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“Why not? We already sleep next to one another.”
The pink hitting her cheeks chases away some of the sadness. “We do not sleep next to each other, Rhett.”
“Near then.”
“In separate cars.”
“Parked close.”
“Parked an acceptable distance away.”
“This will sound strange being that we’re two strangers sharing a parking lot at night, but I feel a friendship developing here, so I’m going to say it. If it didn’t seem weird to the owner, I’d pitch us a tent in the middle of the parking lot just so I don’t have to worry about you sleeping in your car all alone.”
She slaps a hand against her chest. “Why that might be the friendliest thing you’ve said to me yet.”
“I’m a friendly guy.”
I snag her hand and yank until she nearly topples in my lap. Lucky for her, she catches herself. I really didn’t think that through and nearly got slammed in the balls. “Sit and relax a while.”
She pins me with a glare only inches from my face. “Your bossiness is going to get you into trouble.”
“You like it.” My gaze drops to her mouth.
She shrugs one uncovered shoulder. “No use in denying the obvious. It’s too bad you have so much baggage,” she teases with a sparkle in her eye.
I nearly drop my mouth open in affront. “Just for that, I’m going to stop calling you Rosie and start calling you suitcase instead.”
“Only if I can call you nutcase.”
“We are quite the pair.”
She settles her back against the right side of my chest and sighs. The smell of her shampoo, something minty and fresh, reminds me of summer and crisp drinks to cut the heat.
“Can you hand me a drink?”
Without dislodging her from her position that I quite like, I slide the bag off my back to retrieve the snacks. I picked up some items while I waited for her to get back to the parking lot earlier. She takes the offered bottle of water. Before taking her own drink, she pours some into a bowl for her dog.
“If you aren’t busy tomorrow, I’d like you to come hang out with my friends. We’re helping them move, but you wouldn’t have to do any work. It might be nice to meet some more people in town.”
“After that rant, you’re willingly inviting me to hang out with you?” Her tone remains teasing, but I sense an undercurrent of insecurity.
I nudge her back with my shoulder. “Let’s just say I don’t mind being stuck with you any less than I did an hour ago.”
“In that case, I refuse to go to a moving party and not help carry some boxes. I’m just sorry that my car’s full of my own junk so I can’t fit anything inside it. I’d love to come.”
There’s an easiness to her personality that’s comforting. Nora was the type to need at least forty-eight hours’ notice for anything. I couldn’t even plan to meet Nathan at Calypso’s without a drawn-out plan with a detailed start and end time. Evie takes my demands disguised as invitations in strides. If I’m being honest, I’d probably pester her in the parking lot until she agreed to come along. I may not have access to the money that can help her, but I do have access to time and good people.
I take a drink to clear my dry throat. “Perfect. They’re going to love you.”
10
Evie
“You nervous?”
Rhett poises his fist to knock on his friend’s door as he takes one last look at me. I don’t know if the apprehension is written on my face or if he’s just observant enough. With Ghost’s leash clenched in one hand and my cleaning caddy in the other, I shake my head.
“Not nervous. Hoping I don’t end up in the way.”
