
"So your parents are divorced?"
"Yeah. It was just made final about a year ago."
"That sucks.” He thought of his own parents, married thirty-five years and still crazy about each other.
One corner of her mouth lifted. “Yeah. I still feel bad for my mom."
"But you work for your dad."
"Sometimes.” Her lashes fluttered down, creating feathery shadows on her cheeks. “He and I get along okay, but I don't know if I'll ever forgive him for what he did."
Zach blew out a breath. This was a downer. “So what do you think of your brothers following in his footsteps?"
She lifted a shoulder. “It's their choice,” she said. “I just hope when—or should I say if —they get married, they get their priorities straight."
"And you? You plan to work for your dad when you graduate?"
She lowered her eyes. “No way! I just ... uh ... help with some computer forensics. I guess I did inherit some of that investigation mentality. But I'm applying for jobs at computer security companies."
He raised his brows with surprise. “Why not work for your dad?"
"I want something more nine-to-five,” she answered determinedly. “I want a life. I may never get married, but I do have interests apart from computers. And if I do have a family, it won't be fair not to make them the priority."
"Why won't you get married?"
"I don't believe in marriage."
Huh ? “Just because your parents split up?"
She shook her head, but didn't look at him. “Not just that. I've seen stuff ... well, never mind."
"Wait. How do you plan to have a family if you don't get married?"
"Please,” she said, giving him a pointed look. “You don't need to be married to have a baby."
He stared at her. “That's true,” he agreed. “I guess I'm kind of traditional that way."
She smiled at him. “Well, everyone's different."
"So what are those interests you have other than computers? How do you spend your time when you're not working or going to school?"
"I like hanging out with my friends. Playing video games. Rollerblading, going to baseball games. You know I like pool. How about a rematch?” She tipped her head to the pool table.
He slid out of the booth and held a hand out
She grinned at him and helped herself to a slice.
"Where do you usually play?” he asked.
She swallowed her food. “Sometimes at Double Dan's. My roommates like that place. As a kid, we had a pool table at home. My brothers used to have tournaments all the time."
"What was that like, growing up with three brothers?"
She grimaced. “It was hell. They teased me and beat me up all the time. I was afraid to bring guys home because they'd do the same to them. But I held my own with them. I had to be tough, but my parents tried to make me ‘girly’ by forcing me to take ballet and tap dance and musical theater."
He grinned. “Tap dance? That I'd like to see."
"When hell freezes over,” she said, also with a smile.
"So tell me about your brothers."
She told him about her three older brothers, Tanner, Brett and Liam, all now working for her dad's investigation firm. Then he prompted her to talk about her dad. “That must have been cool as a kid,” he commented. “Having a dad who's a P.I."
"Well, I don't know if I'd say it was cool ,” she replied slowly. She took a small sip of beer. “It wasn't very cool watching my parents’ marriage disintegrate because he was never there."
"Oh."
She shrugged. “So many times we'd have plans to do something—a family birthday or a school concert—and at the last minute he'd get a call and have to work. I hated it, actually."
"Being self-employed is like that.” He watched shadows flicker in her eyes.
"Nobody should work that much,” she said firmly. “Actually, he was having an affair. That's what finally ended their marriage."
Zach felt his mouth drop open in surprise. “Really?"
She shrugged. “I don't talk to my dad about it, but that's what my mom told me."
"So your parents are divorced?"
"Yeah. It was just made final about a year ago."
"That sucks.” He thought of his own parents, married thirty-five years and still crazy about each other.
One corner of her mouth lifted. “Yeah. I still feel bad for my mom."
"But you work for your dad."
"Sometimes.” Her lashes fluttered down, creating feathery shadows on her cheeks. “He and I get along okay, but I don't know if I'll ever forgive him for what he did."
Zach blew out a breath. This was a downer. “So what do you think of your brothers following in his footsteps?"
She lifted a shoulder. “It's their choice,” she said. “I just hope when—or should I say if —they get married, they get their priorities straight."
"And you? You plan to work for your dad when you graduate?"
She lowered her eyes. “No way! I just ... uh ... help with some computer forensics. I guess I did inherit some of that investigation mentality. But I'm applying for jobs at computer security companies."
He raised his brows with surprise. “Why not work for your dad?"
"I want something more nine-to-five,” she answered determinedly. “I want a life. I may never get married, but I do have interests apart from computers. And if I do have a family, it won't be fair not to make them the priority."
"Why won't you get married?"
"I don't believe in marriage."
Huh ? “Just because your parents split up?"
She shook her head, but didn't look at him. “Not just that. I've seen stuff ... well, never mind."
"Wait. How do you plan to have a family if you don't get married?"
"Please,” she said, giving him a pointed look. “You don't need to be married to have a baby."
He stared at her. “That's true,” he agreed. “I guess I'm kind of traditional that way."
She smiled at him. “Well, everyone's different."
"So what are those interests you have other than computers? How do you spend your time when you're not working or going to school?"
"I like hanging out with my friends. Playing video games. Rollerblading, going to baseball games. You know I like pool. How about a rematch?” She tipped her head to the pool table.
He slid out of the booth and held a hand out
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