As soon as her grandmother showed up to take her to the park, she forgot all about her curtains and skipped off to spend the day with her grandparents.
Somehow, we had more officers scheduled today than we needed, and I was the lucky one who got to come home early. I suspect Shaleigh is already assuming I’m going to get that scholarship and she’s looking to replace me.
I’m going to have to talk to her about that on Tuesday. I did finally apply for the scholarship, but I won’t find out if I got it until the end of next month, and I won’t start classes until January. I need this job until then, and I especially need this job if I don’t get the scholarship.
“We should get that wood,” I say, my lips only a breath away from his.
Neither of us moves for several long seconds. I don’t want to move, don’t want to stop breathing in his spicy scent and his warmth. Don’t want to burst this bubble of happiness and lust I’m in.
Finally, I drag myself away from him and open my door. “Let’s get moving.”
“Right,” he says, sounding even more reluctant than I feel.
But he hops out of the truck and strides toward the garage.
“So,” I say, taking a moment to appreciate the two-story, Victorian-style home. “This is where you live.”
“For now,” he says. “It’s my brother’s house. We’re all living here until we have the time to find our own places.”
“All? You and Cash?”
He rubs the back of his neck. “Yep. And my three other brothers.”
I take in the house with renewed interest. The house is nice, but it’s not huge. I’d guess there aren’t more than three bedrooms. “There are five of you living here?”
He chuckles. “It’s tight. And definitely testing the strength of our brotherhood.”
“I can’t imagine living like this with my siblings. My brother is sweet, but he’s never learned to pick up after himself, and my sister would have fifty friends over every day. We’d probably kill each other.”
“Give us a couple of months,” he says as he hits a button and the garage door rises. “We might get there.”
“I think it’s sweet. You all work together, right? Sullivan brothers is, I’m assuming, all of you.”
“Except for two older brothers who live out of state.” He heads into the garage, and I follow. “I expect we’ll see more of them when our parents move up here.”
“Your parents are moving here, too?” I ask. “You really are close.”
“Here’s the wood,” he says, clearly wanting to change the subject.
I get it. He doesn’t want to talk about his family.
And I should have left it alone, because I definitely don’t want to talk about mine.
He’s got the wood, already cut and sanded, in neat piles in the back of the garage.
“Wow,” I say. “This must have taken you all night.”
“Nah. I work fast. I’ve been doing this stuff for years.”
I’m almost positive he’s lying, since he won’t meet my eyes and the back of his neck is turning red, but I leave it alone. We’re just supposed to be about having fun. There’s no relationship here.
Even if this man, who’s not my boyfriend, is shaping up to be the best boyfriend I’ve ever had.
Together, we load wood and tools into the back of his truck. He lets me help, but insists on carrying the heaviest things himself.
He’s oddly quiet as we drive to my house, so I flick on the radio and set it to my favorite station.
He glances over at me, brows high. “What is this?”
