Page 67 of Rival for Rent

“Dana called me,” I said as I turned onto New Hampshire. “I didn’t even know she had my number. But she said she’d been trying to reach you and couldn’t, so I explained what happened, and she insisted both of us come sleep at her place tonight.”

“Oh, god,” Mason groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. “She’s going to mother me so hard.”

“Maybe you need it.”

“You don’t know what she’s like. She’ll do it toyoutoo.”

“It’ll be fine,” I said.

He gave me a dark, mutinous glance, but didn’t argue.

At first, I didn’t know what he was talking about. After a very creepy doorbell chimed to announce our arrival, Dana greetedus—and Bella—warmly, giving me a hug like we’d seen each other last week instead of twelve years ago.

“So good to see you,” she said, pulling me into the living room. “Sit down, sit down, I’ll bring coffee.”

She practically shoved Mason and me onto the couch. Bella curled up on the floor between us.

Dana was definitely doting, but I figured anyone would be, if their twin had just gotten out of the hospital. She asked about the final damage, and Mason explained: no concussion, but a broken rib and a strained right arm. He’d been given heavy-duty painkillers and ordered to take it easy—no lifting, no workouts, no stress on the body for a few weeks.

“Very sensible,” Dana said. “We can manage that. Between the two of us, either Kai or I should be able to stay with you.” She held out her hand. “Do you have your pills? Or did you already give them to Kai?”

I blinked, and Mason said, “I’m not seven, Dane. I can take care of my own pills.”

“I don’t want you to forget,” she said. “I know sometimes things slip your mind.”

Mason gave me a look and said dryly, “I forgot to finish a course of antibiotics once, in seventh grade, and the infection came back. Nearly twenty years later, and she still hasn’t let it go.”

I smiled. “Frankly, I think it’s cool that you’ve met your match.”

His eyes narrowed. “Meaning?”

“That there’s someone out there in the world who doesn’t let you bulldoze over them with your stubbornness.”

“I seem to recall you put up a good fight.”

“And yet somehow, I still ended up doing exactly what you wanted.” I laughed. “It’s nice to see you finally getting a taste of your own medicine.”

“Traitor,” Mason said.

Dana looked between us like she wasn’t quite sure what to make of the exchange. “We can talk about the pill thing later,” she said. “For now, we should get you up to bed.”

“Bed?” Mason protested. “You just made us coffee.”

“Because I know how grumpy you get without it. But you still need to rest.”

Mason looked over at me. “Did you tell her to say that? Are you in cahoots?”

“Me?” I said innocently. “Cahoots? Never.”

He glared. I laughed. “Mason, which seems more likely—that I called your sister ahead of time, told her how resistant you were to sleeping at my place, and concocted a whole plan to make you rest? Or that she’s a person with a brain who can tell you were beat up and need to fucking sleep?”

“With you? I’d say chances are about even,” he grumbled.

“You’ll have to make your peace with not knowing. But you can make that peace in bed.”

“This is ridiculous. I’m fine. I spent most of the day lying around in that hospital bed.”

“And I’m sure you got tons of sleep, what with the beeping machines and constant interruptions.”

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