Page 38 of A Lifetime of Afters
“Oh. Well,” she paused. “You’ll have to take one of the cottages, then.” She drummed her fingers on the desk. “Do you want furnished or unfurnished?”
“Furnished, but I’ll take unfurnished if you prefer.”
“No, no. Take 3D. It’s close to the parking lot and it’s got a great view. And it’s furnished.”
“That’s excellent! How much is it and how do you bill? Weekly? Bi-weekly? Monthly?”
“I’ll talk to Dan and let you know, lamb.”
“Let her know what?” Dan’s booming voice filled my tiny office.
Tall and barrel-chested, friendly and charismatic, Hunter would have grown to be just like him.
It pierced me.
“Dan!”
He opened his arms. “How’s my girl?”
“Better now,” I beamed.
“Yeah?” He drew back to look at me, his eyes kind. “How’s that?”
“Well, I’ve got a job and a place of my own for the next little while until I plan my next steps. I’m home and can catch up with everybody.”And I’m sleeping with your son.“What more could I want?”
I could think of one thing.
But I hadn’t heard from him since I left that morning, and I didn’t want to push too hard.
“You want me to round up Hawk and Max and get your stuff moved in?”
The idea of seeing Hawk in front of Dan. And Lou. And Harley. And, oh, Lord, Max, made me feel faint.
His eyes sharpened on my face. “You okay there, honey?”
“I’m good, Dan. I don’t honestly have much. Most of it is still in my car. And with the place fully stocked, anything I don’t need will be staying in the boxes.”
“I’ll help her,” Harley slung her arm over my shoulders. Or tried to.
I rounded her shoulders with my arm and hers dropped to a much more comfortable height at my waist. “Should we get a bottle of wine?” I asked.
She grinned up at me. “Most definitely!”
My dad insisted on helping and, of course, Lou and Dan showed up as well. It took less than thirty minutes to get everything into the cottage and hang my clothes in the closet.
After they left, I folded the fleece Sage Ridge blanket off the bed and replaced it with my own comforter. I positioned my jewelry box that housed the few pieces of jewelry I loved, as well as the ribbon I arguably loved more, on the dresser. A few framed photos on either side completed my unpacking and personalized the place as much as ever.
Other than Bruce.
Harley threw herself back on the bed and star-fished. “I think your cat is kind of weird,” Harley commented.
“So I’ve been told,” I smiled, thinking of Hawk’s skittishness around my mini cyclops.
“Who else says he’s weird?”
“Hmm? What?” I shrugged. Heat crawled up my chest. “A few people.” I flopped down beside her on my back. “I don’t think he’s weird.”
“He’s a bit skittish,” she countered.
