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TALLY
If I’d thought that Jesse was just giving me a freebie so I’d keep the money, one look at the house made me second-guess that. It looked like someone had pictured themselves as one of those social media renovators, because they’d done the kitchen, and it was gorgeous. Sage green walls with a butcher-block countertop? Beautiful. Gold fixtures and a matte black sink bigger than my fridge? Magazine-level perfect.
But the rest of the place didn’t even have drywall. Obviously, someone had just decided to demolish everything all at once. Now, it was basically framing and studs with a roof. Even the master bedroom was just an empty shell, with an ensuite straight out of the seventies, which included mustard-colored tiles that had discolored to baby-poop brown.
It was way more than a slap of paint and some new carpet. According to Chet, the bank had foreclosed, and now it was on the market for basically nothing.
Sitting in Jesse’s living room, which had been done immaculately right down to the crown moldings by his own rough—and honestly, sexy as fuck—hands, I wondered what I’d even bring to the table.
Norton snuffled at my lap, and I went back to stroking his head. I hadn’t committed to anything yet, though Jesse had told the realtor to draw up the paperwork, so I assumed he was going to do it with or without me. And why wouldn’t he? His commute to work was twenty-three steps outside his door. If I agreed, my commute would literally be just out my bedroom door.
The baby kicked me—not wind, like I’d convinced myself it was for ages—and I rubbed my stomach. Norton whined and nuzzled closer, as if he knew I was pregnant. “You’re such a sweet boy, Norton.”
A big empty ache churned inside me at the thought of a career other than the one that I’d dreamed about, but that was life, right? You just had to roll with it, and that’s all there was to it.
“I’m in. You take the money back now.”
Jesse poked his head out from the kitchen, where he was getting pizzas out of the oven. He might have a beautiful kitchen, but apparently, neither of them knew how to cook. “You’re in?” I nodded, and a small smile curled his full lips. “Good.”
He disappeared back into the kitchen, while Hayes laughed from the recliner across from me. “I for sure thought you’d look at the place and think hell fucking no. I know I did.”
I shrugged. “I need to do something, especially once the baby comes, and this means I won’t have to find childcare while I work. You’d vouch for him, right?”
Hayes looked at me intently. “I trust Jesse with my life.” He leaned forward. “Once, when we were sixteen, my next-door neighbor fell and broke her hip. She was old as dirt, but she had twelve cats and refused to stay in the hospital if there was no one there to look after her pets. My parents promised to feed them, but Brenda said that wasn’t enough. They needed love and affection, and that if there wasn’t someone there, they’d pine and get sick. She loved those cats.”
He dropped his voice further. “Anyway, Jesse heard my parents argue about it once, and volunteered. He moved in next door the whole eight weeks that Brenda was in hospital. The cats hated him at first, and one day, they just accepted him. I couldn’t work it out, because those cats were skittish and only really liked Brenda. One day, I went over to peek through the window, and there was Jesse, dressed in Brenda’s nightgown and robe, petting those cats like he was a crazy cat lady. The gown was floor-length and floral, and had lace right up to the neck. Funniest shit I've ever seen.”
He laughed and sat back. “Brenda came home and lasted another year before she died. Jesse personally oversaw the rehoming of those cats. When I asked why he didn’t keep one for himself, he said it was because he was allergic.”
I leaned back on the couch, which Norton took as an invitation to climb all the way into my lap. Well, until Jesse returned to the room. “Norton, down,” he grumped, and the dog huffed a put-upon sigh and climbed down to lie at my feet instead.
I took in the huge, gruff guy, with the tattoos that spread down both arms, and even up his neck. He looked scary. He looked like a bad boy who meant nothing but heartache. But there was something about him, in the softness in his eyes, in his vibe, that just made me feel safe rather than fearful.
I was a strong believer in trusting my gut. It hadn’t led me wrong yet.
Telling Willy that I’d gone into partnership and moved in next door to a man I didn’t really know went down about as well as you’d imagine. He thought I was insane, but he didn’t really argue against it like I thought he would. Apparently, the two of them had bonded over my “disappearance.”
Besides, I’d laid it out to him and Colin in a very logical manner, as the business proposition it was. The amount the realtor believed we could get for a professionally finished home in the area, and what the projections were for the next few years. All very official.
I knew Willy was just happy to know that there’d be someone close by, that I was out of my one-room studio. He didn’t say so, though, even as he and Colin helped me pack everything up into two tiny suitcases a couple of days later. But I’d known him long enough that he didn’t even have to say a word. I could see it in the way his eyes skimmed the worn-down couch, the chipped countertops, the leaking tap in the bathroom. The fact there was no aircon.
I didn’t have the heart to tell him the place I was moving to didn’t even have walls, but at least I stood to make around eighty thousand after the new place sold.
If Willy was silent and brooding, Colin was the polar opposite, which was why they worked so well. Colin filled the empty air with conversation, talking about the baby and my appointments at the community health clinic, and gossiping about people who were on his diving team. The man loved gossip when he wasn’t involved.
I knew he’d keep my shit locked down, but he was more than happy to tell me how Clarissa and Melanie were fighting over the same piece-of-shit swimmer who was legit fucking half of the training center. Or about the two office interns he’d caught fucking at Willy’s work Christmas party. The man was an endless run of anecdotes. I loved it, and I loved him.
Finally, we loaded everything into Colin’s SUV—because the Porsche wasn’t made for moving anything but giant egos—and drove over to my new neighborhood. Jesse and I had worked out logistics and expectations yesterday, and I’d signed all the paperwork. Given that the place had been empty for so long, the city was happy to waive the normal cooling-off periods, so I could move in immediately. It worked out well, because my sublease had just come up again, and I could break it without penalty.
Lady Luck was handing me this olive branch, and I was going to take it with both hands.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come and stay at my parents’ place in Santa Barbara for the weekend? They’d love to have you,” Colin offered again as we pulled up in front of Jesse’s house.
I shook my head. “No, but thank you, though. Tell your parents I said hi, and your sisters.” The guys were on their way down the coast, but had postponed to ensure I had someone to help me pack my meager possessions. I was also fairly sure Willy just wanted to ensure where I was staying was safe, the big mother hen.
Hayes stepped out from Jesse’s house, coming over to shake the guys’ hands. “This is Will’s partner, Colin,” I introduced, as Hayes and Willy hefted my bags and walked toward the new house.
“Nice to meet you, Colin. Jesse’s just next door, making sure everything is set for you to move in. He had someone come in and put a security system in yesterday, so you’ll be safe here. It’s also got an alert button that’ll call us, and then 911, in case you need it.”
