“Sloane.”I fumbled the rag, and it hit the floor. “You werebothspying on us?”
“He’s a spy.” She made a rolling gesture with her hand. “That’s what spies do.”
“You’re not, though.”
“I’m your bestie, which gives me a free pass to observe you in your natural habitat.”
“I’m not surebestiemeans what you think it means.” I scooped up my rag and claimed a bucket. “And why can I picture you and Liam passing a bucket of popcorn between yourselves while you watch us?”
“Now that’s crazy talk.” She licked her lips. “If I’d had popcorn, I wouldn’t have shared with him.”
“That’s your only problem with that scenario?”
“Um…”
A knock on the door spared her from answering, and I turned to find Jess waiting on the porch.
Reflex had me checking behind her since Rochele and Mindy often tagged along to the salon these days, but she was alone for a change.
“Hey.” I waved her in and got to work wiping down surfaces. “What’s up?”
“I saw the lights were on, and I thought I would stop by and check in.” She lifted a bag of takeout. “I was down the street at Brisket Barn. They’re doing a teriyaki steak topped with grilled pineapple as a limited time offer. It was so good, I ordered a second one to go.”
“Nothing glamourous happening here.” I spread my arms. “As you can see.”
“Do you want some help?” Her chin hit her chest. “I can spare an hour or two.”
“We never say no to free labor.” Sloane swooped down on the food. “I’ll stick this in the fridge for you.”
“Thanks.” She bit her lip, watching Sloane hustle away with her food, and I respected her doubts she would ever see it again. “How can I help?”
“Grab a bucket and get scrubbing.” I indicated the one Sloane had poured for herself. “We’re going to sanitize the old girl from top to bottom while we’ve got the chance. There are repairs we need to do too. Nothing major. Just things I put off because we were too busy or because it might irritate the animals.”
“Okay.” Jess snapped on rubber gloves and sprang into action. “I can do that.”
A peculiar expression pinched Sloane’s features when she returned from the break room. She caught my eye and shook her head then flashed a smile at Jess only after our volunteer noticed the quiet.
“Since you guys have this part covered, I’ll break out the lawnmower and get the backyard cut.” Sloane’s posture had gone fluid in a predatory way that someone who didn’t know her as well might mistake as a relaxed gait. “I’m not sure, but we might be out of gas. Do you have a spare can at your house?”
For a long time, I pushed the mower back and forth between GSG and home because of their proximity. I had a small patch of grass at the house, not worth the investment of a second mower. “Yeah, I do.”
“Cool.” She shoved out the door leading to the kennel runs. “Later.”
A speck of anxiety clung to me like lint, but Sloane wouldn’t have left if I was in any danger. Jess was one of Rían’s handpicked clanmates, chosen for her vet tech skills to relocate with the first wave of Walshes, and she had bent over backward to pitch in from day one. Which meant I was being paranoid. Not that it wasn’t earned, but I had to watch that I didn’t let the past few days have me jumping at shadows.
“How’s the apartment decorating going?” As I made polite conversation, I added a mental note of a few spots that could use touch-up paint. “Do you need any help? You’ve done so much for me. I’m happy to return the favor.”
“Oh, I’m fine. I didn’t bring much with me. I wanted to thrift some new items locally, you know?”
“I’m happy to shop with you, if you want company. Just pick the day. There’s a great store in Brentwood and two in Blevens. I’m sure Rían would let me borrow an SUV to haul your finds to your apartment. I bet he would offer to help with the heavy lifting too.”
“Would you mind writing down the store names?” Her cheeks turned pink. “I could scout them out, and if I find anything good, I’ll bring you back with me.” She glanced up, her expression hopeful. “Would that be okay?” Her gaze hit the floor again. “I don’t want to waste your time.”
“Helping a friend isn’t a waste of time,” I promised her, knowing it was what Sloane would say. “I’ll write down the details so you can check out the goods. We’ll go from there, okay?”
“Yes,” she breathed, a glimmer in her eyes. “That sounds wonderful.”
With that settled, and my supply of small talk exhausted, I fell back into the soothing routine of cleaning.
