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He must have misunderstood. “How could you possibly be glad about it?”
“I don't like my time with Danny. That freaking hurt, and it came close to destroying me. But I came out the other side, and I like to think I'm better for it. I don't want you to hang onto it either.”
“Already over it.” He struggled to keep the teasing in his voice amid the chaos of emotion inside.
She chucked a throw pillow at him. “Bozo.”
He snagged it from the air and set it on the ground. Lucifer crawled out from under the couch and climbed onto the plush. She turned around twice before lying down. “Have you been watching her since...”Nana passed.He couldn't say the words.
“I leave food out for her and clean her litter box. She hid until you got here. Thank you for putting food out for her while I was out of it.”
“Will you take care of her once I leave?”
“Of course.”
He managed to grab one of the many thoughts flitting around and force words to it. “I'm not as forgiving as you. If I saw Danny, I'd still deck him without hesitation.”
“And I'd enjoy seeing it. Have you ever punched someone? Doesn’t that dirty the suit?”
He was wrong before; Bailey wasn't three separate people. Teenage-her, bitter-adult-her, and the teasing seductive siren were all the girl he grew up with, and he'd missed her a lot. “It probably would, but you're worth the dry-cleaning bill.”
“You're such a hero.” She looked around. “Dang it. The cat stole my projectile weapon.”
It felt good to laugh. It didn't erase the heaviness from his heart, but it sweetened the sadness. “I'm going to miss you.”
“You don't have to.”
He couldn't decipher her meaning. “I don't?”
“You know how to email. I’m half-surprised you didn’t charge your phone the minute we got power. Either one of us is capable of hopping a plane. You don't have to drop off the face of the earth again.”
“I won't. I promise. And Iamsorry for the things I said yesterday.”
She raised her brows in question.
“My made-up past for us. I don't think it would have gone down that way.” Not that he could predict things likewhat ifwhen it came to people. If she were a stock, he could guess to the penny. “But neither of us would be who we are now, and we're pretty fucking awesome as we are.”
“Cornball.” As if agreeing with her, thunder crashed outside and lightning lit the room, before the lights blinked out.
“I'll get the flashlights.” He was reluctant to move. Sitting with her feet in his lap, simply talking, felt right.
“It'll wait. Tell me more about what Mr. Freaking Awesome does with his life.”
This was the way it should be. They had their friendship back and wouldn’t surrender it even with a country between them. He’d go back to work, she’d do the same, and somewhere along the way, they’d be happy for each other when they found the loves of their lives.
The idea wrenched in his stomach, and he swallowed his response.
* * * *
THE STORM BLEW OUTby the next morning, and by ten, they had power again. Bailey resisted the urge to tease Jonathan about plugging in his phone within minutes of having lights, but she did get in a jab when he grumbled about still not having any service. He was treating her like a china doll, watching most of her movements and asking every few minutes how she was. He let her get up and walk around, as long as she promised not to do anything that would jar her broken arm. Which meant ignoring most of what she needed to do.
When a loud ring carried through the house, it took her a moment to place it. The phone.
“Got it.” Jonathan slid past her and grabbed the handset. “Hello. She is...?” He was silent for almost a minute. “I see. Is everyone—? I’m glad. I’ll let her know. This afternoon works. See you then.” He hung up and looked at her. “No clue why Phillips thought to look for you here.”
Because the town thinks we’re a couple now that you’re back.She didn’t need to delve into that. She and Jonathan had their footing and friendship again. No reason to disrupt a good thing, and she was grateful for the peace they’d reached. “He knows I’m working on the estate. And you did bring me in.”
“He says his clinic is up and running, and he wants to see you today for that X-ray.”
