Page 37 of The Grump Next Door
“Do I smell… salmon?” I ask.
He sighs like this is the weight he must bear. “CBD-infused smoked salmon treats. Nadine says they mellow her chakras.”
I blink. “You’re trying to calm Muffin’s chakras?”
“She took them. I was… tricked.”
“Uh-huh.”
He adjusts his shirt collar, then smooths his hair even though it doesn’t need it. There’s something odd about him this morning—stiffer than usual. Like he’s tryingtoo hardto be casual, which—fun fact—makes himweirder.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
“I’m fine.”
That was fast. Too fast. Definitely not fine.
I give him a long, slow once-over. His sleeves are rolled up neatly. His jaw is tight. His eyes are doing thatI’m fine but also having a quiet existential crisisthing.
Dean Whitaker is acting weird.
And I don’t know why.
But I do know I’m going to find out.
He’s still frowning when I sit down across from him and pull out my clipboard.
“Okay, since I’m here and Muffin has had her chakra realignment for the day, can we run through a few quick things?”
He hesitates.
I raise an eyebrow. “Unless you have a goat therapy session scheduled next?”
That earns me a look—classic Dean. Flat and withering, but the corner of his mouth twitches as if he’s fighting off an eye roll.
“Fine,” he mutters. “What now?”
“Power access,” I say, flipping a page. “The band’s arriving Friday for rehearsal, and I need to ensure we have an outdoor power source they can tap into. Preferably something that isn’t also powering your security cameras and outdoor lighting.”
He exhales and leans back in his chair. “Fine. There’s an outdoor breaker panel on the west side of the house. I’ll unlock it.”
“Perfect. AV needs a staging area for the speakers and cables. I was thinking to the right of the arch, but I wanted to check with you first.”
“That’s fine—just keep them off the flowerbeds. George’s mishap with the tulip massacre is already costing me an arm and a leg.”
I scribble a note. “Done. Next, cords.”
His brows lift. “Cords?”
“Yes, as in—what are people tripping over? Where are we routing the wires? How do we keep your liability insurance intact?”
His eye twitches slightly, and I call that a win.
“We’ll need access to the garage for a few cable covers,” I add sweetly. “Unless you’d prefer your guests to surf their way across live wires in heels.”
“Is electrocution part of the theme?”
“It is now.”
