“Ireland?”
“Yeah?”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Me either,” I said honestly, then peeked one eye open, keeping it on his face, but it didn’t matter. He’d put a shirt on, and the towel was wrapped around his waist, so I opened both eyes. “Are you okay now?”
“No,” he said gruffly. “And probably won’t ever be again.”
I nodded, sympathizing with that.
“Want your glasses?” I asked, spotting them on the bathroom vanity a few feet away.
“No. I really don’t.”
“Want me to leave?”
“If you would be so kind.” His hair was even darker and messier wet, and beads of water dripped down his face and onto his shirt. He frowned as he felt it, looking at his shoulder, and then at mine, frowning at the wet spot there.
Then his gaze traveled lower down my body, his eyes widening.
Mine followed, and I looked down at myself.
A noise of distress left me, and that’s what finally got me to flee. To turn and bolt back to my bedroom like I should’ve done in the first place.
I slammed the door shut and locked the knob, then jangled it to test it wouldn’t open.
I thought these were the kind of doors that could lock from both sides, but that didn’t matter. Because apparently, I was the one to watch in this house.Iwas the problem.
And I wasn’t wearing any fucking pants.
I allowed myself precisely seventeen seconds to wallow in horror.
Maybe there was a practical solution for what had just happened. Underdressed? Put on clothes. See your new roommate naked? Get him… new pants?
I shook the stupid notion away and cautiously opened my bedroom door, peeking outside to find the hallway quiet and empty.
New, fresh horror washed over me when I realized it was morning.
I grabbed my phone and nearly doubled over in panic. I’d slept through my evening alarm and my morning one, having fallen asleep full of soup. Taking a deep breath, I called Zinnia House to check that Dad was fine. Once the nurse reassured me that he was by answering all my probing questions, I canceled the alarms I’d missed and found a voicemail from Miss Lenny.
I’d never missed an alarm. Ever since I read about how important routine was for Alzheimer’s management, I’d made sure my role in Dad’s life was predictable, down to a science.
Until now.
I opened the voicemail from Miss Lenny, hoping it would be a good distraction. Maybe she needed me to house-sit for the rest of the summer.
“Ireland, dear, it’s Lenny. Right now, it’s Friday, the fourth of May, and 8:17 in the evening. I’m calling to let you know that me and the girls dropped off welcome baskets this afternoon. I didn’t know at the time that you were also my new neighbor, or else I would’ve included more things specific to you. I will remedy this soon.”Miss Lenny’s recorded voice huffed in annoyance as I walked into the kitchen and found the baskets. “A terribly handsome young man answered the door, Wilbur’s boy—he remembered meeting me before, of course. He assured me he would unpackthe groceries properly. He seems a man of his word and has quite an… honorable quality to him, don’t you think?”She paused, and I almost smiled at Lenny’s assessment of Adair.“I also suspect he’s hiding some powerful thighs under those clothes, but I fear he may have an issue with his right growing larger than his left, considering how long he has been favoring his right. I’ve already made myself a note to ask my trainer to write up a plan for him to correct this.”I snorted as I sifted through the baskets, finding all kinds of snacks, soaps, and other house things like sticky notes, a few pens, and even some Live Oak merch. “Anyway, dear, we’ve been notified that Professor Liem is doing a special paint and sip for Cinco and will be at the Locc. I’ve already called Jillie to secure my spot. I am thrilled his classes are starting back, the poor dear, especially after what happened with Gilbert. Such a shame.”She sighed again, and my gut twisted at the first reminder of the day. “Trish, bless her heart—and I mean that, she had a triple bypass, you know—always tries to reserve a spot for herself for all of Professor Liem’s classes even though she knows it is first come, first served, as all good things in life are. Anyway, I?—
The message cut off abruptly. She must’ve hung up by accident. That, or the mailbox reached its recording limit.
I tossed my phone onto the counter and opened the fridge, where I found all the basics. Milk, butter, cheese, eggs, jars of homemade jelly….
Lenny was all fierce sweetness behind those boobs.
Adair hadn’t appeared yet, but I tried not to think about that as I workshopped my apology.
When Dad and I got into heated arguments, one of our traditions for apologizing was making elaborate breakfast spreads for the other. All it took to soothe any bad vibes between us was a waffle with extra vanilla and whipped cream or a hashbrown bowl with all the toppings.
