"Sure, hang on." Papers rustled on the other end of the line. She waited, her knees beginning to shake. This big oaf could at least have some manners and let her sit down. But he just stood there, arms crossed, towel somehow still holding on through sheer force of will.
"Sure, Tessa." Jake's voice returned, cheerful and oblivious. "I have your rental papers here. You've rented it for three months, paid in full. I see we did send you the code to get inside. Is there an issue?"
"Yes." She heard the edge in her own voice. "There's a giant standing in front of me, telling me it's his home."
"A giant?"
Brian finally spoke, his voice carrying easily to the phone. "My name is Brian Knight. I own this property. I purchased it from Mr. and Mrs. Calloway. I took possession last month."
A pause. "Can I put you both on hold while I touch base with the Calloways?"
She nodded, though he could not see her. "Yes."
Hold music filled the silence, something soft and generic that belonged in an elevator. Brian stood in front of her, apparently unwilling to let her any farther inside. Also, he seemed entirely unconcerned about putting clothes on. She glanced at the place on the towel where the tiny piece of fabric was tucked into the side. It didn't look like it could last much longer.
She wondered if he cared. She wondered why she kept looking.
"Thank you for holding." Jake's voice cut through the music. "So it seems the Calloways deeded the land over to Mr. Knight, and the property is his. They're sorry; they forgot to let us know. Both of them are quite old, and Mr. Calloway is suffering from dementia, so this was forgotten. I'm so sorry for the confusion."
Tessa's stomach dropped. The floor seemed to tilt beneath her feet.
"What am I to do?" She heard the desperation in her own voice and hated it. "Do you have another place I can stay? Transfer my payment over to another place?"
"I'm sorry, we don't have any openings right now."
"But I paid. Where will I go?"
Jake kept his tone low, careful. "I know this is unorthodox, but Mr. Knight, will you let Ms. Callahan stay with you? I'll send you the funds she paid first thing in the morning."
"I don't take in renters." Brian's voice was flat.
"I understand. But there isn't another place available in town this weekend. It's the annual craft fair."
She glanced up into Brian's eyes. Hers instantly teared up, and her shoulders slumped. The dam was breaking, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She didn't want to sleep in her car. She would have to wait for the return of her money anyway. And she was so tired. So impossibly, bone-deep tired.
Something shifted in his face. Not softening exactly, but a crack in the wall.
"I'll let her stay for a few days until something else can be worked out."
Relief hit her so hard her knees nearly buckled.
"Thank you, Mr. Knight. I'll send your funds out first thing in the morning."
Tessa's brows furrowed as her brain caught up. "Wait. You can't send him everything. If this is only a few days, I'm going to need the rest to pay for another place."
"That's true. How about you both come into the office in the morning, and we'll settle on a rental amount."
Brian's shoulders slumped slightly, the first sign that this situation was wearing on him too. "Yes, that'll work."
Tessa swiped at her tears and sniffed, trying to pull herself together. "Thank you, Jake. We'll see you tomorrow."
"Sounds good. And thank you both for being flexible. We'll work something out."
The call ended, and silence filled the cottage. Outside, she could hear birds settling into the trees for the night, their calls soft and unhurried. The country music had stopped at some point, leaving only the sound of her own unsteady breathing.
Tessa dropped her phone into her purse. She reached back for her suitcase handle and stared up at him, not sure what to say. Thank you seemed inadequate. Sorry seemed wrong. She had not done anything except show up where she was supposed to be.
He took a deep breath. So, he wasn't going to have a quiet evening building a fire and having a beer or two. She could see the resignation in the set of his shoulders, the way his jaw worked like he was swallowing words he wanted to say.
