"Mmhmm. Consulting, mostly," I managed. That wassomewhattrue. "I'm taking a break to see to my aunt's estate."
This would've been a fine time for another battalion of bats to emerge. Anything to keep Ash from connecting my face to the disasters in my wake.
"Does that take you on the road a lot?"
I managed a mild "Mmhmm" as I watched Linden descend the steps. Still couldn't get over him roaming about my property. The boy just didn't require an invitation for anything.
"The bats are the least of your problems," Linden announced as he joined us.
"Such a ray of sunshine you are," Ash said.
They traded brotherly expressions for a moment and the plain authenticity of it almost drew a laugh from me.Almost.Laughing was for people not dead on their feet and thinking up clever disguises to avoid being recognized by anyone with cable news access or an internet connection.
"Listen," Linden started, "my guess is the bats came down the chimney. They fucked up the living room. It's a disaster in there."
I waved a hand. "It's fine. I don't need a living room right now. There are plenty of other rooms for me."
He chuckled. "You can't stay in that house."
I peered at him, my emotions and exhaustion fighting to get the better of me, and I knew I had to politely end this conversation.Thank you for the help. Thank you for the fondling. I should be getting on about it now.Instead, I folded my arms over my chest and said, "Remind me again why the hell you're still here?"
3
Linden
The lady askeda damn good question. What the hellwasI doing here? I could've called up my bat guy and left her to it. I didn't need to supervise. I didn't need to stay. I didn't have to care about any of this.
It wasn't any deep, lingering loyalty to Midge. She was a nice neighbor, always up in my business, but I didn't owe it to her to look after the niece she'd never once mentioned.
I didn't have to care. I didn't know why I did.
It annoyed the hell out of me.
"All things equal, I'd rather not have your bats looking for a new home next door," I replied. It was a weak response seeing as bats did not behave that way and nocturnal pollinators were pretty much essential for the ecosystem but it was better than grabbing this woman and shaking some sense into her the way I wanted to.
"Are you going to reach up and pluck them from the sky? Maybe you'll just shout at them until they decide it's not worth the trouble. Is that how it's going to be? Unless that's your plan, I can't see why you need to park yourself in my presence."
"Lin, maybe we should—"
I held up a hand to silence my brother. "The water heater kicked the bucket at some point and flooded the basement. Everything down there is trashed and you don't have hot water. There's a small but steady roof leak in the main bedroom." I folded my arms over my chest. "Maybe if you hadn't waited two years, the place wouldn't be in shambles."
Jasper looked me up and down, her gaze severe and her lips pressed tight into a smile that offered no warmth. Any minute now, she'd open up the ground and get rid of me for good. Part of me couldn't wait to see it happen. "Where I have or have not been over the past two years is not subject to your concern."
"What my brother is trying to say"—Ash gripped my shoulder and forced me back a step—"is this house doesn't seem safe or comfortable for you."
"That's not for him to determine."
Ash tightened his grip on my shoulder, saying, "I would suggest it wasn't as much his decision as the collective decree of the water heater, the bats, and the roof."
Jasper shifted to face the house, her hands propped on her waist. She stared for a long moment before a sigh rippled through her body, rustling her wavy, whiskey-hued hair. Turning, she said, "I've worked with worse. Thank y'all for your consideration, though I'll manage just fine."
"What?" Ash shook his head. "No. That's not—"
"Please don't give it a second thought," she interrupted.
Funny thing, she said all these nice words and she made them sound sweet as hell but she was actually slapping you back into your place. If I wasn't totally fucking annoyed about everything right now, I'd admire it.
"It's a little more rustic than it used to be but it's nothing I can't handle," she continued, giving the house another glance. "After the drive I had, the last thing I want to do is hop in the car and start another journey."
