“Not afraid but he’s in the hospital right now for a heart attack. I’m trying to keep him from getting upset if he thinks something’s wrong. He gets kind of hot-headed sometimes.”
“Okay. I guess that makes sense.”
She doesn’t seem happy about my statement but I know how it will go if I mention either of the Murphy women to my father. He’ll have an ever-lovin’ hissy fit. I don’t feel like dealing with that right now.
“How is your dad?”
“He’s getting better. It wasn’t a huge heart attack but then again do they really need to be?”
“I get it. I hope that he feels better soon.”
“I do too. It makes him testy. And I’ve tried talking to him about retiring and I’ll take it over but he’s not too interested in that. Maybe when he gets out of the hospital and if he sees that I’ve done enough to not just keep the business running but grow it somehow.”
“Like how?”
“Like more space,” I joke.
“That’s not possible. Our business is here and there’s no other space. I think you might be out of luck.”
“Well, have you ever thought about getting another space?”
Sirens come at us from a distance and it’s not very long before the cops are pulling up outside and then they’re opening the door
Her gorgeous little face is a study in confusion and annoyance. “We’re not moving, Monroe.”
Well, shit! Now what am I going to do. It feels a little like I’m walking a tightrope between two opposing forces.
If I’m not careful I’m gonna be the one that goes down in the fight between the two.
But for some damn reason, that doesn’t stop me from wanting to go out with her.
CHAPTER 5
Fiona
Ican’t settle down. Seriously. I’m not sure if I’m doing the right thing at all.
I can see Monroe on the other side of the clear barrier and every once in awhile our eyes meet and he winks at me before going back to work.
But I don’t know about what he said the other night. Asking if we’d be willing to move out to make his father happy. Even if he was joking, I still have a bad feeling from that statement.
And then there’s the keeping our meeting secret. That feels a little bit like I’m cheating even though neither of us are with someone.
Maybe that’s just me and I’m being overly sensitive. He could certainly be trying to keep his dad’s temper in check since the man is in the hospital after a heart attack.
I wonder if I should send the man flowers. No, I mean I don’t know the room and it might actually make him mad.
I know how he feels about us.
“Hey, cuz! Are you in there?”
“I’m standing right in front of you.”
“I know. But your mind is a million miles away. Where is it?”
“I’m just thinking about a few things. Nothing big.”
“Humph!” She snorts. I don’t think I believe you. Every time I look at you, I see you making eyes at the guy next door. A Stephens man, no less! Is there something going on with you two? I heard about the mess-up with Jerome’s security system. What went wrong with that anyway?”
