I blinked. “You don’t have to thank me. It was a team effort.”
“Maybe.” He shrugged one shoulder, lips quirking faintly. “But you were the push we needed.”
Heat curled in my stomach at the sincerity in his voice.
I’d gotten compliments before, plenty of them. But this? This was different. It meant more. Maybe because it was Beau. Maybe because I actually cared what he thought.
I let that settle for a beat, then finally said it. “I found a place in town.”
Beau looked up again. For a split second, I swore I saw something flicker across his face. Disappointment?
It was gone before I could be sure, replaced by a nod and a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“That’s good,” he said. “Close by?”
“Two blocks away. Walking distance.”
His smile warmed, just a little. “That’s even better.”
I hesitated, fingers brushing the edge of the counter. “I could use a hand moving in.”
That got his full attention. “Yeah?” he asked, eyes brightening as he tossed the towel aside. “You sure?”
I shrugged, aiming for casual. “It’s just one bag. Not exactly a moving truck situation.”
He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “Then why’d you need help?”
I didn’t answer. Just let the silence stretch, a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.
Maybe he’d already figured it out. That I didn’t actually need help. I just didn’t want to do it alone.
We closed up the shop together, turning off the ovens and stacking the chairs like it was just another night. But something was buzzing under the surface.
Anticipation. Nervous energy. The quiet hum of something shifting between us. When we reached the room I’d been staying in, Beau paused in the doorway and took it in.
“You cleaned,” he said softly, stepping inside. “You didn’t have to.”
I glanced around at the made bed, the neatly folded linens, the swept floor, and the stacked tools I’d tucked back into the corner where I found them. It looked like no one had stayed there at all.
“It felt right,” I said, voice quieter than I expected. “You gave me a space when I had nothing. Least I could do.”
Beau’s gaze shifted to the backpack slung over my shoulder. His brow furrowed. “This everything?”
“Yeah,” I replied, eyes dropping to the floor. “It’s all I’ve got.”
He didn’t say anything. Just nodded once. “I’ll drive you.”
We didn’t talk much on the drive. The silence wasn’t awkward, just heavy with things we weren’t quite ready to say yet.
Every once in a while, I’d catch him glancing over at me, his hand resting on the gearshift like he wanted to reach out but didn’t know if he should.
The soft lights of Sugarpaw Springs passed by in a blur until we pulled onto the side street where my new apartment was.
Nothing fancy. Just a sturdy brick building with scuffed steps and a faded awning. But it was mine.
Beau killed the engine and stepped out without a word, falling into step beside me as we approached the building. I noticed him scanning the neighborhood, eyes sharp and assessing.
Like he was checking for anything that might be a threat. That little detail, that subtle protectiveness, settled deep in my chest.
