“A friend of my boss owns it. It was vacant and he’s letting me stay here until he can hire a property management company to take over renting it out.”
“It’s so cute,” she says. “But you should get some decorations.”
“Decorations?” I snort. “Like, flowers?”
She laughs. “No, I mean pumpkins. You know, something for Halloween.”
I glance around the neighborhood. I’ll bet a lot of kids will knock that night; maybe I can talk Lucy into staying until then and helping me pass out candy.
“Can we go inside and eat?” she asks and is up on the porch before I can respond.
I hold our takeout dinner in one hand and unlock the door with the other. Thank goodness I spotted the taco truck; I almost forgot I didn’t have enough food here for a meal.
“I’ve always wanted a bungalow like this,” Lucy tells me as she walks in.
“You have?” I set the food on the kitchen table, then turn to her.
Her hair had been pulled back in a bun, but now it was down and a bit messy. I can’t stop myself and I reach out and move a few hairs off her face. Every time we touch, I want more. But I need to go slow and not scare her off, so I take a step back.
She swallows. “Yes. What did you think I’d want, a mansion like the one I was raised in?”
“Well, kind of, yeah.”
She pulls the containers of food out of the bag and sets one in front of me as she scoffs. “No, never. Yes, it was big, but it was so cold. I wasn’t allowed to touch anything because everything was breakable and expensive. It was all for show. I want a home like this, so when I walk in, I feel comfort and love.”
I take in the surroundings, trying to see them through her eyes. There are several plants that certainly add a homey feeling to the place. The couch is probably the most comfortable I’d ever been on. Plus, it’s royal blue, which I just find cool. There’s nothing expensive or breakable in the room.
“What kind of home do you want?” she asks.
Home. I haven’t had a home in years. After I got out of the service, I stayed with my friend Thunder. We’d served on some missions together and became good friends. He introduced me to his boss, Hawthorne, and we hit it off right away. Hawthorne introduced me to his partner Reed, and the next thing I knew, I was hired on as the newest member of Reed Hawthorne Security. The guys were welcoming and even though I love that job, my apartment in Brooklyn only has a couch, a TV, a bed, and enough kitchenware to get me by. I’ve certainly never considered it permanent or made it into a home.
“I don’t know. I guess I haven’t really thought about it,” I admit. “But I do like this place. It’s comfortable.” I take a bite of my taco.
Damn, these are good.
“Thank you for bringing me here, I really appreciate your help. I’ll try not to overstay my welcome.”
“Please, take all the time you need.” The longer she stays, the better my odds are of talking her into a date. “But I’m curious, will it bother your boyfriend that you are staying with me?”
Please say that guy in the button-down is not your boyfriend. It’s been bothering me since I saw him.
She sets down her taco. “My boyfriend?”
“Yeah, the guy who came to your office last week.”
Her lips curve up. “Ted? He’s not my boyfriend. I’m pretty sure he’s way more into you than me.”
“Oh.”
He’s not her boyfriend?Hell yeah.
“You’re single, then?” I can’t hide my grin.
“I am.” She eyes me skeptically. “Shouldn’t you have asked that before you asked for a second chance?”
I shrug. “Probably. But I was nervous and blurted out what I want.”
“Oh.” Her cheeks turn a lovely shade of pink, but I’m not sure what to read into it.
