Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 80555 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80555 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
“Agreed.” As usual, my kid was delightfully dense. Getting along wasn’t my problem as much as keeping my hands to myself, but I certainly wasn’t confessing that to Diesel. “And the important thing is not to upset Maren or the baby.”
“I’m all right.” Maren approached us. She wore shorts and a T-shirt, and for the first time, I could tell she was pregnant due to the barest hint of a growing belly. “Breakfast was a no-go, but I’m here.” She took a deep breath as she studied the ruined house before us. “Where will you go?”
“Uh…” I struggled to explain my new arrangement, but Eric took over, clapping me on the shoulder like we were old buddies.
“Not far.” He even added a wide smile. “He’s nicely agreed to rent the carriage house.”
“That’s wonderful.” Maren echoed Eric’s warm smile as she gestured at the four of us. “We’ll all be roommates. And family.”
There was absolutely nothing familial about how I wanted Eric. And roommates? I hadn’t had one of those in years. But I didn’t have a ton of options, so I nodded, working hard to summon some enthusiasm.
“It’ll be great.”
Chapter Twelve
Eric
The heatwave was in full swing, and our afternoon call to a car accident off I-84 had been brutal, with the bright sun heating the asphalt and no shade in sight. The injuries were relatively minor, but the temperature was no joke. Back at the station, I rushed through my final report and the change of shift meeting in order to hit the showers for a quick rinse before heading out.
“You seem in a hurry to get home.” Sean was also coming off a shift, and the six p.m. sun greeted us with as much unrelenting heat as earlier in the day. The town would cool off some closer to sunset, but at this point in the summer, that meant waiting till eight or nine for relief.
“It’s a chaotic weekend ahead.” I had two full days off, not that I expected to get much rest. “John and Wren are back in town. Diesel and Maren are moving into the basement, Magnus is moving into the carriage house, and various friends are stopping by with furniture and help tomorrow.”
Magnus had spent the last two nights in the guest room, but I’d been on duty for much of it, so I’d been able to avoid thinking about what the heck I was getting into by renting him the carriage house. Yes, I was a good friend and always eager to help, but the offer had sprung from my lips with zero input from my brain and with far more enthusiasm than common sense.
“You can include us in helping.” Sean matched my strides as we approached our vehicles. “My sisters are sending some baby stuff for Maren and Diesel. I’ll bring it by tomorrow. We’re leaving the bed in the loft for Magnus. It’s super comfortable. You should check it out.”
“Sean…” I groaned as I pulled out my key fob.
Sean held up both hands. “You didn’t have to rent to the guy.”
“Yeah, I kind of did.” I used the most rational, reasonable tone I could muster. “I couldn’t let Maren’s new father-in-law flounder for a place. He has two big dogs and no clue how long he’ll need a lease while dealing with the headache of insurance red tape. This was the obvious solution.”
“So obvious.” Sean’s grin hadn’t dipped one iota despite my explanation. “So selfless of you. So much easier to sneakily—”
“Which is not happening.” I unlocked my truck with a firm click.
“Keep telling yourself that.” Sean’s laugh echoed in my ears the whole drive home.
Once home, though, chaos was an excellent distraction from worries over what I was getting into with Magnus. I arrived intending to immediately start dinner, but I nearly collided with John as I approached the back door.
“Scotty and I got invited to dinner at Elliot’s.” He plucked the car keys from my grasp. “We’ll probably stay over.”
“Nice to see you.” My voice was dry, but John’s determination to skedaddle didn’t waver.
“Thanks.” He kept glancing toward the SUV. “You’re off tomorrow, right?”
“Yep. How’s that savings account of yours? We seriously need to look into getting you your own vehicle.”
“Already on it.” He grinned wide enough to reveal all three of his dimples. “I’m trying to get Denver to sell me his old truck. I’d like something that could haul more friends, but a truck is handy too.”
“He and Sean are coming over tomorrow if you’re back by then. Maybe we can talk about a deal.” If nothing else, I had no shortage of uses for the rent Magnus and Maren and Diesel had agreed to pay.
“I’ll try.” Another grin, and John, along with my car, were gone. In the kitchen, Wren had already started dinner. A casserole bubbled in the oven, leaving the kitchen a high holy mess.