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He shrugs as he looks around the room. “For you.”

“I don’t understand,” I say, studying him with a scowl and he just offers me a warm smile as he turns to look down the hallway.

“I keep this place for folks who get into a bad situation, like the one you seem to have found yourself in tonight. It’s here to help people get back on their feet.”

My eyes are wide as I take in the space again, my mind racing. “How much do you want for rent?”

I have a little bit of money saved up but not a ton.

“I’m not charging you rent, girl. You can stay here, free of charge, while you figure out what your next move is.”

I shake my head, meeting Calvin’s eyes. “You can’t be serious. That’s too generous, Calvin. I need to pay you something in rent if I’m going to stay here.”

“No,” he says, raising his hand up like he doesn’t want to hear another word about it. “I won’t accept any money from you.”

Calvin and I stare at each other, neither one of us willing to give in.

Ugh.

What a stubborn old man.

It’s too good to be true, though. I need to pay him something, anything, for his generosity. Finally, in a last attempt to get my way, I shrug and turns towards the door.

“Okay. Guess I’ll just sleep in my Jeep.”

He sighs. “Hold on.”

“Yes?” I say, turning back to him with the hint of a smile and he shakes his head, fighting back a grin of his own as he tries to look annoyed with me.

“How about this? I’ll take fifty dollars out of each paycheck to cover the rent on this place. Does that sound fair?”

I grin, feeling more relaxed than I have in months. “I can work with that.”

“Hmm,” he grumbles, giving me a little side eye as he turns and sets the keys down on the kitchen table. “Oh, also, Kat is taking your shift tomorrow and I don’t want to hear any complaining about it.”

“Calvin…”

He shakes his head. “I said no complaining. You need a break after all that you’ve been through tonight and Mila has been texting me all afternoon, worried you’re going to work yourself into a coma so you’re taking the day off and that’s that.”

I can’t remember that last time I got a day off from both jobs and I have to admit, it does sound amazing so after a moment of hesitation, I nod.

“Okay, you win this one.”

“Good,” he huffs, looking mighty pleased with himself as he walks over to the door before turning back to me. “Go ahead and take a look around while I grab your stuff out of the Jeep.”

Before I can even protest, he’s out the door and tromping down the metal steps.

Oh, whatever.

I’m done arguing with people for the night.

As I wait for him to bring my things up, I wander down the hallway and find three more doors. Opening the first, I find a queen-sized bed, two end tables, a dresser and nicely sized walk-in closet. Two large windows look out over more of the city and I love the way the glow of the streetlights illuminates the room. Glancing back at the bed, I sigh. It’s practically calling my name but that’s going to have to wait for a minute. Heading over to the second door, I open it and find a large bathroom equipped with a gorgeous walk-in shower, a large soaker tub and a vanity big enough for all my products. Not that I have all that many.

The third door has a locking knob and deadbolt so I quickly unlock those before peeking out into a hallway I recognize. It leads to the storage area and the stairs down to the bakery which means I don’t even need to leave the building to pop downstairs for work. With a sigh, I close the door, making sure it’s locked back up before I wander down to the living room and take in my new home.

It may have been an absolute disaster of a night.

And it may have been a shitty few months but this is where I get to start over and I’ve never been more excited for anything in my whole entire life.