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She was livid about Miss Montgomery’s attitude and upset that I hadn’t called her at the time. But I’m pretty sure she’s pleased with the way things have turned out, and she can’t wait to meet Tanner and Nash.
“You’re sure you’ll be home in time for Thanksgiving?” I ask, just to check.
“I’ll be there, even if I have to bring Charlotte with me,” she says, and I have to laugh, although the prospect of introducing Tanner and Nash to my aunt isn’t exactly inspiring. I’m fairly sure Mom’s only kidding, though, and she promises to call me back before the weekend with an update from Evelyn Hall.
Before I get started with my unpacking, it makes sense for me to call my landlord, to inform him I’ve moved out. I probably should have done so before, but everything’s happened so quickly, it slipped my mind. I don’t have his number on my phone, but I look it up on the emails he sent me and wait for him to answer. It takes a while, but when he does, and I explain the situation, he sounds a little gruff.
“I understand things happen in life,” he says. “But you’re leaving me in the lurch here.”
“I know, and I’m sorry.”
“Hmm…” There’s a moment’s silence. “Give me a couple of days to work out how much you owe me, and I’ll get back to you.”
“How much I owe you? But I paid you two months in advance, and I’ve only been living there for three weeks.”
“And you seem to have forgotten that your tenancy was for six months. There’s a penalty for ending it early.”
“Seriously? I don’t remember reading anything about that in our agreement.”
“It’s standard practice. And I’ll need to inspect the property to see if there’s been any damage.”
“There hasn’t. I can assure you of that.”
“I’ll inspect it tomorrow and let you know what’s due by the end of the week. Now… where did you leave the keys?”
“I didn’t leave them anywhere. I’ve still got them.”
“Really? Well, can you go back to the house and leave them there, please? You shouldn’t have brought them away with you.”
“Oh. Sorry. I didn’t realize.” He huffs out a sigh, and then he asks for my new address. “I’m staying with my boyfriend. His apartment is on Main Street, but I don’t know what number. It’s above the bookstore.”
“I know the one,” he says. “I’ll be able to find you.”
“Why would you need to? You’ve got my number and my email address. You can contact me that way.”
“I like to know where people are, just in case.”
That sounds like a threat, and I suddenly feel uneasy. Is he going to come here and demand the money in person? I hang up, feeling fearful, just as Tanner comes up the stairs, looking dejected.
“Have you heard from Ezra?” I ask, getting to my feet and going straight to him.
“No.”
I put my hands on his shoulders and look up into his eyes. Something’s wrong, but if it’s not about Sabrina, then I’m at a loss.
“What’s happened?” I ask.
“It’s Katie.”
“What about her?”
“She’s just told me she wants to cut her hours.”
I lead him to the couch and we both sit side by side. “Is this because you keep taking time out to deal with Nash… and me?”
“No. I asked her that, and she said that’s got nothing to do with it. It’s because she’s met someone.”
“A man?”
