Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 101466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 507(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 507(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
I was annoyed, but I wasn’t stupid. I took the container. “Good night, Casey.”
“Good night.”
Ignoring the hurt look on her face, I shut the door and headed back to the kitchen. I popped the container in the microwave, the scent of tomato sauce and spices filling the air.
I poured some water and sat down, taking a bite. The hot cheese and pasta were delicious. A little spicy, flavorful, and garlicky. I ate steadily, practically licking out the container. Part of me wanted to go knock and ask if she had more. But I decided not to.
I headed upstairs, picking up the cat and ignoring Miller’s hurt look as I carried Barney downstairs. I opened the door, shooing him to his own side, then shut everything again without saying anything to Casey.
I poured myself another scotch and sat on the sofa, resting my head back on the cushions. Miller came downstairs and jumped up beside me, resting his great head on my lap. I absently stroked his silky fur, letting myself relax and wind down. It had been a busy, eventful day.
The wind chimes, building—and Casey, my pain-in-the-ass tenant/break-and-enter artist.
The entire event went through my head. The crashing, the yelping, her bursting through the door.
Her breasts, my reaction. Her comments.
The Dark Knight rises.
Suddenly, I was laughing. I had to grab a pillow to muffle my shouts of amusement. I laughed so hard, tears sprang to my eyes, and I had to wipe them away. From the moment she’d arrived, she’d turned my world upside down. I never knew what to expect with her. What chaos she’d cause next.
Keep an open mind, Lou had asked me.
I was pretty certain not even Lou would know how to handle her Pixie now that she was grown up.
I wiped my eyes again and finished my scotch. I glanced at the door, tempted to go and talk to Casey. Let her know I wasn’t angry. But we had to set boundaries.
Except I started to laugh again and knew I needed to wait.
I refused to encourage her. Up until now, everything had happened by accident. If she thought it amused me, God only knew what she’d do.
I wasn’t sure I would survive it.
I woke up early the next morning and got ready for the day. I headed out, meeting Mark for breakfast at the local diner.
I slid into the booth, accepting coffee from Shannon, our regular waitress. “The usual for you two?”
We said yes, and she headed to the kitchen. Mark and I exchanged greetings, and I asked after Linda.
“She’s good.” He grinned. “Cal had a few stories about you.”
I rolled my eyes. “A misunderstanding.”
“He said you were rather protective of your little tenant.”
I shrugged, taking a sip of coffee to buy myself some time. “I promised Lou I’d look after her.”
“She met him and Lori and a group of their friends the other night at Dusty’s.”
Dusty’s was the local bar. Decent food, cold beer, and always filled with locals.
“Oh, she didn’t mention it.”
“Cal said one of his friends liked her. Thought she was cool. And she agreed to meet them Saturday for karaoke.”
I had to tamp down my reaction.
Casey was going on a date? With a friend of Cal’s?
My gut churned at the thought.
I took another sip of coffee, this one bitter in my mouth.
“I hope she has fun,” I muttered.
Breakfast came, and it took everything in me to eat it. It tasted like ash. Mark and I talked about the station, a project he wanted to build at his place he wanted my help with, and we chatted about the new probie.
“Wet behind the ears,” I said, pushing my plate away. “But decent.”
“He’s got a good attitude,” Mark agreed. “Wants to learn.”
“He’s on our rotation next. We should work with him. I had a veteran take me on when I first started. Taught me a lot,” I mused, thinking back to when I first became a firefighter. “His lessons probably helped save my life more than once.”
Mark drained his coffee. “Good idea. We’ll stay busy too.” He stretched. “Any plans today?”
“Cleaning a closet,” I murmured. “And Casey needs help—she moved that old armoire, and now it’s on rollers and she can’t get them off since the piece is tight to the walls.”
“How the hell did she move that thing? We tried.”
“She got some furniture lifters.” I shook my head. “She didn’t like where it sat, so she moved it.”
“Stubborn.”
“You have no idea.”
“You like her,” he stated.
“She’s nice.”
He leaned forward. “You like her.”
I met his eyes. “She’s great. But I don’t do relationships. Especially with someone living that close.”
He grinned. “Who said it had to be a relationship? Friends with benefits, or neighbors with benefits, can work. You said she only planned on being here a year or so.”
Hearing him say that out loud bothered me. Why, I wasn’t sure. My life would be a lot quieter once Casey moved on.