2. Sinclair

Seeing Matt brought back a lot of great old memories. I was pretty happy that Jayne seemed to like him so much. It would have been awkward otherwise. He'd obviously been smart enough to realize that the way to endear yourself to a pregnant woman was, at least partially, with food.

At the moment, Jayne was sitting on one of the cream-colored leather sofas in the living room, happily eating a big bowl of ice cream. She'd already had a slice of king cake, a praline, and a small custard tart from the bakery box of goodies.

Matt had been impressed with her appetite, but the truth was, he'd only had a glimpse of what Jayne could eat. If he was around her when she was actually hungry, he'd never be the same.

She gestured with her spoon to the room around her. "Your house is really beautiful, Matt. I expected it to look very different inside. More like the outside, you know? Filled with antiques and chairs you can't sit on."

With a grin, he nodded. "A lot of people do. The house is a lot of upkeep, but there's all kinds of history in this place. I don't mind living in a house that's over two hundred years old so long as the inside works with a more modern lifestyle."

"But it isn't super modern," Jayne said. "It looks like a mix of things."

"That's because it is," Matt agreed. His phone vibrated. He glanced at the screen before continuing. "A little mid-century, a little Art Deco, a little that's brand new. And the occasional truly antique piece. But I can't take credit for it. I hired an interior designer. If it was left up to me, this room would have a couple of big recliners and a ninety-inch flat-screen."

I could so picture that. Matt's room in high school had been mostly band posters, girls in bikinis posters, a gaming console, and a cool gaming chair. Everything else had been an afterthought. "Hiring the designer was the right way to go."

Matt's gaze shifted toward the floor, and he smiled. "Hey, there he is. Meet my roommate, Slim." He patted the couch. "Come here, boy."

An enormous black and brown tabby strolled into the living room, tail aloft like a flag. He jumped up onto the coffee table, looked around at me and Jayne, then meowed loudly at Matt.

Jayne chuckled. "I love him already. He's so handsome! And bossy!"

Amused, Matt shook his head. "I'm pretty sure he thinks that if I'm still up, there's no reason I can't feed him again."

"Sounds like every cat I've ever met," I said. Spider and Sugar rarely missed an opportunity to eat.

Matt went into the kitchen, grabbed a package of treats, and gave Slim a small handful of them on the coffee table. His phone buzzed again, but he ignored it as he sat down. "There you go. Try to be sociable, will you? We have guests." He set the packet on the couch beside him, then sat back. "He's spoiled rotten, and I take the blame. When I first found him, he was a skinny mess. I wasn't sure he'd make it, so I indulged him. Whatever he'd eat, he got. A bad habit that I've never broken."

I shook my head. "You're not going to get grief about that from either of us."

"I appreciate that," Matt said. Slim finished his treats and jumped to the couch next to Matt, where he flopped down on the cushion beside Matt, using his leg as a pillow. "He's great company. It probably sounds lame, but I really miss him when I'm away."

"Not lame at all." Jayne smiled. "We're lucky we get to take our cats with us in the RV."

"Yeah," Matt said. "You are." He ruffled Slim's fur. "Too bad you can't come with me when I go places, huh?"

Jayne put her bowl on the table. "Well, Slim is a very handsome boy, and there's nothing wrong with being spoiled. I'm so glad you were able to rescue him." She inched forward. "Do you have a bathroom I can use? Babies and bladders don't mix."

"Sure." Matt pointed. "There's a powder room off the foyer. Second door on the left. Door should be open."

"Thanks." She heaved herself off the couch and went toward the foyer.

"I'm glad you called, Matt," I said. "It really has been too long."

"I agree," Matt said. "I wish I could have made the wedding, but I'd just landed that client in Munich, and I would have lost the deal if I'd canceled my trip. Sad excuse, I know. But I would still like to see the North Pole someday."

"You'll get the chance, I promise. We're headed that way after our visit here so Jayne can have the baby up there. After he's born, we'll spend a few months there at least. My parents will be coming up. No reason you couldn't visit, too."

"You let me know when's a good time and I'm there." Again, his phone buzzed. He looked at the screen, then put it down, shaking his head. "Sorry. Sometimes I hate this thing, but I can't ignore the important stuff."

"It's all right. I understand."

"Give me a second." He picked up the phone and started tapping away.

I glanced at the colorful painting over the fireplace. The style looked familiar. It reminded me of an artist whose work I'd seen at a gallery Jayne and I had visited a few stops ago. I nodded at the beautiful young blond woman in sunglasses. Once he set the phone down, I asked, "Is that a Babski?"

"It is. It's from a gallery here in town. My designer helped me acquire it. Too much?"

"No, I love it. It's a great piece. You're obviously doing well for yourself. You must be really happy."

Matt shrugged. "I'm doing all right. The money's nice, don't get me wrong, but seeing you two makes me realize that there is a lot more to life than filling my bank account. I want that in my life. A wife. Kids. I envy you. Jayne is something else. I wasn't kidding when I said you'd married up."

I laughed. "Yeah, I did. Listen, I'm sorry about Isla, but you're a great guy. I'd think most women would look at you as a real catch."

"Yeah, maybe."

"Was your traveling the only reason you and Isla didn't work out?"

With a sigh, Matt scratched Slim's head. "Basically. She wanted me to spend more time with her. That was sweet, but she was starting to get a little clingy, too. In a way that felt like a red flag. But I do travel a lot. It's something I might need to change if I'm ever going to have a serious relationship."

"Can you change it?"

"Somewhat. I mean, it's my company. But when clients spend the kind of money we're talking about, they want to meet me. I don't blame them. But something's got to give. If I keep living this way, I'm going to die alone."

I wasn't sure his situation was that dire, but I felt for my friend. "Any chance you can get Isla back?"

"I don't really want to." He stared at Slim. "It's fine. It was never going to work anyway. She was a little allergic to cats. Enough that she got sniffly if she was here too long. And she has a dog."

Jayne returned. "Who has a dog?"

"Isla," Matt answered. "A dog that she claimed did not get along with cats."

Jayne made a face. "Not a great match for you and Slim then."

"Nope," Matt said.

"In other news," Jayne said, "your purple bathroom is really cool."

Matt smiled again. "Thanks. I wasn't so sure about it, but the designer said powder rooms are the place to make a statement. She was right. I get more compliments on that bathroom than just about any other room in the house."

She took her seat on the couch, smiling at Slim, who'd turned upside down and was now kneading the air. "Look at that sweet baby. He's a doll."

"Darling, love of my life, we already have two cats," I said in my gentlest tone. "And a baby on the way."

She shot me an amused look. "I know. We have a full house that's about to get fuller. Not saying I want another cat, just that Slim is adorable."

"Yes, he is," I agreed. I shifted my attention back to Matt. "With all the travel you do, who looks after Slim?"

"I have a great pet sitter. Charlotte Frett. Frett's Pets," Matt said with a laugh. "She's a nice woman about my age who loves animals, and the pet sitting is her whole business. She's really great. She actually spends time with Slim when she watches him. Plays with him, stuff like that. Slim loves her. Don't you, boy?" He spread his hand out on Slim's belly, giving the cat a gentle shake.

"That's fantastic." Jayne yawned. I knew she was tired. "We should call it a night. I still need to set the RV up and open the slides."

"You guys must be beat from all that driving," Matt said, extricating himself from Slim to get up. "How about breakfast tomorrow morning? I know some great spots."

"I'm in," Jayne said. She pushed to her feet.

I got up too late to give her a hand. I resolved to do better. "Sounds good. I'll text you when we're up and moving."

"I'm an early riser," Matt said. "But I have plenty of work to keep me busy if you want to sleep in. Anytime you're ready is good for me."

"Great. Really good to be here," I said.

"Yeah." Matt nodded. "You guys are just what I needed." He walked us to the door. "See you in the morning."

"You bet," Jayne said, punctuating her words with another yawn as she headed down the steps. "Thanks for all the goodies. That ice cream was fantastic. It all was."

"You're welcome." Matt watched us until we reached the RV. I turned and waved, then he went back inside, already looking at his phone again.

That was the price of being successful, I supposed.

Back in the RV, I pushed all the buttons to open the slides on the RV, which expanded the interior space. Thankfully, Matt's driveway allowed for that. Jayne went straight to the bathroom, then got into her nightshirt and finished her evening ritual. She talked to me while taking off her makeup and brushing her teeth. "Matt's a nice guy. I really like him. And not just because he had pastries and ice cream. I can see why you're such good friends."

"We had a lot of great times when we were kids. When he first found out about my supernatural side, he wasn't the least bit freaked out by it. He just thought it was cool." I changed into my pajamas as well. "I wish I knew a nice woman to introduce him to. He seems lonely."

"He just broke up with his girlfriend. He's going to need a little time to get over that, don't you think? Although he didn't really seem that upset by it." She stuck her head out to look at me. "How could he date someone who was allergic to cats? That would have been a dealbreaker for me."

"Maybe he didn't know right away?" I shook my head. "Anyway, tomorrow will be fun. Breakfast, then maybe some sightseeing. What do you think?"

"I'm up for anything." She came out of the bathroom, still rubbing moisturizer into her face. "Are you coming to bed or staying up?"

"I was thinking I'd read for a while. If the light won't bother you?"

"I'm so tired, nothing will keep me awake." She climbed under the covers on her side.

"Okay. I'm going to close all the blinds, then I'll be back." I went around the RV, shutting the blinds to make the RV as dark as possible and give us privacy. Even though the Garden District was a residential area, there were plenty of tourists around, drawn by the beautiful houses and history of the district.

When I got back to the bedroom, Jayne was already asleep. Spider was tucked behind her knees, cleaning himself. Sugar was sitting at the foot of the bed, looking very much like she was waiting on me.

"Hi, baby," I said softly. I patted my chest, then held out my hands. Sugar jumped into my arms. I snuggled her, giving her a kiss on the top of her head. She purred and shoved her head under my chin, making me laugh.

I really did not want to disturb Jayne, so, still holding Sugar, I got my tablet and went to the couch in the lounge area of the RV. I got myself situated, then the cat lay down on my chest. I had to balance the tablet on top of her, not the easiest, but I made do.

After about twenty minutes, Sugar jumped down and I figured I should go to bed myself. Jayne would be soundly asleep by now, and there'd be little chance I'd wake her. Before going in, I peeked out through the blinds.

Seemed like half of the landscape lighting around Matt's house had gone dark. Maybe they were on a timer. I glanced toward the street. A few cars passed. People always called New York the city that never slept, but that could easily apply to New Orleans, too.

Except right now, sleeping was all I wanted to do.