That was not what I was expecting. “Are you a murderer?”
“No.”
“Do you steal?”
She scoffed at that. “I work at the bank. Trust me, if I stole, I wouldn’t be there.”
“How do you feel about men?”
“Love them. I just wish I could find one who loved me back.”
“Do you let many men up to your apartment?”
Again, she scoffed. “As a rule, no. I never let a man come up unless I’ve known him a really long time.”
This could be interesting, but I had to be sure she could handle what was in store. Leaning in, I kept my voice low. “I think you’ve already heard there’s a woman staying with me.”
She nodded. “Rumor is, she’s your sister.”
“She is, and life hasn’t been the best to her. I would appreciate you keeping that to yourself.”
“Of course,” she said sincerely. “I’ve heard some of the rumors. I can’t imagine how hard it is for her.”
“Look, if I don’t find a place for her to stay, she’ll think she’s in my way, and then she’ll run off. I won’t be able to keep an eye on her.”
“You could always go after her,” she offered.
It was a possibility. I’d done it in the past, but she usually got pissed when I followed her around. And then there was the other issue that I couldn’t seem to shake. I had a neighbor who I was becoming more and more obsessed with every day.
“That’s not a possibility,” I went with. “But if I could convince her to stay, I could keep an eye on her. A town like this—as insane as it is—would be good for her.”
“Well, I can definitely understand that. I would have to meet her first. Living with someone is an intimate thing.”
I nodded. “Can I give her your number?”
“Sure.” She pulled out her bank card and slid it across the bar to me. “Just one question, how is she going to pay the rent?”
“Don’t worry about that. You’ll get the rent until she can get on her feet.”
“Then I guess it’s a deal. Now, about Josie?—”
I turned my back on her and mixed her the drink she always ordered— a cosmopolitan—and slid it across the bar. “Go away.”
“Thanks,” she grinned, taking a sip. “You know, you really aren’t so bad. Maybe you should consider giving it a chance. A woman like Josie doesn’t come around very often.”
I rolled my eyes, and was about to tell her to piss off when she added, “You know, rumor has it that something really bad happened to her.”
That got my back up. “What are you talking about?”
Glancing around, she leaned in close. “Look, I wouldn’t tell you this, but I think you need to know. Rumor has it that she was attacked by Austin.”
My anger kicked up a notch as I tried to remember who that was. Then I remembered the asshole who’d tried to attack Lizzy in the bar that first night I was in town.
“What do you mean, he attacked her?” I gritted out, already losing my cool.
“I think you know what I mean. She seems like she’s doing okay, but that doesn’t mean she’s not hurting. Don’t fuck her up.”
As she walked away, I took a minute to contain my anger. It wouldn’t do me any good to march out of the bar right now and confront her over something that was rumored around town. It happened in the past. There was nothing I could do.
