“Are you okay with that?”
I snap my head to my left to see him lingering in the doorway, his concerned gaze locked on mine. Thankfully, his sculpted torso is now fully covered.
“Of course,” I manage to squeak out once I get my coughing under control. “You don’t need my permission to spend time with your son.” I return my attention to his shirt, although I’m pretty sure I’ve already sprayed it enough.
“That’s not what I’m talking about, Claire.”
“It’s fine,” I rush out. “Like I said. It was only one night. It didn’t mean anything. We’ll pretend it never happened.”
I can feel him studying me, like he’s trying to read between the lines. And maybe he can. Maybe he knows I’m lying throughmy teeth. That our one night meant more than I thought possible.
But I don’t give him the chance to call me out on it.
“Will you be staying with Joshua?” I ask, my tone light and conversational.
“He offered, but I didn’t want to intrude since this whole father-son thing is still new to both of us. But he did put me in touch with someone who had a place available.”
“You got lucky.” I slip past him and grab a hanger off the back of my door, placing the shirt over it to dry. “Short-term rentals are next to impossible this time of year.”
“I guess he just moved in with his fiancée and hasn’t gotten around to putting it up for rent yet,” he states, grabbing his tie and knotting it without looking in a mirror. “He doesn’t want to sell because his sister lives in the other half of the duplex.”
Alarm bells instantly clang in my head, dread tightening my stomach.
Because Finn, my soon-to-be brother-in-law, just moved in with my sister and he hasn’t put his half of the duplex he owns up for rent yet. And his sister, Dylan, my best friend, lives in the other half of the duplex.
With me.
“What’s his name? This person you’re renting from?”
Declan frowns. “Not sure. He’s a firefighter here in town. I haven’t had a chance to meet him yet. Joshua arranged it all for me.”
I squeeze my eyes shut.
Because Finn’s also a firefighter.
“Why do you ask?”
I return my gaze to his.
“Because it looks like we’ll be neighbors, Declan.”
“That’s not possible. Joshua said this guy’s sister lives next door.”
“She does.” I grit a smile. “Her name’s Dylan. And she’s my roommate.”
Silence falls between us as he stares at me like I just told him some horrible truth. Not that we’re about to be neighbors.
“Shit. I’m sorry. I’ll try to find somewhere else.”
But I know he won’t find anything. Not within a fifty-mile radius.
Joshua’s wondered about his father for years. And the duplex where I live with Dylan is less than a mile from Joshua’s apartment, making it easy for them to spend time together. After everything he’s been through over the past several years with taking care of his mother, then losing her, he deserves something good.
“It’s okay,” I assure him. “I’m barely home anyway. Plus, it’s not like we’re actuallylivingtogether.”
We’re just sharing a wall.
Declan watches me for a long beat. Like he doesn’t believe me. Hell, I’m not sureIbelieve myself, either.
