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“I’ve learned how much character matters. It was a hard lesson—and now I’ll have another ex, one who’s acting so erratic that I’m going to have to change the locks on this place even though I got her keys back. That’s something I never even had to consider with you.”

Patience sat up taller. “What do you think she might do?”

“Now that she knows you’re working for me again? Who knows, but I’m not going to take any chances.”

Working for him again? They’d started the trucking business together. That he’d never given her any credit besides that of a menial laborer rankled. She’d handled all the bills, cash flow and accounting as well as the scheduling and dispatch—kept everything flowing as it should. But she had enough to worry about—didn’t need to get into that old argument. No matter what it’d been like before, she was his employee now. “I can get the locks changed for you,” she said. “Want me to do that today?”

“I guess so. Might as well have the locks changed on the house as well.”

“You got it.” Patience switched screens on her computer so she could look up a locksmith, but still Jack didn’t leave her desk.

“Glenda told me that you’re seeing Kanon Kincaid,” he said. “Is that true?”

Apparently, Glenda was continuing to spread rumors through town. “No.”

He didn’t look as though he believed her. “She said she saw you and Ari coming out of a store with him over the weekend. That he bought you a tree.”

“He did. But only because we didn’t have one.” She’d had a great time with Kanon, but she hadn’t heard from him since. It’d only been a day, but it seemed like an eternity—and that felt like a problem.

“Your father wasn’t willing to put up a tree this year? What’s going on now? He’s decided trees make Christmas too commercial or something?”

“He has a tree,” she clarified. “It was Ari and I who didn’t. We moved out on Friday.”

“You what?”

Apparently, Ari hadn’t been communicating with her father the past few days. That surprised Patience—that she wouldn’t text Jack to tell him about the move—but Jack had been going through a lot with the separation. That was why Ari had spent the weekend with Patience in the first place. So he probably hadn’t reached out. And Ari had been busy helping with the move and getting settled into their new place. She’d also been absolutely obsessed with Bubba, had spent every extra second with him since Friday. “I rented the mother-in-law’s quarters behind the Devlins’ house—where Mr. Devlin’s father used to live.”

He gaped at her. “Why?”

“It was time.”

“That’s it? You just…finally decided to do it and you did?” He lowered his voice. “Or was it because of Kanon?”

“It was partly because of you. I’m finally making enough to afford rent,” she said with a laugh, but he didn’t let that throw him off track.

“So Kanon had nothing to do with it?”

“No.” She knew that wasn’t strictly true. The argument she’d gotten into with her father was over Kanon. But she figured the less she told Jack about her personal life, the better. Enough information would leak over through their daughter once they went back to their usual routine.

An expression of concern settled over his face. “You remember what he was like when we were in high school…”

She stiffened her spine, couldn’t help being offended for Kanon. “What do you mean?”

“He was always causing trouble, getting expelled from school, running away, fighting with his old man—fighting with everyone else.”

“He had a rough childhood. His old man was an alcoholic.”

“That may be true. But a dude with his background probably has some anger issues. That’s what I’m trying to say.”

She scowled. “He hasn’t exhibited any of that.”

“I’m not sure you’d see it—until it was too late, right?”

“Jack, don’t worry,” she said with a sigh. “We’re just friends.”

“Which is why he bought you and Ari the tree…”

“Yes. That’s why he bought the tree. To be nice. But either way, I have the right to date anyone I want, including him, right?” she said in exasperation.