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“Ashlyn, you moved in here like a hurricane in high heels.”
In the chaos that had followed in Grandpa’s Jim’s death, I’d gone from being a visiting relative to a part-owner in the drop of a hat. When I saw it through Peter’s eyes, I could feel the strangeness, the awkwardness of the whole thing.
“Shit. Now I feel like a horrible person.”
“No, you’re not that.” His face changed, smoothing, losing that boyish charm I’d just witnessed. “I tried very hard to not like you.”
“That’s very honest of you. Have you made up your mind yet?” I crossed my arms, enjoying the banter.
Peter gave me a long, thoughtful look. “No, not yet.”
“Well, let me know what you decide. No hurry.” I whispered the last part, drawing a smile from my odd coworker. He turned to go then slapped his hand against the door, angling his head back inside.
“I can tell you what Luna decided though.” His lips curled again.
I groaned. “She loathes me. She’s made that very clear.”
Peter cleared his throat, chocolate-brown eyes laughing at me. “She’ll warm up to you. It took her a while to get used to me too.”
A pause. “Like how long?”
“Two years as intern, five years as full-time employee. Give or take a few months.”
My face fell, making his smile broaden. “Cheer up. There’s not very many places for her to keep hiding your packages. Especially ones as big as this one.”
I rolled my eyes, sliding into my discarded shoes and padding down the hall to get my item from Luna before it became public property. Peter disappeared down the hall to his tiny nook office.
“Hi Luna. Can I grab that package, please?”
Her gaze didn’t waver from the screen propped up on her desk, an episode ofNew Girlplaying with subtitles.
“Luna?”
She grunted, flicking her thumb to the small reception area. There, dressed in a neat black suit, was an older, silver-haired man. Across his lap, he held a long dress bag, and beside him was a plain wrapped box.
I smiled warmly at him. “Hello. Are those for me?”
He smiled at me so hard I thought his cheeks might crack. “Miss Grove, lovely to meet you.” He extended a hand out, which I shook gently.
“Wait… How long have you been waiting out here?” I looked behind me at Luna.
He continued to smile at me as if I invented the sun. “It’s only been twenty minutes.”
“Twenty minutes.” I gasped, turning to glare at Luna.
She pointedly looked away.
“Well, perhaps thirty,” he amended, jovial.
Was he kidding? My voice dropped lower. “Thirty?”
His smile faded. “Miss Grove, is everything okay? You are repeating yourself.”
I sounded like an idiot. “I’m sorry. It’s been a long morning. Can I help you?”
Cici waltzed into the room, her eyes immediately zeroing in on me. “Ash, what’s all this?”
My guest now seemed a bit put out. “I’m here to deliver this to Miss Grove, Miss Ashlyn Grove.”
