“Penny is gonna sue your ass off,” I retort, only half joking, but Ren just grins and says, “As long as she knows if she sues me, she’s also suing you.”
He gives me another squeeze. “Shall we get off the floor?”
I give a long sigh, roll my eyes. “I suppose.”
He helps me up, presses a kiss to my forehead before moving back to the bed, and I resume my earlier position on the chair. I wait for him to get settled, but he doesn’t bother picking up his book, instead eyeing me eyeing him. “Was there something else Cassidy?”
“Are you still good with quitting hockey?”
“More than good. Looking forward to it.”
I nod, uncertain what else to say since he truly appears to be fine with his decision. Quiet falls around us, the silence bordering on uncomfortable as we continue to stare at each other. Me hoping he’s says something and him knowing I’m putting off asking what I truly want to ask about. Finally, he says, “Out with it Cass.”
I wince, swallow several times before managing to ask, “Have you heard from Declan?”
“Yes.”
I stare at him, my pulse jumping in my chest. “What did he say?”
“Cass,” he responds with a sigh. “You know you don’t have to get info from me. You can call Declan. Or Lilith. Or even Darius for that matter.”
“I prefer the separation of having you as a go-between,” I explain. “Assuming you don’t mind being my go-between.”
“Of course I don’t mind. But I don’t want you thinking you can’t inquire on your own if you feel like it.”
“Maybe I will eventually,” I reply, hugging my knees to my chest. “But I need the separation for now.”
“She’s doing well, Cass. Slowly healing, taking it one day at a time.”
“I’m glad,” I whisper, relief settling over me at the news. “Did they tell her I sent all the paperwork back?”
“Yes, and she wasn’t too happy about it to start with, but Lilith talked some reason into her.”
“She decide what she’s going to do with the properties?”
“Darius talked her out of burning them,” Ren answers, a humorless laugh falling between us. “He had to step in because Lilith was all too happy to carry the torches.”
“Sounds like Lilith.”
Ren smiles then adds, “So they went with complete liquidation, and set up a living trust of some sort.”
“That’s probably for the best. The money is hers regardless.”
“Oh,” he begins, then picks up his phone from the bedside table, tapping on the screen before continuing, “My realtor wants to know if she’s allowed to remove the blanket fort from the master bedroom.”
My eyes widen, having completely forgotten about the secret little hideaway Issa and Jessica created for me. I laugh, then respond, “Do we have to take it down?”
He eyes me thoughtfully then asks, “Can we at least touch on why there’s a blanket fort in the master bedroom of my condo?”
Leaning my head back against the chair I laugh. “Issa and Jessica made it for me. As a safe space for ghost stories.”
He inhales deeply then blows out the breath before responding, “Let’s pretend for a moment I fully understand the importance of blanket forts. Am I canceling the sale of my condo to preserve this particular blanket fort?”
I make like I’m seriously thinking over his question, fully intending not to allow for my fort to be dismantled. But then he adds, “We can happily build you a new and improved blanket fort right here. So, keep that in mind when making your decision.”
I know he’ll cancel the sale if I ask him to. He’d keep paying taxes on an extra residence just because it holds a memory I can’t let go of. So I smile, shake my head. “It’s okay. She can take it down and go on with showing it.”
“Are you sure?” he asks, holding his phone out in front of him. “I’ll tell her ‘hands off my wife’s fort’, just say the word.”
