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He reminded me of the two probies I dealt with at Station 2 of the CAL FIRE department in El Segundo. They didn’t use their words unless I pushed them to speak. I supposed I was going to encounter the same thing at home as long as JD was my roommate.

“I’ll print out a copy of my shift schedule and put it on the fridge so you’ll know when I’m on shift. I don’t want to scare you when I show up at six in the morning. I eat before I leave the station, so I come home and crash. Depending on whether we had a call the night before, I may sleep for only a few hours or until dinner.”

“I’ll be quiet then.”

JD followed me out the front door to my 1984 Jeep Cherokee Pioneer—copper with tan interior. My baby had a new engine and was in better shape than me, even though Penny was my age. And my girl, she didn’t look forty-two.

We got into Penny, and I started her up. “Think about what you want to eat.”

Without waiting for an answer, I drove us down the street. “Which house?”

“Oh, the light-green one with the blue surfboard on the porch.”

I parked in front of the little house that looked a lot like mine, though I’d never ventured that far down the street to see it. Maybe I could have a new friend in Kit, but did I want one?

“Should I wait outside?” I didn’t know Kit or River at all, so I didn’t want to put anyone on the spot.

JD took a beat. “Let me see if they’re done. I told them I was going to come get my things, but I’d give them an hour.”

“An hour?”

The handsome guy smirked. “They’re very loud and very active.”

We both laughed as we hopped out of the Jeep and approached the house. JD held up his hand for a second as he put his ear against the door. “They’re quiet.”

I almost laughed, but he was committed, and I didn’t want to embarrass him. “Do you know how to get inside without bothering them?”

JD gave me a mischievous smirk. “After all the times I had to listen to them, I think it’s my turn to be a little rude.” He tried to turn the knob, but it was locked.

“You don’t have a key?” Why didn’t they give the poor guy a key?

“The door usually isn’t locked, but I’m always inside, so I didn’t really need a key. I only go to my doctor.”

That was shocking. “You only… When was the last time you did anything fun?”

JD chuckled. “Define fun.”

Hell, I stared at the guy to see if he was kidding, but he wasn’t, which struck me as sad. I was starting to think there was a lot of sadness inside JD, and I wondered how he dealt with it.

Before I could try to muster something to say that didn’t make me sound like an old asshole, JD smirked and started banging on the door with his good hand.

After a minute, River opened the door in a pair of shorts and a tank top. “Hey, guys. Sorry. Come in.”

I followed JD inside and shook River’s hand. Kit stepped over and shook my hand as JD hurried down the hallway. “Good to see you again. I had no idea you lived this close,” I said, unsure of what to say after what JD had just hinted.

Kit chuckled. “Us too. Where are you at?”

“Ocean Vista at Vista Del Mar. Blue bungalow. 11240 Vista Del Mar. You’re welcome to stop by anytime. I work a crazy schedule, but I’m sure JD would like to have you drop by some time to hang out or work on music.”

Those words weren’t anything I thought I’d ever say, but I’d put them out there, and I wasn’t a guy who didn’t honor his commitments. Hopefully, they wouldn’t drop by when I was around. I was already wondering if I’d done the right thing by inviting JD to move in because I valued my privacy.

“Thanks, Thatcher. You guys have been pretty busy lately, according to the news,” River said.

“Honestly, it’s no more than usual, but there’ve been a few more newsworthy calls lately. With the end of summer coming, there will be less tourist action, which gives us a bit of a reprieve. Just as tourists leave town, the weather cools, and the unhoused tend to seek shelter in abandoned buildings. They light barrel fires, so that takes us to the east–west corridors, depending on the location. Those aren’t fun either.”

“Be right back.” JD strolled down the hallway with River in tow.

I was left with Kit and unsure of what to say. I truly hated small talk. “So, uh, you transport the instruments and equipment to their concerts?”