“I didn’t think about her, actually, but that’s a good idea.”
“Keep me updated. I’ll live vicariously through you.”
Laughing, I say, “Or you can ask Talia on a date for the next time you’re in town.”
“My flight is boarding. Good luck, and I’ll call you later.”
That’s very convenient when I bring up his connection to my contractor.
I start taking down the weird art and put a bunch of the décor into a box while waiting for Marco to come.
There’s a knock on the door fifteen minutes later and I open it to Marco and a teenager behind him.
“Thank you for coming. We’re going to take this down to the curb.”
Marco looks over it all and then back to me. “It sell already?”
“No. I need something else. We’ll let people come get it for free.”
“We take to our house?” Marco asks, pointing to him and his son.
Surprised, I say, “Sure. Do you have a truck to carry the furniture?”
The teenage boy nods. “It’s downstairs in front of the building. I’m Gio.”
“Are you sure you want this furniture?” I ask.
“Yeah,” Gio says. “What we have is very old. This looks brand new.”
“Let’s go, then,” I say. We start with a section of the couch, maneuvering it around the bends in the stairs and out to the truck. The next section is a bit easier and fills the remaining space in the truck bed.
“Why don’t you go unload that and come back for the television cabinet?” I ask.
“We can do that.”
“Do you need a dining table as well?” I ask, wondering if maybe they could benefit from the entire setup.
Gio shrugs. “We have an older folding table. And a few mismatched chairs.”
I grin. “Perfect. We’ll get the dining room table brought down for you as well. Are you good with beds?”
Waving his hand, Gio says, “We’re good on those.”
“Come on up when you get back. I’ll start bringing some other things downstairs.”
I pull out my phone and text Talia.
What do you have by way of furniture that’s ready to sell?
It’s an easy way to support someone local.
That’s what I tell myself, anyway.
The truth is, I’m thinking about my old couch—and Avery curled into it beside me, both of us pretending it was more comfortable than it was.
As much as I’m wishing I could go back and start my stay as Max Bauer, I know I’ve got to make things work here. I’ve got to prove to her that I’m worth the leap.
I’ll take Aiden’s advice and stay in Penrose Beach—except for when I have to make it to a board meeting—and wait it out. I can be patient when waiting for the one person that makes me feel both alive and like I can do anything.
