“The ceiling could come down at any moment,” Jonah insisted, gesturing to the sagging plaster. “And the house isn’t weathertight anymore. If it rains again?—”
“I’ve lived through worse.”
Cliff exchanged a glance with Jonah. His mother’s stubbornness was legendary. Once she made a decision, changing her mind was impossible.
“Mother, Jonah’s right.” He surprised himself by agreeing with Jonah. “It’s not safe here.”
She scoffed. “I’ll have a tarp put up and sleep downstairs.”
Jonah shook his head firmly. “Ellie, be reasonable. You should stay with me. My place didn’t take any damage.”
“That wouldn’t be proper, Jonah. What would people say?” She tucked back a lock of hair, avoiding Jonah’s gaze.
Cliff almost laughed. His mother, worried about appearances at a time like this? The town was half-destroyed by a hurricane, and she was concerned about gossip.
“Mother, I think propriety is the least of anyone’s concerns right now. The whole town just survived a hurricane. No one’s going to be talking about where you’re sleeping.”
“Nevertheless,” she insisted. “It isn’t proper.”
Jonah sighed. “Ellie, please. It just makes sense. My place has three bedrooms. You’d have your own space.”
“I agree with Jonah,” he insisted, surprising himself again. “You should stay at his place until we can get repairs done here.”
She looked back and forth between the two men, clearly outnumbered. “Fine,” she relented, though her tone suggested she wasn’t happy about it. “But just until things are cleaned up and enough repairs are made for me to move back.”
Jonah nodded, relief evident on his face. “Of course. Just until then.”
“Now, you two take Winston downstairs. Find more of his food, and grab his bed from the front room. I’ll need to pack some things.”
They headed downstairs, and once she was out of earshot, Jonah turned to him. “Thanks for backing me up. She listens to you more than she lets on.”
He raised an eyebrow, doubtful. “Does she? That’s news to me.”
“She does,” Jonah insisted. “Even when she disagrees with you.”
He wasn’t convinced, but he appreciated the sentiment. He moved to head to the kitchen to find Winston’s food, but Jonah placed a hand on his arm, stopping him.
“Cliff, why don’t you stay with us too?”
The question caught him off guard. “What?”
“Stay with us,” Jonah repeated. “At my place. It’s big enough for the three of us.”
Cliff stared at him, trying to read his intentions. “I don’t think that’s necessary. I can find somewhere else to stay.”
“Where? There’s so much damage, and most rentals will be booked with people displaced by the storm.”
He had a point. Cliff hadn’t thought that far ahead. He’d planned to check on his mother and then figure out his own accommodations.
“I appreciate the offer,” Cliff said carefully, “but my mother and I under the same roof? That doesn’t usually end well.”
Jonah chuckled. “I’ve noticed. But it’s temporary, and I think Ellie would feel better knowing you’re safe too.”
He doubted that. His relationship with his mother had always been complicated. She’d never approved of his choices, his career, or much of anything else about him. The development project had only widened the existing gap between them.
“I’m not sure that’s true,” he said.
“Trust me,” Jonah replied. “She worries about you more than she lets on.”
