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Now he just stands here, mouth hanging open. Against all common sense, I almost find it charming.

Then I remember he might be here to kick my ass out.

I move farther into the room. Not like a charging bull, just enough that I’m not standing with my back to the patio like I’m about to make a break for it.

Water drips from my hair onto my shoulder, then runs down my chest.

Paul’s eyes flick down. Fast, but not fast enough.

Interesting. Also, kind of familiar.

The skinny guy notices too. His eyebrows climb. He looks between us like he’s saving seventeen comments for later.

Paul finally finds part of a sentence.

“What—how did you—why are you—” He stops, then starts again. “What are you doing here?”

I keep my smile where it is.

“I live here now.”

Paul blinks.

The skinny friend says, “That seems unlikely.”

I look at him.

He holds up one hand. “Not impossible. Just unlikely.”

“This is Don,” Paul says automatically, then looks annoyed at himself for saying it.

“Don,” I say.

“Clint,” Don says back.

“You remembered.”

“I was close. I considered Chad.”

Paul’s voice tightens. “You don’t live here.”

“I’m staying for a while.”

“You can’t just stay here.”

“According to my lawyer, I can.”

The word lawyer does what I hoped it would do. Paul’s jaw shifts. Don turns slightly toward him, as if checking whether he should step in. Good. Let them remember there are rules, even if none of us fully understands which ones apply here.

Don takes the job because Paul still looks like he is trying to arrange too many disasters in alphabetical order.

“Okay,” Don says, calm enough to annoy me. “Probably best not to have this conversation while one of us is soaking wet, but what the hell. Clint—what exactly is your understanding of the situation?”

“My understanding? Well, according to both of our lawyers, this property doesn’t technically belong to either of us yet. It belongs to my father’s estate, and—if we’re going to get real technical—neither of us has any right to be here more than the other.”

Don crosses his arms, nods. “Mmhmm. Okay. That’s a lot of understanding. Paul?”

Paul flinches.