Leaving Normal, Stef Holm [ebook reader screen .TXT] 📗

was anything wrong with sex. He liked it, missed it. But he was looking for more than that. Couldn't exactly explain why. Maybe because he could have sex so easily, he knew how empty it could be. He was tired of being empty, he wanted more. Wanted to feel full and have some kind of promise in his future.

He could have had plenty of dates with women whom he met through his job. Paramedics and nurses, even some female cops he crossed paths with on calls.

He thought about Alisa, the nurse from Swallow Hill who would date him in a heartbeat. She wasn't for him, and besides, he didn't want to get involved with anyone affecting his job. When he was off duty, he wanted to be off duty and not talk shop or compare notes.

That left the bars and he wasn't into the Boise bar scene, although he and Rocky and gone out to a few, but no one had peaked his interest. A hoseman on C Shift suggested Internet dating, but Tony wasn't thrilled about that—seemed like too much of a shopping market for the opposite sex. He'd rather meet someone when he was least expecting it. Find her where he wouldn't think of looking and let whatever happen, happened between them.

Natalie's voice intruded on his reflections. "I didn't think you'd like country music. You seem rock and roll to me."

"I love country music. Just not the twangy stuff. Travis Tritt, Montgomery Gentry, Big and Rich— they're some of the best."

"I like Montgomery Gentry, too. He's a good singer."

Tony laughed, slanted a smile at Natalie. "Montgomery Gentry is two people."

"It is? I thought it was one guy."

"Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry. They sing about life to the marrow—to the bones." Tony thumped his hands on the steering wheel in a mock salute. Then he patted Parker's knee. "Get out the CD that sings the bad word."

Parker's eyes lit up and she scrambled to find the case. She got it and stuck it into the CD player. She knew which track it was and the duo of Montgomery Gentry came through the speakers, Parker singing along and getting giggly when it came to the refrain of "Hell yeah!" She put a lot of spunk into it and he didn't mind she was swearing because it wasn't really swearing, it was singing.

Natalie got into it and the three of them sang some badass lyrics on the way to get some pizza.

Once at Chuck E. Cheese's, Natalie and Tony sat at a table while Parker happily ate up all the quarters Tony gave her. He sipped on a cola, watching Natalie look around the restaurant with a lightness in her eyes.

"I remember these days. They were fun times," she remarked, her gaze traveling to the arcade area and the hippo slam. "I never beat that darn thing."

Sitting back in his chair, Tony folded his arms across his chest. "I love Parker, get a kick out of her having fun but, one day, I'm bringing my son or daughter here and I'm going to make the same good memories."

Natalie met his eyes, grew thoughtful. "You want children."

"Absolutely."

A far-off expression caught on her face, and she grew quiet a long moment. "You're going to be a great dad."

"If I have a son, I want to play baseball with him."

"What if you have a daughter?"

"I think I'd be okay with that because I work around so many guys, I do a lot of guy things with firefighters.

Kind of like a mentor thing for the new recruits. So, yeah, I'd be more than okay with a daughter."

"Kids are wonderful, no question." Absently, she toyed with her straw wrapper, rolling the thin paper between her fingers. "I wouldn't trade a minute with my Cassie, even though we had some disagreements in high school that tested our patience with one another. She's the light of my life and I miss her terribly."

"I can understand that. I miss having Parker around. I don't see her as much as I used to, and there's going to come a day when I probably won't see her much at all. But for now, I like to take her out for lunch. She likes it, too."

"Is she adjusting okay?"

"I think so. I hope so."

"It's never easy on a child for its parents to live apart. Cassie was sixteen when Greg and I got our divorce. It was difficult for her, it still is. I sometimes wish that he and I…" The thought trailed and she didn't finish it. "It's not that I want to be married to him again. I don't. I just wish that it wasn't so hard for my daughter at times. I can tell she's gone through some changes since going to college. She just doesn't seem as, I don't know—innocent anymore."

"Parker's six and she's grown up a lot in the past months."

"I can see how that would happen."

Tony grew quiet a moment, looking at Natalie and wondering. He saw a very beautiful woman; someone with naturally nice features and a great smile. She held herself well. He asked, "Are you dating anyone?"

With very little hesitation, she replied, "No."

"Why not?" It wasn't his business, but he wanted to know. She had the option of not telling him.

She inhaled, thought a moment. "I live a full life. I'm finally at a place where I'm happy with it. When Cassie moved out, I never really had that panicky feeling of an empty nest. Of course I miss her, but I have such a vast horizon at my disposal." The sparkle in her eyes gave her a youthful appearance. "Eventually, when things calm down with Hat and Garden I want to travel. Ever since I saw the movie, Under the Tuscan Sun, I've wanted to go to Tuscany, Italy. To see the fields of wildflowers, smell the salt of the ocean and explore the villas. The whole idea of going just speaks to me."

"It sounds really great," he said, sincerely meaning his