The floorboards were grimy and warped. The mattress was a hard no. And the table looked like it would collapse under the weight of anything heavier than lunch – a damn shame, considering that its surface was actually clean.
I'd cleaned the table myself, using plenty of elbow grease and wipes that I'd purchased from the lone grocery store on Main Street. Those wipes, along with a single bag of potato chips, had nearly busted my daily food budget, but hey, a guy had to do what a guy had to do.
And me? I'd had to create at least one space where I could set down a sandwich without the table eating it first.
In the end, I kept the duffel in the corner where I'd originally dropped it and opened it wide to check out the goods. I knelt beside it and started digging.
I found socks, tees, and a six-pack of boxer briefs, all in the right size. Digging deeper, I found a paperback I'd actually wanted to read, a phone charger, two bottles of water, a second bath towel, a wash cloth, an old baseball cap, and holy hell – was that my favorite hoodie?
Not bad.
I kept digging and felt my fingers close on something hard. I yanked it out and almost laughed out loud. It was a new bike lock, still in the package.
Call me impressed.Turns out, Ryder had done his homework.
I also found a circular tin and popped the lid to find a scented candle – the girly kind, pink and floral.
No lighter.
Still, I couldn't help but smile.Asshole.My smile widened when I found a thin, but oversized beach towel emblazoned with palm trees and the words,Island Life. Between this and the bonus bath towel, things were finally looking up.
As far as packing, Ryder had done a decent job. Still, I had to give himsomegrief. I pulled out my cell and sent him a text.What, no lighter?
He replied with a question mark.
I texted back, "The duffel. One candle. No lighter."On impulse, I added,"Asshole."
His reply came a few moments later. "I'll tell her you said so."
Her?I frowned in confusion before sending another text of my own. "Who?"
He replied,"The bag packer."
I was still trying to make sense of it when my phone buzzed with a followup."What, you thought I packed it?"
Now I was really confused."You didn't?"
This time, his response was instant. "LOL."
I still didn't get it."WTF does that mean?"
"It wasn't me. It was your housekeeper."
Marianne?I hadn't seen her. But of course, it's not like she came in every day. And shenevercame in at night. I replied with a single word."Bull."
"No bull. Had to pay her extra to come in after hours."
I was still digesting this when my phone buzzed again."You owe me."
Not the wayIsaw it."How do you figure?"
"I had two choices. The housekeeper or…"
It was several beats before he sent another text to complete the thought."Your mom."
I almost dropped the phone.What the fuck?My mom didn't even live in the city. She lived an hour out. But location aside, the last thing I wanted was Mom packing my bags. Don't get me wrong. I loved her like crazy, but I was about twenty years too old to have a parent picking out my clothes.
And Ryder wasn't done texting."You're welcome."
