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She snorted. “Not hardly, boy.”
Shit. “Here’s the thing....”
The cigarette went still between her lips and her eyes rose to meet his with a hard gaze. “What?”
Walker glanced at Jenny, who shook her head, but Rayleen would find out sooner than later, and his mama hadn’t raised him to lie to old ladies. “My old friend Charlie? Charlie is actually short for Charlotte.”
“Charlotte?” She cackled. “What kind of a name is that for a...” The amusement left her face and was quickly replaced with tight anger. “No,” she said firmly. “No, sir. I don’t care how fine your behind is in those jeans, I ain’t letting one of your floozies move in here.”
“She’s not one of my floozies! I haven’t seen her since high school!” He frowned at his beer and muttered, “Not that I have floozies.”
Rayleen snorted. “I said no, and that’s that.”
“Come on. Charlie is a great girl. And she’ll take good care of the apartment, not like some twentysomething snowboarder looking for a place to party with his friends.”
“He’s right,” Jenny finally jumped in. “The last two seasonal renters were a nightmare. And you say all the time how disgusting men are.”
“Hmph.” She took up her cards again. “They are disgusting. And idiotic. That’s why I don’t keep any in my own house. But they’re nice from a distance.”
Trying not to imagine that he and the other residents were just exotic animals in a zoo, Walker ducked down and met Rayleen’s eyes above her hand of cards. “It’s just for a few months, Rayleen. Please? As a favor to me? I’ll make sure she doesn’t play hockey in there. In fact, if she does, I’ll kick her out myself.”
Rayleen scowled. “Goddamn women. They’re starting to breed like rabbits in there. Every time I look up, there’s another.”
“Please?” he repeated, folding his hand around hers, cards and all. “For me?”
She jerked her hand away. “Fine. Just cut the shit. She can move in, but she’d better not put up any pink paint. Or frilly curtains. It ain’t a damn henhouse.”
Walker leaned in and kissed her cheek before she could get away. “I owe you, Rayleen.”
Her face went pink as she shoved him away. “Oh, go on. Stand by the bar and look pretty before I change my mind.” She was grumbling as he moved away, but Walker tossed Jenny a big smile.
“Refill?” he asked, pushing his glass toward her.
“I can’t believe you pulled it off!”
“Aw, she’s just a big softie.”
Jenny laughed so hard she had to brace herself on the bar. “Yeah. Sure. You keep telling yourself that.”
But Walker knew he was right. Rayleen was harmless, and she was going to love Charlie. He was sure of it.
* * *
“OH, CHARLOTTE, there you are!”
Charlie gritted her teeth at the sound of Dawn Taggert’s voice, but she made herself smile as she turned around to greet the other woman. She’d known her boss would likely be at this baby shower. After all, the mom-to-be was one of their old friends from high school, another girl like Dawn and Charlie who’d been invited to all the after-school clubs and none of the parties.
They’d all been good girls back then, and so far, Charlie was the only one who’d fallen from grace. Dawn had yet to miss a chance to remind her.
As Dawn closed the distance across the crowded living room, Charlie realized that Dawn had the mom-to-be in tow. Charlie forced her smile wider. “Sandra! Congratulations! Thank you so much for inviting me. It’s been so long.”
“It has,” Sandra said, hugging Charlie past her hard belly.
“You look amazing.” She did. She had a smooth bob similar to Dawn’s, though several shades darker than Dawn’s blond hair. And despite the amazing bulge of her stomach, she looked as if she hadn’t gained weight anywhere else.
“You look great, too.”
“Thanks.” Charlie smoothed a self-conscious hand over the cardigan sweater she’d pulled on over her dress. She didn’t feel great. She felt dowdy and unnatural and thin as a stick in her modest clothes and ballet flats. She hadn’t dressed like this since she’d interviewed for college, but she’d been trying to change her image. Besides, Dawn had insisted her head of security couldn’t wear heels and be effective. Charlie wanted to protest that she felt much more badass in heels and a tight skirt, but unfortunately she wasn’t in a position to argue.
