~ ~ ~
Jake stood just inside the door to the apartment, hands clasped behind his back, jaw clenched.He couldn’t stop thinking about what might have happened to Savannah if she’d been here alone.He hated that Tiff had been, but she was okay.Even as she sat on the sofa with Savannah, she was the one doing the reassuring.She wasn’t traumatized; she was good and mad.
Savannah was, too.She’d seemed to crumble when Josh called them, but he could tell now that it was only because she’d been worried about her friend.As soon as she’d seen for herself that Tiff was okay, she’d pulled herself together.She still felt as though it was her fault; that much was easy to see, but she was angry on Tiff’s behalf, not afraid for herself.
He had to agree with Tiff that the two deputies would be better off out searching for Rick.Savannah had given them his name.Tiff had already described him – what else did they need?
“You should check for outstanding warrants,” he told them.
“We will.I think we have all we need for now.”
Tiffany made a face.“You could have hadhimif you’d gone straight out instead of interrogating me all this time.”
One of the deputies shot Jake a look – as if he expected him to understand, but Jake just glared.
“Okay, we’ll be in touch.And if he shows up again …”
Jake took a step forward, but Josh put a hand in front of him.He was right, of course; they were only doing their job.That was how things worked.But if they thought he was going to wait around for Rick to try again …
After they’d gone, Tiffany went to the fridge, asking, “Who needs a drink?Because I do.”
Jake nodded at Savannah – she looked like she needed one – but he still had to drive them home.
“Can we stay here tonight?”she asked.
“Of course.”He’d been thinking they could bring Tiff back to the house, but …
“You don’t need to do that,” Tiff said.
“Oh yes we do,” Savannah told her.“I couldn’t sleep knowing that you were still here by yourself and …”
“She’s not going to be by herself.I’m staying,” said Josh.
Jake cocked an eyebrow when it occurred to him for the first time to wonder what Josh was even doing here.
“I left Tiff a message this afternoon asking when we could meet up to talk about this roommate swap idea.”
Tiffany grinned.“And that’s why Josh is here.I grabbed my phone, and his was the first number in my recent calls list.”She shot Josh a smile.“I figured what better way to see how my new roommate reacts under pressure than to call him when some asshole just broke into the apartment.”
Josh chuckled.“Did I pass?”
Jake relaxed as he watched them.They were going to do just fine together; he could tell.
Savannah brought four glasses from the cabinet and set them on the kitchen table.Tiff set a bottle of vodka down as she told Josh, “You passed the good-to-have-around-in-an-emergency part of the test.”
Josh rolled his eyes.“How many parts are there?”
She laughed.“I don’t know yet.But I think part two will be the ‘how well does he tolerate a million questions about how to make and market YouTube videos’ part.”
Some of the tension left Jake’s shoulders as he watched the two of them laugh.He went to Savannah and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
Tiff met his gaze and raised her eyebrows.“Can you have just one shot, Marine man?”When he hesitated, she added, “I feel like we need to drink a toast to this moment.We might be trading roommates, but I feel like … oh, what the fuck, I’m just going to say it.I feel like we’re starting to be our own little family, and that means more to me than you know.”
“Yeah, I’ll drink to that,” he said with a smile.
“We could stay,” Savannah suggested again.When she met Tiff’s gaze, it hit Jake just why the two of them were so close – neither of them had any family.
Josh was nodding.“I was planning to sleep on the sofa tonight.It didn’t feel right to take your room till you’ve moved out, Savvie.”
