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“We know that, Har. But you know as well as I do that public perception plays into these small-town politics, and I don’t know a single person in town that’s more loved than you are. Hell, you practically are Everette. I’m just saying to be careful,” Boone says.
I open my mouth to argue when he continues, “Jem said that you offered up your apartment to Maisie for however long she needs it. And I get it, you want to help, but do you think that was smart considering you’re under the microscope right now?”
I ignore his question. “Did you hear anything else?”
He shakes his head. “No, the file clerk came back too quickly for me to listen anymore.”
“You offered your apartment up to the chick and her kid when you won’t even let us stay there longer than a night?” Finch asks with a smirk.
“She’s stranded in a town she doesn’t know, with both her home and her only mode of transportation sitting in the mechanic shop and there are no rooms at Holly’s or the resort. Oh and she has her infant daughter with her. What the hell was I supposed to do?” I turn to Boone. “Also, it was your idea for her to stay in my apartment, and now you suddenly think it’s a bad idea?”
“I didn’t say that,” Boone starts but gets cut off by Finch.
“You liiiiike her.”
“What? No, I don’t,” I say while clearing my face of all expression.
“Bullshit. You’re doing the cop face,” Rhett chimes in.
I stand and gather the empties around the table. “Drop it.”
All of them crow at me with some sort of taunt.
“Harlan has a crush,” Jedd singsongs.
“Bro, she’s too young for you,” Rhett teases.
“Harlan and Maisie sitting in a tree…” Duke joins in.
I roll my eyes at them, because I know saying anything will just egg them on.
Stepping into the kitchen, I rinse the bottles for recycling and then run my hands under the tap.
Is Maisie drop-dead gorgeous? Sure. But that’s not what pulls me to her. It’s the wounded look in her eyes and the incessant need to fix whatever is wrong.
It’s the way she went mama bear in the hospital when she realized that there were strange men changing her daughter’s diaper. It’s the small smile she had on her face when she realized that those same guys were fighting over who got a chance to hold her after she realized she was safe.
The need to know more about Maisie has only grown since I found her unconscious in her camper on the side of the freeway.
Jedd follows me into the kitchen where I’m shrugging on my jacket and grabbing my keys from the glass dish on the island.
“You leaving?” he asks.
“Yeah. I work in the morning, and I need to get some sleep.”
“Okay, well I wanted to catch you before you left. About Maisie. Her camper is well and truly fucked,” Jedd says as he rinses his own empties before chucking them in the recycle bin.
“You look at it finally?” I ask.
He nods. “Yeah. Crawled under it today. Discounting the cosmetic damage, I’d say that her insurance is most likely going to total it out.”
Well fuck. “You want me to tell her?” I ask.
“Yeah. But if she has questions, she can call me, or have her insurance call me.”
I nod and start through the kitchen to the living room intent on making my escape before my brothers can tease me anymore.
“Hey, Har. Wait up,” Boone calls, jogging from the dining room in my direction. We both step outside and Boone pulls the door shut behind him.
