Page 370 of Summer Heat
“So they’re kicking you out for two weeks? They should be providing you with an alternative place to live. It’s standard for a landlord—”
She threw her palms in the air. “Whoa. Don’t turn into Mr. Bigshot Lawyer. I offered to go home to California. Plus, they went out of their way to get a crew that could do the work really quick, specifically in these two weeks to fit my schedule. They even had the builders work out a plan where all the interior reno work would be completed before a lot of the less-pressing exterior projects, contrary to their normal construction routine, so all the more invasive parts would be taken care of before I got back. They really are being great about this.”
“But everything you need for your research is here.” He was well aware that he was pulling at threads now.
“True. But, the UC schools have an outstanding library system so I don’t think I’ll have too much difficulty accessing things. And at this portion of my write-up, a lot of what I need is online so I can easily take care of it in Santa Clara.”
“But you’ll lose half a day flying each way.” Okay, now he was reaching rock bottom. He was actually embarrassed for his law school diploma; it was probably getting ready to jump off his office wall in protest.
“I’m not flying, I’m driving. It’s peak travel season and flying over would cost more than I’d care to spend.”
“You can’t be serious.” Now he was more concerned than argumentative. “You’re planning on driving all the way to Santa Clara in that hunk of junk out in your driveway?”
“Hey!”
“Sorry, that very lovely POS ‘SUV’ out there.”
She kept right on glaring at him.
Okay, so maybe it wasn’t entirely necessary for him to have included the air quotes, but really, th
e vehicle was more like a very tall, beat up clown car than an SUV, circa never-bothered-to-be-recorded.
“Face it, that thing is a nine-car pileup waiting to happen. You shouldn’t take it on that long of a road trip and you know it.”
“Well, it’s my only option right now.”
Something occurred to him then. “Wait, if you knew you were going to be gone, why did you counter with two weeks?”
He detested false bids.
Her bottom lip disappeared between her teeth. “Actually, I meant the two weeks after I get back, before my schedule starts getting busy.”
Wow, now he knew exactly how his previous one-monthers felt when he used to schedule them in.
“Sorry, that sounds terrible.”
“No, it’s fine. I’ve actually done the very same thing before.” And he wouldn’t ever be doing it again. This feeling was flat-out wretched. “Why don’t you just find another place to stay here in town the next two weeks? It’d be simpler than traveling, and we’d still get to have the full month.”
Good lord, why was he chasing the woman?
Though she did look supremely tempted, after a moment of thought, she still shook her head. “I can’t impose on any of my friends for that long. And while I could just book a room somewhere for two weeks and end up spending about as much as I would on gas, I’d hate to try writing for that long in a hotel.”
He studied her for a second before coming to a decision.
“Well...then stay with me.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
STRUCK DUMB, and apparently deaf as well, Abby opened and closed her mouth once before shaking her head. Hard.
“What?” She must have heard him wrong. Must have.
“You heard me.”
Did she?
Since Connor looked both pleased with himself and just a tiny bit like he might be ready to hurl, she assumed she had.
