“I’ll think about it again,” I promised. “Maybe in a couple weeks, once I hear something from the insurance company.”
“Uh.” Dana licked her lips. “So, in the meantime, have you thought of finding a more permanent place here in town. A new apartment? Or a, um, friend you could stay with? Maybe contacting your old landlady and seeing if she’s got room?”
I frowned. “Nooo. I mean, I told you when I moved in here that I’ve looked for another place, but there’s nothing available in the whole area. Doesn’t look like there will be for a couple months.”
“Seems like Lilah could’ve done something for you,” Dana grumbled. “I know you handed in your notice ’cause you thought your new place over the bar’d be ready and all, but when the placeburned down, seems to me like she coulda been a little more friendly about letting you keep your apartment.”
“She’d already re-rented my old apartment for last week,” I reminded Dana. “Lilah felt terrible, but she couldn’t change things any more than I could. Besides, I didn’t exactly love the place. It was tiny. And it smelled like tuna fish.”
She looked at me strangely, then sighed. “It would’ve been better thannothing. That’s all I’m saying.”
“Well, I don’t havenothing!”I said with a chipper smile.“I mean, I have my plants. And I hadn’t moved my mementos or most of my winter clothes to the new place, so I’ve still got them.” I pointed at the suitcase in the corner and a slightly rusty red tin perched on the desk chair. “So, I’ve got all my really important stuff still, and a decent place to stay, right here at the Crabapple. At least once you ask Ricky next door to—”
“What about Caelan James?” Dana demanded a little desperately. “You’re friends, right? He’s got a spare room?”
I shook my head at the conversational whiplash. “I… I mean, yeah, he has a spare room he uses as an office. But his apartment over the bakery is tiny and already has two people in it. I’d never impose on him and Ash.” The only thing worse than hearingstrangershaving sex next door would be hearing my friend the baker and his ex-SEAL boyfriend going at it. “What’s this about?” I demanded, ducking my head to catch her eye.
She wouldn’t look at me. “There’s Julian Ross!” she said, rubbing her palm against the side of her pants. “I heard from Angela that he’s moving out to Daniel’s place in the woods soon. She says they spend all their time there as it is.”
“Yeah? That’s great for them.” I liked Jules a lot and was glad he’d worked things out with his big, blond boyfriend, though, honest to God, it was starting to feel like this whole fucking town was shacked up. “What’s that got to do withme,Dana?”
“I’m thinking maybe he’ll be renting out the apartment over the vet clinic! You should call him and let him know you’re interested.” Dana bit her lip. “Tomorrow.”
I blinked. “Tomorrow? But if he’s still living there now, why in the world would I—”
“Or! Or, or, or… and just hear me out here,” Dana worried her lip more and continued in a rush, “you could always askJamie.”
I frowned. “Ask Jamie what?”
“If he has a spare room. It makes sense!” she insisted, as I shook my head. “Jamie’s been rattling around in that house all by his lonesome, ever since his dad died—”
“No.”
“A-and you two werethick as thievesback in the day, Parks. Everyone knew—”
“Nope.”
“But if you could just—”
“Let me be clear: there is no way inhellI am moving in with Jamie Burke, Dana. Are you out of your mind? He’s got a boyfriend,andhe can’t stand to look at me!”
“Aw, but Parker, why do you have to be so stubborn about—”
“Me? Stubborn? No. Nooope.No.Iam not the one being stubborn.Ihavetried. Short of investing in duct tape and a cattle prod and committing several felonious acts, I cannotmakehim spend time with me.”
“He cares about you, you know. Deep down.”
“Yeah?” I snorted. “It’s gotta be buriedwaydeep.” The air in the room felt chilled suddenly, and I stood up to grab a flannel shirt from the closet. “Jamie would have run me out of town himself if he thought I’d stay gone. He has no feelings whatsoever for me anymore.”
“That’s not true, Parker. It’snot,” she insisted as I jammed my arms into the sleeves and opened my mouth to protest. “I was here twelve, thirteen years back. I remember how you were.”
“That wasthen.”
“And I was here last spring when you moved back to town and opened the bar. Whole town was watching.”
I gritted my teeth. There were many things I hadnotmissed about O’Leary. My life being a source of entertainment was one of them.
“If you were watching, then you’ll recall the man has not said a civil word to me. In fact, he made his opinion of meveryclear onmultipleoccasions,” I reminded her, bracing a shoulder against the wall.
