He slapped my back. If it was supposed to be intimidating, he failed.
“It was good to see you again, friend,” he said in an ingratiating voice as he turned me in the direction of my house. “Dani and I will have to have you over for dinner sometime when she’s back home.”
Nuances often went over my head, but his claim lacked subtly in spite of the friend label. A glance at Dani confirmed she didn’t appreciate his comments. Since she wasn’t in distress, I went inside.
I spent a few hours on the floors. It was tedious as hell, so I deep cleaned the other rooms for some excitement. Without furniture, it went quickly. After a workout and a shower, I debated going to the diner for dinner but decided I wasn’t up for more visits to the past.
Instead, I took a beer, a bottle of water, and a couple sandwiches out to the back yard. With a nip in the air, this was the perfect time to break in my new toy. Earlier that afternoon, I unloaded and set up my order from the hardware store. Now that the sun had set, I could enjoy my fire pit to the fullest.
Lighting it was a breeze. I kicked back on my folding chair and stared at the evening sky through the slats of the pergola my dad built. Idly, I wondered if the pergola would be enough when summer hit, or if I’d need to add a shade. I hadn’t spent much time in my dad’s precious yard, but I could admit he did a good job.
Whenever I imagined my return to Sierra Rose Ridge, I envisioned myself cuddled up on an outdoor loveseat around a fire pit with my fiancée and a dog.
“I’m one for four,” I muttered.
Six months ago, I consciously ignored the problems in my life. My breakup was brutal, but Blair did me a favor. We would have been miserable.
And I could still get a dog.
“This is nice,” Dani said behind me. “Did you put the fire pit in, or did the previous tenant never use it?”
I didn’t hear her approach, but I must have expected her. Why else would I have brought the second folding chair outside when it was doing double-duty as my dining room chair and nightstand? I patted the chair, and offered her the unopened water.
“I should explain about earlier,” she said tentatively.
I took a swig of my drink and contemplated her statement.
“You don’t have to. I’m happy to listen if you want to talk, but you don’t owe me anything.”
Her sigh said a lot, but her words still shocked the hell out of me.
“He’s stealing from me, cheating on me, and running up bills in my name. I can’t break up with him or move out until the lawyer has everything finalized so he doesn’t utterly destroy my credit. He still thinks I’m ignorant. I don’t really want to talk about it, but that’s the gist.”
If I hadn’t been seated, her flat, emotionless declaration would have knocked me on my ass. The desolate expression on her face made it clear this was no joke. Before I figured out what to say, she rushed in to fill the silence.
“I told you I hadn’t gotten any better at picking guys. Do you remember Vanessa? Vanessa Garcia? She was a ranch girl, so I didn’t hang out withher, but she had English with you in Mrs. Gonzales’s class. Anyway, she and my cat will screen any future dates I have because I’m apparently a moron.”
“You’re not a moron. And your cat?”
“I might be. You don’t know me anymore.”
Her joking tone was forced.
“I might not know the details of your life now, but I knowyou.” I bumped her shoulder with mine but was careful to keep it casual. Fuck, how I wanted to wipe away her hurt.
Desperate to change the topic, I considered what to say.
“What are you doing out here, anyway?” I asked. “Off work?”
“It’s Wednesday night.”
I stared at her blankly before recognition dawned.
“Holy shit! Your parents still have date night on Wednesdays?”
She moaned.
“Yes, and it’s cute, and I’m happy for them, but it’s also salt in the wound. Plus, since they’re letting me stay rent-free until I find a place, they deserve time alone for a while. I was gonna drive around, but the light back here beckoned me.”
