Page 93 of Nothing to Fear

“Cherry—”

“I appreciate all your help today. It’s late and I have work tomorrow so…”

“What happened to not sleeping well alone?”

“I’ll get by,” she said, catching a quick glance up at his frown. “I got by before you.”

And she’d be fine without him, didn’t it always work out that way in the end?

“Baby—”

“Please,” she said, crouching to pick up his shirt to hand it over. “Go home, Darroch.”

Without giving him a chance to say anything else, she went to open the front door. What was the point of dragging it out? Just the idea of putting his hands on her was repellant to him. All it took to find that out was the right call at the right moment.

Maybe she should thank Jeremy for revealing that truth.

Though he muttered something else, he strode past her and into the hall. Goodnight, Darroch. Was it goodbye too?

TWENTY-NINE

AND, BOY, WAS she in a pickle. It plagued her all day. Tuesday. Moving day… or it was supposed to be.

Yesterday, with Darroch, she’d accepted the new apartment and the keys. She’d also informed her current landlord she’d be leaving. What the hell was she going to do now on her own? This was why she should know better than to rely on people.

Moving the furniture was out. Even if she could get a truck, she couldn’t lift such large, heavy pieces by herself.

“You’re a million miles away,” Yvette said, joining her at the counter.

“It’s been a busy day,” she said on a sigh. “Sorry.”

“You don’t have to worry about moving, I’ll help you. We’ll go tonight, rent a truck from… somewhere.”

“I can’t afford it.” Turning her back to the store, she leaned against the counter. “It seemed like a good idea at the time. Now I’m locked in.”

“Is anything urgent? Maybe the landlord will store whatever we can’t move.”

“That’ll cost money I don’t have.” She sighed. “I’ll probably be charged for abandoning it there too.”

If the landlord had to pay someone to come dispose of her junk, that cost would be passed onto her, no doubt.

“Or she rents the place fully furnished.” Good thing they hadn’t gotten around to dismantling the furniture. “Iain’s away for another sixteen days.”

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll figure it out,” she said, squeezing her friend’s arm. “Thank you though, your support means a lot.”

The apartment was one worry that she could at least attempt to tackle. The other things on her mind, the other thing, Darroch, was less tangible.

No matter how many times she told herself it was for the best, that they would be better apart, she couldn’t get him off her mind.

“Hmm, maybe that will cheer you up?”

“That?” Her friend’s gaze was aimed at the door. “What?”

Pushing off, she twisted around and couldn’t believe there were Breckenridge boys out there on the concourse between their store and the leathers department opposite. Darroch, Caber, Ward, and Troy split off in pairs. When Darroch headed toward them with Ward, she turned her back again.

“Think our teammate heard about the latest sign up?”

“Ladies…” Darroch’s voice vibrated the counter from the other side, that’s what it felt like anyway. “Busy day?”

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