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“I’m so sorry.”
I shrug.Truth is I’d show her a lot more if I thought she really wanted to see it.
“I left my house early thinking I’d hit traffic and I wanted to make a stop for coffee but then coffee didn’t take that long and there was absolutely no traffic which is crazy because there’s always traffic I mean it’s California what’s Los Angeles without traffic and anyway I knocked and even rang the doorbell but you didn’t answer so I panicked and used the emergency key you gave me and then I went into your room and well you know the rest and I’m sorry.”
She inhales a breath and stares at me expectantly with her cheeks still tinged pink.I’m impressed with how much she just rambled without taking a breath.I almost pulled out my phone to time her to see how long she could talk before she lost too much oxygen.
“I’m sorry,” she says again as if I didn’t hear her the first or second time.
“It’s okay.It’s no biggie.”
She nibbles her lip and looks at me like she wants to say more, but she doesn’t.
“Did you find some houses you wanted to check out?”I ask.
“Yeah.”
“Great.Then let’s go,” I say, grabbing my keys and heading for the door.
The first house is a disaster.We barely get through the door before I pull her back out by her elbow and tell her over my dead fucking body will she live there.The second house isn’t much better.The third doesn’t even have a working bathroom although it’s got a great yard and is in a cute neighborhood.By the time we get to the fourth house, I have half a mind to tell her to move in with me because at least I know she’ll be safe, and my house is more than big enough for two people.We complete our walk-through, and I can tell by the sag of her shoulders she’s not in love with this house either.
“Let’s grab some lunch before we hit the next house on your list.”
“Okay,” she says, her gaze staring out the window and her voice monotone.
I fight the urge to fidget as the need to fix this hits me hard.I’ve never been good about seeing Jolie unhappy or discouraged, but knowing how badly she wants to get out of her house is making me particularly antsy.
When we get to the restaurant—her favorite burger place—I discreetly pull out my phone and shoot a text to the realtor who helped Trent and me when we bought our place long before he moved out to live with Becka.Tucking my phone back in my pocket, I join Jo and we walk into the restaurant.
After we’ve been seated on the patio and placed our orders, I rest my forearms on the table and lean toward Jo.
“What do you want?”
She stares at me like a deer caught in the headlights, so I elaborate.“In your house.What are you looking for?”
She adjusts in her seat, seeming antsy and unsure, and then licks her lips before nibbling on the bottom one.I drop my gaze to her lips, getting momentarily distracted before I refocus on her eyes.
She clears her throat.“Well, I want something cozy, not too big since it’s just me.”She drops her gaze to her lap, and I know it’s hard for her to admit she’s alone.This is a big change for her.
She places her elbows on the table and rests her head in her hands, before running them through her hair and fixing me with a resigned look.“Honestly, I don’t know.I don’t know what I want.I thought I would maybe get a feeling when I found the right one, but they’re all awful.I just…” She blows out a breath.“I want all of this to be easier,” she says, her voice dropping.
My fingers ache to reach out and touch her, offer her comfort, but I’ve had eleven years of practice fighting that urge, and I don’t cave in now.
“We’ll find you the perfect house.I promise.”
I’ve never broken a promise to her, and I’m more determined than ever to make sure I don’t break this one.
