Chapter 12

Claudia

"You have a profile page on Love Bites?"

Manrick glanced at Claudia as he tipped his longneck bottle up for a drink.

"Yeah." He shrugged her off because he didn't want to talk about it now. It was a little embarrassing to be his age and have to resort to a dating app. And infuriating since he had no desire to get back on the proverbial horse and ride again.

"I wanna see it."

"Nope."

"Seriously! Have you matched with anyone?"

Manrick sighed and rolled his head on his neck. He squeezed his eyes closed at the sound of his bones cracking.

"I did. Just to get Archer off my back."

"You did?" Claudia hooted with laughter. "Tell me! Who was she?"

"Some angel named Alli."

"And?"

"It was a blind date. She was nice. She's a librarian."

"And?"

"And nothing."

"Was she pretty?"

"What do I know about pretty?" he mumbled.

A gentle breeze picked up and tousled the flowers planted in front of Claudia's porch.

"Gonna see her again?"

"No."

"So, she wasn't pretty."

"She had long red hair. Nice blue eyes." Manrick shrugged. "Sure, I guess she was pretty. Guess that's not so much what matters to me."

"What does?"

"Nothing in common."

"She's a librarian. So she likes books."

"She reads how-to manuals. And religious texts."

"How-to manuals," Claudia repeated.

"Mm-hmm." He nodded. "And she doesn't drink alcohol. Won't eat spaghetti."

"Why not?"

"Against her religion."

"Spaghetti is?"

"Yep."

"Wow." Claudia laughed softly.

"She was very nice. I'd talk to her again. But, no, I don't want to date her."

"What's Archer's game with the dating app?"

"He wants me to find someone to have fun with. Double dates with him and Trixie."

"Well, that would be fun, though." Claudia stroked her dog Zilla's head absently.

"I let Trixie pick for me, but I think it's Julian's screw-up on the match."

"Who's Julian?"

"Archer's deceased friend's son. He's a mess."

"I have an account on Love Bites, too," she admitted.

"Spill it."

"Nope."

"You made me share the details."

Claudia snorted. "I asked you to. And you said no."

"Why would a woman like you need a dating app?" He nudged her shoulder with his.

"Define a woman like me."

"Pretty."

"What do you know about pretty?"

Manrick laughed. "You are, though. And you're fun. Adventurous."

"Used to be adventurous."

"Okay, you like the basics. You can't deny that. We drank to the basics."

"True." She grinned. "I don't want a big romance. I don't want a fleeting affair. I just…"

"Companionship."

"Yeah." She dragged her fingers back through her wavy hair and met his eyes. "Yeah. That's exactly it. Someone to talk to. Someone to hang out with."

"Why don't you want more?"

Claudia hesitated. She looked away, focusing on a chip in her toenail polish.

"I've had a lot of husbands, Manrick."

"So, maybe swing from the other side of the plate."

Surprised at his suggestion, Claudia peeked up at him. His lopsided smile made her laugh.

"Some people think I had something to do with the way some of them died."

Manrick rolled his eyes. "What? Like you're a Black Widow?"

She nodded.

"Nah. We're old, Claudia. Nothing suspicious about that."

"I just need someone to hang out with so I don't have to watch Funeral Feud with Mrs.—with Irene Funke all the time."

"Like what would you be doing now if I hadn't stopped by for a beer?"

"Watching Funeral Feud with Irene Funke."

"So maybe." He shrugged and cleared his throat. "Maybe we should delete our profiles on Love Bites and just hang out like this."

Bumblebees buzzed in her belly. She would know; she had swallowed more than her share in her prime, when she still hung out at the cemeteries for snacks.

"Are you asking me out, Manrick Allman?"

"If I am?"

She laughed softly. "You go first."

"I'm simply suggesting a solution to our problems. If we hang out, Archer will get off my back, and you won't have to watch Funeral Feud all the time."

Claudia swallowed the disappointment and nodded.

"Deal."

But before she could move, Manrick leaned closer and brushed his lips over hers.

"Or," he drew back only slightly, "we could see what happens."

"Yeah?" Her voice was breathy and soft.

"Claudia?"

"Hmm?"

"You swiped on my profile."

"What? How do you know? I didn't use my name."

Manrick leaned around her and looked at her dog, Zilla.

"I didn't either, but I recognize your dog from your profile picture."

She jerked her head around to look at Zilla. They had come full circle. Zilla getting excited to see Mrs. Funke and stepping on her phone and Mrs. Funke's love for Zilla had sent Claudia into the Diphone store where she had seen Manrick again after all these years.

And now, Manrick recognized Zilla from her picture.

"You didn't swipe back. We didn't match."

"I just met your dog," he reminded her. "And even though I thought your profile page was interesting, I had no desire to swipe on anyone on the app. Know why?"

"Why?" she whispered.

"Because I just wanted to hang out with you."