Free It Must Be Magic by Jennifer Skully

silly. But let her think it was really expensive because it’s so unique. Women like it when they think you’ve spent a lot of money on them.”
    Did
she
like expensive gifts? “You know a lot about women.”
    She tapped her temple. “Hello! I
am
a woman.”
    “I know.” God, did he know.
    Just then, the cat, whom Tanner had forgotten, stretched up along Lili’s side, its sheathed claws reaching to the high point on her thigh. It was one damn long cat.
    Lili stroked its head. “I do not have a can of SPAM.” She glanced at Tanner. “Einstein’s got SPAM on the brain right now.”
    Tanner had things on his brain, too. Like carnivores and Bigfoot having her for dinner. Tanner wanted her for dessert.
    “Thanks for the flowers,” he said, backing away.
    “Let me know what your date thinks.”
    He hadn’t a single desire to go out on his date tonight. He didn’t want Anna. He had condoms in the glove box, and he knew he wasn’t going to even open the drugstore bag.
    Yesterday, going to see Lili had been about what he thought Erika did and didn’t need in her life. Twenty-four short hours later, it was about Lili and what
he
wanted from
her.
    He needed to get out of Lili’s backyard.
    “T HAT WAS WEIRD ,” Lili whispered to Einstein as Tanner pushed through the hedge wall.
    Actually, it was stimulating. Her heart raced in her chest and her toes tingled. Like the adrenaline rush of a bad fright. Or the moment Tanner had said he had a date.
    Not that she was jealous. Tanner wasn’t interested in a woman like her. She babbled too much and talked to animals. Not that she was interested in Tanner Rutland, either, no matter how deliciously tall, good-looking, loyal, commanding, blond or blue-eyed he was. He thought she was wacky. She’d had enough of that from men, enough of it from people in general. Lili patted her side as she moved up the stoop. Einstein followed.
    SPAM, SPAM, SPAM.
    “I told you I don’t have any SPAM.” Though Einstein might be talking about Lady Dreadlock and her spam mind-mail. What did it mean? Lili didn’t have an answer.
    She opened the kitchen door and was almost bowled over by the cat milieu. She should have fed them before she went out, but she’d been afraid it would get dark before she completed her mission. Rita sat down in the middle of the floor and yowled.
    “That is so undignified. Rita Hayworth would never make that noise.” With a leopard-spotted coat, Rita was the sleek personification of the movie star she’d named herself for. Except when she yowled.
    Lili started popping tops and scooping food onto plates. The cats attacked the food the minute she set it on the floor. No matter how intelligent animals were, they reverted to base instinct when they were hungry.
    “You know, I’ve got an idea,” Lili mused. “I promised Tanner
I
wouldn’t talk to Roscoe or Erika or Fluffy, but I didn’t promise
you
wouldn’t.”
    Einstein flashed the universal
stop
symbol even as she happily munched away.
    “I know it didn’t work before. But if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” Yeah, the idea was good. “Tonight we go see Fluffy in his house.” She shook her finger at Einstein. “Do not talk about emasculation or superior female intelligence.”
    She waited until Tanner backed his car out of the driveway next door, then a big Lincoln pulled in, the engine knocking and pinging for a few minutes after a trio of elderly men climbed from the car.
    Darn. Roscoe was having guests. But a good idea was one that couldn’t be ignored. Lili headed out.
    Erika answered the door. “Lili, I’m so glad you’re here.”
    Princess
emblazoned her fuchsia T-shirt, and pigtails secured her long blond tresses. But those dark circles under her eyes looked almost like purple bruises.
    “Is Fluffy okay?”
    Erika pulled Lili inside the front hall with a strength that belied her thin arms. “He was okay until Grandpa got out the card table, but he’s totally freaked