“Patty, don’t push him. You said he was fine the way he was.”
“He is,” she retorted, “but he’s also working hard, and it’s nice to have a bed to sleep on when you’ve worked hard. Isn’t it?”
“Yeah, but I don’t want to be any trouble.”
“Jacob Brown, you stop that right now. You aren’t any trouble. Ever. I adore spending time with you. If you don’t want me to go shopping with you, that’s fine; you can tell me.”
“No, it’s not that.”
“If you’re financially strapped because you bought a house,” she continued, “we can go thrifting or check out some estate sales. That’s probably where we should start anyway since it’s more fun, and you’re a blank slate.”
“Patty, you’re pushing again,” Daniel warned.
“I’m not pushing,” she huffed. “Am I pushing?”
I laughed, but this time it was free and easy.
“Maybe a little.”
“Okay, maybe a little.” Her eyes twinkled.
Love surged for these people who had no connection to me except the one we created from thin air.
“I’d love to go shopping with you,” I said.
“Now you’ve done it,” Dan joked. “You’re doomed. Doomed, I say.”
“You hush. Now, the rummage sale will have some home goods, of course, but it won’t have any furniture because there’s no room for it at the chapel. Somewhere I’ve got a list of the best used stores in the city because of that time Lizzie needed to outfit her rental house. This’ll be so much fun.”
Chapter 8
DANI
I startled awake when weight pressed down on me. For a few seconds, I thought Beau and I were still together, and he was interested in sex for the first time in months. It was a shock to realize I preferred it when he ignored me.
I cracked one eye open to stare at the cat making bread on the blanket pulled up to my chest.
“Miss Priss,” I groaned, “I have a very busy day, and I need every minute of sleep I can get. I’m so tired already.”
My cat’s eyes glittered in the faint light of early morning, but her expression conveyed her disinterest in my exhaustion. It took me a long time to fall asleep after I got Beau’s message last night.
Beau: Hey, beautiful. Why don’t I come see you at work tomorrow? I’ve got ideas about our next date, but obviously we’ll wait until your dad feels better.
Tone is hard to convey by text, but this was more conciliatory than his earlier messages, most of which I’d reacted to with emojis or one-word responses.
Me: Thanks. Mom is having a hard time with dad’s setback, so she really needs me.
I hated lying. Hated it! But I hated that he’d been stealing from me and running up bills in my name more.
My parents stayed home to avoid Beau finding out the truth before I was ready, which added to my guilt. Every day, I hoped the lawyer would have good news. The strain of not revealing Beau’s secret and pretending we were still in a relationship kept me in a constant state of anxiety.
Miss Priss butted my chin with her head. She’d always been so in tune with my emotions and knew when I needed comfort.
“Yes, baby, you’re right. Petting you will make me feel better,” I cooed.
My heartbeat calmed as I petted her. She’d been with me since my dad’s injury. I found her while pacing outside the hospital in desperate need of a break from the sounds of the machines keeping his pain at bay. Her pitiful meows barely penetrated my heavy thoughts until she ran up to me and pounced.
Flea-bitten, half-starved, and with eyes too big for her head, Miss Priss rescued me as much as I did her. Mom and I both needed something to focus on besides the way our lives had changed, and Miss Priss was delighted to be that distraction.
