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She blinks rapidly, and my heart clenches. If she cries, I won’t be able to resist cradling her in my arms the way she’s holding Simba.
“I have to go inside,” she says. “My cat and I have nowhere else to go.”
Before I even have time to consider the words, they pop off my tongue. “You and Simba will stay with me, Avery.”
Her mouth falls open. “With you?”
“Yes,” I say firmly and then turn toward my brother. “May I escort Avery inside the house for five minutes so she can gather supplies for herself and the cat?”
He nods, but I see the question in his eyes. Am I really offering my home to this woman and her cat?
Yes, big brother, I am. And I’m afraid I’ll be offering her a lot more than that.
Chapter 7
Avery
I sit across from my father, twirling spaghetti with my fork. The dining room of the assisted living facility is warm and inviting, and I’m grateful that my dad’s able to live somewhere so nice.
“There are no signs of an actual fire, so everything should be fine,” I tell him.
“I’m not worried about the house,” he says. “I’m worried about you.”
“I’m fine,” I say. “Hunter graciously gave Simba and me his bedroom. He slept on the couch last night.”
Dad’s face softens. “Hunter’s a good guy. In the winter, he was always kind enough to shovel the snow from my walkway, and in the summer, he mowed my yard. Just to be nice. He takes care of everyone in the neighborhood, but especially the older people.”
I nod. I’m starting to believe that Dad is right about Hunter, but it’s hard to let my guard down. “The fire department says it may be up to a week before they can clear me to safely move back into the house. There’s no smoke damage, so as long as they rule out a fire, I don’t think there will be a problem selling the house. But…” My voice trails off.
“But?” my father prompts.
“Are you in a hurry to sell? As I mentioned on the phone, I’m thinking about staying in Mercury Ridge. I thought I might stay in the house for a while?”
Dad smiles. “Of course, kiddo. The house is yours. If you want to live in it, fantastic. If you’d rather sell and pocket the money, that’s fine, too.”
I choke on a spaghetti noodle and cough for a few seconds before saying in a choked voice, “You’re giving me the house?”
“It’s yours with no strings attached. I’d love for you to keep coming to visit me, but it’s not required. Either way, everything I have is yours.”
Tears sting the backs of my eyelids. “Of course, I’ll keep coming to visit, Dad. That’s why I want to stay in Mercury Ridge. I want more time with you. I’m sorry we stopped taking summer vacations together. It’s my biggest regret.”
He reaches across the table to grip my hand. “My biggest regret is that I didn’t come to visit you more in Frosty Crest. I should have at least insisted on holidays. I was a coward, kiddo.”
After dinner, I hug my father goodbye. Our conversation was cathartic, and I’m thankful that I’ll get to spend more time with him. Inheriting the house is a happy surprise, too. I now have a degree of financial security that would have taken me decades to achieve.
As I slide into the driver’s seat of Dad’s car—now my car, apparently—my thoughts shift to the handsome firefighter. A shudder of anticipation rolls through my body. Is Hunter as good a guy as my dad seems to think? He certainly had no reason to step up to help me and Simba—but he did, anyway. Even after I accused him of trying to scare me into HOA compliance.
I brush a finger along the bridge of my glasses. I need to see clearly, universe. Help a girl out, will you?
When I back the car into Hunter’s driveway, the headlights illuminate two figures across the street skulking around my catio.
“Hey!” I shout, jumping out of the car. “Leave that alone.”
“Hey, Avery,” a voice calls back. “It’s me, Hunter. This is my brother, Jonah.”
So, they think they’ll just get rid of my catio in the dark? I stalk over to them and slam my hands to my hips. “What exactly do you think you’re doing?”
Hunter’s eyebrows shoot up. “We’re moving the catio to my place so Simba can use it.”
