Did the old woman really think Erin had made a move on Rupert? How embarrassing. She refused to look at Brad.
The shepherd glanced from Willie to Erin and growled.
“Right. Taken. Got it.” She stepped toward the door.
“Hold on. I’ll drive you back,” Rupert offered.
“You know what? I can take her back,” Brad said. He handed Willie a stack of papers Erin only now noticed. “We both live in Tilly’s apartments. Only makes sense.” He turned to Erin. “If you’re okay with that.”
“That would be great. Thanks.”
Rupert glanced from Brad to Erin and smiled wide. “Sure, sure. Okay. Anytime you want to see the sights, you call me, Erin.” He waved goodbye and put an arm around Willie’s shoulders, which seemed to satisfy the older woman.
Erin turned and left before Willie could command her strange assortment of animals to attack.
Brad joined her and opened the door of his Mustang.
“Thank you,” she told him. “I mean that.”
He grinned. Oh wow. He had a dimple. And a manly chin and kind eyes. And that body… Okay, she needed a moment to process. Except instead of feeling enamored, she just liked looking at him. Her mind returned to Smith, comparing the two, and she had no idea why thoughts of her mean neighbor turned her on when this perfectly lovely man did nothing for her.
She got in the car and buckled in.
Brad joined her and did the same. “Anytime. I’ve known Willie and Rupert for a few months. They’re great people, and they really care about the animals. But they’re a little…different.” He paused. “You know, this is the first time I’ve been in their living room. Um, was it my imagination, or were some of her figurines X-rated?”
She laughed in relief. “No. I saw that too. Oh my God.” She laughed some more.
“So, you and Rupert aren’t a thing, are you?” he teased. “I did my best not to lose it when Willie warned you off. Although, hey, maybe you’re into older guys.”
“Stop. Please.” She shook her head. “Rupert was so sweet today. Tilly asked him to show me around.”
Brad drove with competence, making her feel safe. She glanced subtly over at him. Were his arms larger than Smith’s? She didn’t think so.
“You know,” Brad said after a moment. “I’d be happy to show you around town. I grew up here, but I was away for a while when I served in the military. When I came home, things had changed. It took a while to meet new people. I know that’s not easy.”
“No. It’s not. And I work from home. I edit for some online magazines. When I’m not doing that, I fix Tilly’s meals and clean for her.”
“Nice.” He smiled, his green eyes flashing with approval. “She’s a tough old lady. I like her.”
“Me too.” Brad had that going for him. He could see beyond the surface, and he was nice. So why did she find him too much like Cody for comfort? She wanted to tell him she’d be happy to go out. And she should. But strangely, she felt as if she were being disloyal to Smith. A man she’d twice had almost-sex with but had yet to talk to her since their last outing. Why was that, anyway? “I’d like to go out, but I don’t want to give you the wrong impression.” She found it difficult to say but forced herself to. “I moved out here to be with my boyfriend. But it didn’t work out. I’m kind of on my own and not really into dating right now.”
“No problem.” Brad didn’t shift his expression, nor did she feel anything but his sincerity when he said, “It’s good to have friends. So, if you want to go out or meet people, as friends, let me know. I’ll give you my number.” She plugged his cell number into her phone and saw a number of texts she’d missed. “And hey, if you change your mind and want to date, let me know that too.” He gave her a flirty smile that made her blush.
She tucked her phone away to look at later, not wanting to be rude. They talked about his job for the Seattle Fire Department and her life in Colby compared to Seattle.
He parked behind the building near her car.
“Thanks again, Brad.” He was sweet and charming. And someone she’d like to call a friend. “You know, once I get myself more settled, I’d love to go out sometime.”
He flashed her a grin. “Great. You have my number. Oh, and I’m in 6B if you ever need anything.” A unit upstairs.
She nodded. “I’m in 1A.”
They walked inside together. He waved and continued up the stairs. She walked to her apartment and heard a beep from her phone. She hadn’t realized she’d had it muted earlier. A glance showed another text. From Smith.
Text me when you get back.
Her heart raced. Instead of texting him, she knocked on his door.
