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At the top of the staircase Grace glanced down below and the view was stunning. She could see into the living room which was beautifully decorated. It was masculine and comfortable, but also very appealing.
Jace chuckled. "I hired a designer when I bought this place. It had been empty for some time and wasn't in the greatest condition. I hired Quinn to do all the construction work. The designer worked with Quinn to get everything looking as it does. I hire a cleaning lady once a week to come in and clean everything and a gardener to keep the grounds mowed and the landscaping cleaned up. I don't want snakes or anything slithery living in there."
"I don't blame you," she said.
Jace turned right at the top of the stairs and opened a door. "This is your room. You're all welcome here as long as you want to stay. I'm not here much. I have weird sleeping patterns since my time in the military and don't sleep more than four or five hours at a clip."
Sid nodded. "I get that. And we thank you."
"How bad was the damage?"
Sid looked into her eyes a moment, then at Jace. "Two broken windows. They used bricks, not sure where they found them. But they hurled them through the windows. I happened to be looking outside when the second one happened, but I didn't actually see them throw it. I heard them laughing, then they heard Chiefy barking and stopped to look at my place. I hope they don't try something there."
"I have security by the bar, but not the bungalows. But that will change tomorrow. Those guys have been ripping up the town. I've finally found a nice little place I enjoy, and those assholes are trying to take over."
Grace nodded. "The police officer I spoke with told me their hands are tied. They can't really do anything about them unless they actually do something illegal or, like you did last night, a citizen calls to complain. Then they can ask them to leave. But, until those things happen, they can't do anything else."
Sid shook his head. "That's bullshit."
Jace nodded. "I agree. If they keep scaring people, tourism will fall off and that's my bread and butter."
Grace frowned. "That's mine too. I hope they don't scare people away and how will I protect myself legally if they harm any of my tenants?"
Jace looked straight at her. "That might be something that has to be asked of the city council."
Now that was a good idea. Maybe she'd look into something like that. Find out when the next meeting is and go to it.
Jace stepped into the hall. "Make yourselves at home. If Chiefy needs to go outside, at the bottom of the steps make a left and the kitchen is around the corner. There's a door that leads to a small backyard. There's food in the fridge if you get hungry. I'm a hands-off host, so you'll need to get comfortable fast."
He chuckled and closed the door behind him.
Sid set her backpack on the bed and looked around the room. There was an attached bathroom to the left of the bed. He filled Chiefy's water bowl and set it on the tiled bathroom floor.
Chiefy began lapping at the water and Sid chuckled. "Which side of the bed do you want?" He asked.
She grinned and shrugged. "I guess it doesn't matter to me. I prefer the right side, but I will sleep just fine on the left. You pick."
He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "It doesn't matter to me either. But I sure am tired."
"Me too."
He stepped away and turned the light off. She picked up her backpack and carried it into the bathroom. She found her pajamas, which were little shorts and a tank top. But, she'd feel better with them on and a clean pair of underwear.
She quickly changed her clothes, brushed her teeth and ran a brush through her hair. It was a mess of snarls and she shook her head thinking that Jace must have thought she was quite the wreck. He was probably texting Sid right now asking him what on earth he was thinking.
She turned the bathroom light off and opened the door. Sid had a bedside lamp on for her. Chiefy laid on a blanket on the floor near the door, her preferred spot. She smiled at her pup and Sid's thoughtfulness and slid into bed.
Sid scooted to the middle and pulled her into his arms from behind. He nestled his nose in the crook of her neck and hummed in appreciation. "You smell good."
She sighed. Life was unpredictable on the best of days. Never in her wildest dreams would she have thought she'd meet a great man in such a short time after moving here. Actually, at all. Never would she have thought of ever meeting someone like Sid.
She let her body relax. It had been a long day. Filled with many firsts. Free help thanks to Quinn Kurtz. Her house vandalized. And, she and Sid had sex for the first time. Her eyes closed as her heart felt happy.
21
Sid heard someone moving around downstairs and Chiefy let out a low bark. Grace sat upright and looked around the room. Chiefy ran to her and got some morning hugs and kisses.
Grace turned to him and smiled. "Good morning."
