“Stevie?” Nico called from the hallway.
“Go talk to him,” Niyah said firmly. “Then call me later and tell me everything.”
“What am I supposed to say? What if he wants to get back with her? What if she went home to get her stuff so she can move back in?”
“Stop it. You’re bein’ crazy. You said he told her y’all were together.”
He had, and that had honestly surprised the shit out of her. Not to mention, it caused an avalanche of guilt to cascade down on her. She had no reason to feel guilty. They’d done nothing wrong. But it still didn’t help the awkwardness that had settled like a wet blanket over the room.
“Stevie? I’m comin’ in,” Nico announced.
Before she could end the call with Niyah, the door opened.
Stevie turned the phone around so Niyah could see her brother. “Say hi.”
Nico walked right over and plucked the phone out of her hand. “Hey, Sis. She’s gonna have to call you back.”
“Be good to her, Nico.”
“Always.”
“Call me later, Stevie!” Niyah shouted.
Nico ended the call and tossed the phone onto the bed. Jäger popped up, his paws on the bed, his nose sniffing as though Nico had just tossed a treat. Stevie scooped him up and put him on the bed, using him as a distraction.
“Did you know she was comin’ over?” Stevie asked because it seemed like a fitting question.
“No.” He sat on the edge of the mattress and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “But it doesn’t surprise me.”
“Really?”
“The way this day’s goin’, I’m not sureanythingcould surprise me.”
A sense of foreboding swept through like an icy wind. “What happened?”
Nico scrubbed his hands over his face. “I went to the Jamesons’ house this afternoon.”
“How’d that go?” Not that she really cared, but it was the right question to insert after that statement, so she waited patiently.
“Fine. She officially hired us.”
“That’s great.” However, her happiness injection fell short of the mark. “So what’s the problem?”
He sat up, swallowing hard enough that his Adam’s apple did a slow bob in his throat.
“Stone was home, and he, uh…” Nico inhaled slowly, then blew it out. “There was a Double J truck parked near the barn.”
Stevie frowned. Her brain kicked into high gear, attempting to process what that meant. When it clicked, a vise clamped down on her chest, choking the air from her lungs.
She should’ve known it was too good to be true.
“Don’t jump to conclusions,” Nico said, reaching over to put his hand on her leg.
“Are you kiddin’ me?” She glared at him. “Like you’re not thinkin’ the same thing.”
She could tell by his expression that she wasn’t the only one thinking Stone was already packing his shit to go back where he came from.
“We need to give him the benefit of the doubt, Stevie.”
