“And I’m your inaugural reentry into the world of men and women?”

 She shrugged. “Time flies.”

 “So now we’re going to have to try to unlearn a few things, right?”

 “Like?”

 “Like having dinner out with someone of the opposite sex can be fun. Getting to know someone new is like... Well, making a new friend who has had experiences you haven’t had can be stimulating. I can tell you lots of things about police work if you’re interested, and you can tell me lots of things about...about...” He indicated her with his hand.

 “Cleaning house,” she supplied.

 “You clean houses?” he asked.

 “Sometimes, but mostly I own a company that provides housekeeping services and other stuff. I bet you’re fascinated.”

 He shook his head. “This is going to take longer than I thought,” he muttered.

 “What makes you such a know-it-all?” she asked. “Didn’t you say you’re divorced?”

 “That wasn’t my idea,” he pointed out. “But we parted on very good terms, attesting to the fact that I’m an extremely amiable guy with lots of patience and am very nonjudgmental.”

 “Then why’d you get divorced?”

 “Now, that’s a long story,” he said.

 Elbow braced on the table, she leaned her chin in her palm. “The service here is slow. Give me the bullet points.”

 He sighed. “My wife wasn’t cut out to be married... To a man...”

 “Huh?”

 He looked trapped. “She’s playing on the other team, okay?”

 “Are you serious?”

 “As a heart attack,” he said, making fast work of his beer.

 Riley started to laugh. She covered her mouth, but then she just couldn’t keep it in.

 “I’m sure you’re going to tell me what about that’s funny...”

 “Riley?”

 She jumped at the sound of her mother’s voice, tipping her wine over. She and Logan went after the spilled wine with their napkins. “Mom?” she said, looking up.

 June had changed clothes. At least some of them. She wore a crisp white shirt with her jeans, covered by a blazer. She’d fluffed up her hair and put on lipstick.

 “Mom?” Logan asked, sliding out of the booth.

 “Hello,” June said good-naturedly, smiling at him.

 “Mom, what are you doing here?”

 “I ordered some takeout,” she said.

 “But what about your meat loaf?”

 “I lost interest so I put it in the freezer. My goodness, Riley, when you said you couldn’t wait to get out of your panty hose, I had no idea—” She put out her hand to Logan. “I’m June Kerrigan.”

 “Pleasure to meet you. I’m Logan Danner. Would you like to join us?”

 “Not on your life,” she said with a laugh. “Have you two been seeing each other long?”

 He gave a short laugh and looked at his watch. “About fifteen minutes now, as a matter of fact, though we’ve bumped into each other at the grocery store and Starbucks a dozen or so times.”

 “Isn’t that nice,” June said. “We’ll visit more another time. I’m going to grab my dinner and head home. Have a nice time. Try to keep the drinks upright.”

 “Definitely,” Logan said. He waited for her to pass their table before sliding back into their booth. “Your elderly mother, I presume?”

 “She was a lot older last time I saw her,” Riley said.

 “This is going to be more fun than I thought,” he said, his smile very wide. “You’re going to need some training in dating...”

 “You sure you’re the one to do it?” she asked.

 “Oh, yeah. I’m the guy.”

    Chapter Eleven

 After Riley’s mother departed and Logan got her another glass of wine, the whole mood of the date lightened and they laughed together like old friends. Riley told him all about her family, how she came to Santa Rosa to live with her grandparents after her father’s death, her brother the schoolteacher, her mother—not elderly at all but very hip and cool and someone who’d helped her so much with her daughter, she couldn’t have survived without her.

 “What about Maddie’s dad?” he asked.

 “Oh, he’s around. He came by on Thanksgiving to see her. It was my mother and grandparents who got me through the pregnancy and early years and I really hated Jock for his negligence, but we were eighteen, for God’s sake. He was useless, his support was erratic and insufficient, but he was just a kid. Immature. He grew up over time.” Then she laughed. “Not a lot, but he did grow up. He’s good to Maddie. He loves her. He’s very proud of her.”

 “Does he still love you?” Logan asked.

 “He never really did,” she said with a laugh. “I’ve been over him a long, long time.”

 “What does he do?”

 “He’s a manager in a big electronics chain. You know the guy—short-sleeved dress shirt, bad tie, khaki pants, sort of athletic-looking and he watches over the nerds who help you find just the right phone or laptop or speakers. He’s very personable. Kind of perpetually happy. A little bit like a puppy. Now that I’m over being pissed off at what a lousy boyfriend he turned out to be, we get along all right. What about you and your ex?”