All the Sauce (IceCats 4)

I laugh as I look at something green and bushy. Really, everything is green, but I think this is an outdoor plant. Is she into those? “Some people know how to keep them alive.”

He shakes his head. “I couldn’t risk it. This shit is too expensive for the chance of death.”

“How do you feel about dogs?”

He gives me a wide-eyed look. “I want a dog.”

“But you adopt one, pay the fees, and it dies. Then what?”

“I cry and die inside.”

“That’s how people feel about plants,” I explain, looking at this really pretty plant with huge leaves. “Wow, this one is amazing.”

He makes a face, looking right at the price as I stroke its leaves. They have these awesome openings in them and are huge. “And it’s fifty bucks.”

“But look at its leaves. They’re all big and cool-looking.”

He leans in, reading the tag. “It’s a Monstera,” he says, drawing out the syllables of the word.

“I love it,” I say, running my fingers along the leaves. “I think Angie will too.”

He shrugs. “Hopefully she keeps it alive for fifty bucks.”

I scoff and stop a lady as she walks by. “Hey, my girlfriend likes plants. Do you think she’ll like this?”

She smiles at me; she’s older with shiny gray hair and kind brown eyes. “Everyone loves Monsteras. They’re extremely popular.”

I nod. “I wonder if she has one.”

“You can never have too many Monsteras. They’re God’s miracle.”

“God would literally have to come down and hand me this plant for me to pay fifty bucks,” Dart says then, and I give him a hard look.

“I will pay you fifty bucks to shut up,” I throw back at him before grinning at the lady. “I’ll take it.”

She beams happily and takes fifteen minutes to find me the “best-looking one.” When she walks away, Dart says, “Bet your girlfriend will love it.”

I don’t acknowledge him, but damn, I sure hope she does.

I haven’t been in the mental health facility since Evan left.

I kinda hate it. As I walk through, I carry a protein bar and an iced coffee in my hand for Angie. She doesn’t get off for another three hours, and I wanted to make sure she ate. I might be overstepping and she might think it’s overkill, but in a way, I don’t care. I miss her, but with how skittish she is, I wonder if this was the right move. Well, no backing out now. As I walk through the place, I really do love the look of it. It’s more a hangout than a medical facility, and I appreciate that. I know it makes people feel welcome. It sure makes me feel welcome, and I’m lucky enough not to suffer mental illness.

When I reach her office, she’s behind her desk, hard at work. Her hair is down today, and I hadn’t realized how long it is. She has naturally curly hair, so it’s all wild and flowing, while her bangs are straight across her forehead. She’s wearing a pair of dark-red glasses today, which intrigues me as to how many pairs she actually has. Her scrubs are black, and damn if she isn’t pretty. She’s losing weight, especially from her face. It’s nowhere near sunken-in like it was when we were younger, but it is narrower.

Thankfully, her cheeks are still plump and adorable.

I head toward her, but before I can reach her, Dr. Tembalt stops me. “Evan, I wasn’t expecting you today! How are you?”

I chuckle. “Hey, I’m not Evan. It’s Owen.”

He grasps my shoulder. “Oh! Sorry! Now that you say it, I thought maybe you just put on some weight. You’re much bigger than your brother.”

“I do outweigh him. He’s more the smarts, while I’m the brawn.”

He grins. “I wouldn’t want to get mixed up with either of you in a dark alley.” We share a laugh, and when I look at Angie, her eyes are wide as this little kitten grin sits on her lips. “What can I help you with?”

“I’m here to see Angie,” I say, angling my head toward her. “Brought her some fuel.”

He looks back at Angie, smiling. “Hmm, interesting choice of fuel. I didn’t know you two knew each other like that.”

“We actually grew up together,” Angie says, standing up.

Oh, we’re going with that? I agree since I don’t want to embarrass her, and Dr. Tembalt grins at us. “Awesome. Lucky you both have each other with being so far from home.”

We both agree, and then he is pulled away.

My lips curve as I close the distance to her. There’s still some space between us, but we’re close enough I can feel the heat coming off her curvy body. Her lips press together, though her eyes are dancing with mine. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

“I told you I wanted to see you,” I say, handing her the coffee and protein bar. “These are my favorite protein bars. I hope you like them. I got you Dunkin’ since you’re still boycotting Starbucks.”