Tattoos that wouldn’t completely come off.
Zoey wasn’t a girlfriend or an ex though. She was a friend, a constant in his life. She was different.
He opened his mouth to say yes, to assure her, then stopped. Was he really ready for her to be under the same roof if he couldn’t focus while riding on the same boat?
He rocked back on the bar stool, thinking, holding her curious gaze. Maybe this was his answer of how to help her out without feeling guilty over the whole tour thing. He could spend more time on that, focus in during the day, only see Zoey in the evenings, when he didn’t need to concentrate.
Yeah. This would be fine—so long as he kept all those errant thoughts like this one at bay.
He relaxed. “Like I always said, you have a room here as long as you need.” He’d never had long-term company before. But if it had to be someone, might as well be Zoey. She knew him the best of everyone in Magnolia Bay, and the fact she’d finally accepted his offer was nice.
Not that he was lonely, exactly.
“It won’t be for long.” Zoey dumped the fresh grounds into the filter, talking faster than usual—even for her. Maybe she didn’t need the coffee. “I’m sorry to just show up like this, but I really don’t know where else to go.”
He squinted.
“I just feel like a burden everywhere, you know? Rosalyn’s house is so fancy, I wore my shoes in the living room once, and now I’m pretty sure I’m on the blacklist with their housekeeper.” She started the coffee pot, jiggled the carafe into place. “And Mama D talks all night like an endless slumber party. Trish snores so bad I can hear her through the walls from the futon…which is sort of like sleeping on a lead pipe.”
The coffee pot gurgled, as if trying to keep up with her spill. Linc rubbed his eyes.
Lot of words for six a.m.
“Sadie let me crash a night but then had to take care of her sister after that, which was fine because I think I’m allergic to her cat.” Zoey talked faster, staring into the dark liquid brewing. “And Miley offered to let me stay with her, but I couldn’t tell if she was serious, and honestly, she’s kind of scary, even if she is a comedian now.”
So Linc had been a last resort. Which he figured, but it still stung a little. Did she evenwantto do this? He hesitated. “Zoey, maybe?—”
“It really is okay to stay here, right?” She turned a pleading gaze on him, and his heart twisted. “I won’t bother you.”
He fought to hide a smile. “Yes, you will.”
She shoved her fingers into her hair and winced. “No more than usual, anyway.”
He snorted. “I told you it’s fine, and it’s fine. As long as you’re comfortable with it.”
“It’ll just be for a few days, week tops. That check is coming, any minute now.” She snapped her fingers. “Then we’re back in business, baby.”
“Right.” Somehow he doubted it was going to happen that quickly. He leaned forward, rested his arms on the island. “There’re a few ground rules we should probably go over, then.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh. Sure, yeah. I mean, it’s your house.”
Starting to feel more like a home by the minute, with her there. He cleared his throat. “First one being, don’t you dare make me eat more porridge cookies.”
Her lips twitched. “That’s fair, I guess.”
“Use the kitchen, if you want, but I’m only your guinea pig for the good stuff.”
“Done. What else?”
“No noise after midnight or before six a.m.”
She held up both hands. “For the record, today I knocked at six-thirty-two.”
“Cutting it close.”
“Rules are rules.” She grinned. “What else?”
“Clean up after yourself. I hate dirty dishes.”
