“You better start talking,” she said. “And don’t stop until you get all the way to the end.”
“All right.” He drew a deep breath. “After I heard you on the phone call yesterday and how excited you were about that apartment?—”
“I wasn’t excited,” she said. “I was upset I didn’t have enough money for it.”
“Yeah, and that indicated your excitement,” he said, sending her a glare of his own. “I called and asked them to please hold it through tomorrow morning.”
“Did you have to pay them?” she asked.
“You told me to go all the way to the end.”
“Fine,” she huffed. “Go all the way to the end.”
“I told them I would give them a couple hundred extra dollars if they would please just hold it for me for one day, so that I could see if we could make it a reality for you. And then I texted Country Quad. Your daddy and uncles have been talking with everyone privately about any furniture they might have that they’d be willing to donate—or sell for very little.”
Adam tapped on his phone and moved to the list that Tex had sent less than an hour ago.
“This is what they came up with. Sterling has a couch in her massage studio that she doesn’t want anymore. It’s full-size, for three people.” He glanced over to her, but Joey walked along like an animated statue.
“I guess Cheryl and Wade have a dining room table that they’ve outgrown. Cheryl wants a new one, but the one shehas is her mother’s, and she wasn’t sure how to get rid of it. This way, she can give it to you and feel good about it.”
Joey said nothing. She hugged herself tightly, her arms folded across her chest in a definitely-angry way.
“Mav and Dani have several queen-size beds in their basement that no one is using. They’re sending one to Jackson Hole with Boston and?—”
“Wait.” Joey reached over and grabbed his arm. “Boston’s moving to Jackson Hole?”
Adam glanced over to her and found alarm running across her face. “I guess he got a job at the Elk River Lodge there,” he said. “He’s going to be moving in with Cash, but Cash doesn’t have a bed for him, and Beth’s going to Maryland, whether she gets into school or not.”
The Youngs definitely overshared, but in this case, Adam hadn’t minded. “So Mav and Dani have some extra beds, and they’re happy to just give one to you.”
Joey’s jaw hardened, and he thought the best thing to do was to go back to his list. Get it all out. Go all the way to the end.
“Michelle has a TV from Daily Grind that she wants to get rid of. She says the coffee shop isn’t a sports bar, and she’s doing some remodeling and doesn’t want it.”
He glanced over to her as they neared the end of the sidewalk that led to the parking lot.
“Your Aunt Hilde said she would donate any bedding you didn’t have, as well as towels and other linens, and your momma and daddy apparently have a credenza that camefrom the bookstore that’s just taking up space in their garage.”
Adam closed his phone and shoved it away. “From what I can tell, that only leaves maybe a nightstand and a desk in your bedroom, maybe some drapes or something, and maybe a loveseat or a recliner, so that you have more seating. But it should be plenty to get you started.” He stopped and reached out to touch her elbow. “Will you please look at me and tell me why you’re so angry?”
She didn’t look at him, but she did stop and face him. “I told you I didn’t want you to help me with this.”
“Not true,” he said. “You said I couldn’t buy the furniture for you, and I didn’t.” He let her eyes flit all over the place, and then Adam slid his hand along her jaw and into her hair.
Her eyes locked on his then, and he leaned closer, hoping to drive his point home. “Joelle, I am falling in love with you, and if I can make your life easier, I want to do it.”
He enjoyed the way she closed her eyes and breathed out as she calmed down. He rested his forehead against hers. “I just need you toallowme to help you. This is what I’m really good at—putting together all these pieces, finding all these details.” He lowered his head and pressed his cheek to hers. “Please, just let me do this for you. It’s not costing me anything. I’m not giving you a single dime.”
“No, you’ve just done all this work,” she said, her voice broken. “And it is going to cost you money—two hundred dollars to hold the apartment.”
He pulled away and looked into her gorgeous blue eyes filled with such worry. “You are worth two hundred dollars,” he said. “And besides, Blaze said he would pay that.” Adam gave her a smile and watched her chin wobble. “Please, baby doll.”
One tear splashed her cheek, and she wiped it away quickly. “I just don’t know if I’m good enough for you,” she said.
“Funny,” he shot back. “I spent last night wondering the same thing.”
“What?” The word exploded out of her body in mostly air, and he realized how that had sounded.
