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“Sounds… healthy?”
“Nah, it’s fine. It’s just how they are. They’ve always bickered. But then I have weird friends, so.” I shrugged. “Saylor met Dylan when she needed a roommate, and even after they made things official, they still kept their own separate rooms. I think they’re only changing that when they close on their house.”
“Makes sense. Even people who have been married for thirty years have their own rooms.”
“Let’s be honest, if you were married for thirty years, you’d probably want your own bedroom, too.”
He snorted. “Probably. So is this a good place? We’re going off on a tangent.”
“It’s not my fault. I’m halfway to a food coma.” I leaned back on the sofa and put my hand on my stomach.
“Nobody made you get a second helping of that curry.”
“But it was so good, and I was so hungry,” I whispered.
He put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me into him. “I’m kidding. It’s the biggest compliment. Just help me look at the rest of these houses, and I’ll leave you alone to go to bed.”
“Fine.” I rolled my head onto his shoulder and took control of the trackpad before he could move his arm from where it was wrapped around me.
What?
I was comfortable.
Don’t look at me like that.
“My first choice so far is this one,” I said, referring to the one near Josh and Colton’s place. “I know firsthand they’re built well, the rooms are big, and the yards are big but not unmanageable.”
I clicked through to the next one.
“This isn’t really somewhere I’d personally choose. It’s a little too far out of town for my liking, but Seb’s sports center where he has a great gym is only five miles away, so that’s probably not a bad thing for you. You clearly utilize a gym where I… no.”
Maverick’s whole body shook.
“Stop laughing,” I muttered. “That’s a no… No… Oh, this is a good one. I think this is near where Saylor and Dylan looked at a house.”
“They didn’t buy it?”
“Outbid.”
“Ah.”
“She was furious and didn’t speak to anyone for three days. I think she threatened to live in a shack on a swamp right after until Dylan found the house they’re buying and she cheered up because it was even bigger and cheaper.”
“Your friends are a lot of work, aren’t they?”
“Why do you think we have such a large group? We share the load.” I laughed and sat up. “Okay, that’s about it. Options three, five, and nine are your best ones. They’re all with the same realtor so you should be able to see them all in the same day.”
“I’ll give them a call tomorrow. Thanks.” He took his arm back and shut down the laptop.
“Hey,” I said, turning. “You do know they’re all long leases, right? Not just a few months.”
Slowly, he faced me. “I know. I only asked for long leases.”
“Oh.”
“You were right what you said at the bar last night. I’ve never been in a small town like this, but the more I’m here, the more I really like it.” He laughed quietly. “And the people aren’t bad, too.”
“Except my brother.”
“He’ll come around.”
“Not as long as he thinks we’re dating. Although, to be honest, I could bring Brad Pitt home and he’d still be pissed.”
“He’s a brother. It’s his job.” He smiled. “If you change your mind about dating, you’re gonna have to convince him, though.”
Laughing, I dipped my head a little.
“Thanks for this, Blondie. I’ll let you go to bed now.”
“Can I ask you something before you go?”
“You just did.”
“Funny,” I deadpanned, getting up and following him to the table where he put his laptop and charge cord away. “I meant to tell you earlier before we talked about the hiking trails. I spoke to my grandma earlier.”
“Oh, yeah, you said you were calling her. Did she get the rooster issue sorted?”
“She did. He’s being rehomed, and they made some agreement about the young ones.” I stared at his back. “She also said there’d been an anonymous donation so they can create a flower garden.”
“Oh? That’s nice. I bet she’s pleased.”
“Mm. She is. She’s already told me how I have to dig up her beloved dahlias from my parents’ yard so she can replant them.”
He picked up his bag and turned, freezing when he saw me staring. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“The only people who knew she wanted a flower garden was me, Josh, Kinsley, Holley, Saylor, and you.”
He didn’t say anything.
“And none of us have a ‘substantial amount’ lying around to build an old woman a gated flower garden to protect it from chickens.”
Maverick still didn’t say anything.
“Why did you do it? I know it was you.”
After a moment, he sighed, looking away. “My grandparents died when I was young, and my grandmother loved gardening. She didn’t get to do it when she moved into her care home. All she had was a tiny balcony you couldn’t swing a cactus on. I hated that she couldn’t do what she loved, and I guess I had a moment when I heard you say that about your grandma.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “And it wasn’t a substantial amount. It was five hundred dollars.”
