Page 12 of Come Back to Me

“What makes you ask?”

“I dunno. There’s something…” I pucker my brow. “He reminds me of someone.”

“Who?”

“If I knew that then I wouldn’t be all pensive.”

“Is this you being pensive? I thought it was you attempting to be mysterious.”

Her glib smile has me rolling my eyes. “I don’t have to ‘attempt’ anything. Iammysterious. Anyway, it’s literally my job to bug you.”

“If I’m your boss?—”

“More like my sugar momma.”

“How am I your sugar momma?”

“Maybe Colt’s my sugar daddy,” I muse. “Though, it’s all G-rated. I mean, he pays my bills, I eat his food, and—” I click my fingers. “I changed my mind.”

“About?”

“I’m not your sugar baby. I’m your emotional support animal.”

A hoot escapes her. “That is exactly what you are.”

“I know. Damn good at it too, if I do say so myself. I know your blood sugar better than you do, and I always carry snacks—I’m like a walking vending machine. I also make you laugh and I’m with you constantly.”

“I should probably pay you,” she teases. “Such a stellar emotional support animal deserves payment.”

“Hey, I don’t have to talk to that dickhead Jacobie anymore—” The conductor from hell. “The only time I’m in the kitchen is to pester you and to grab food I don’t have to cook, and I get to live with you again. This is my version of heaven.”

“My version of purgatory,” she says with a grin.

“Pfft.”

“When is all your stuff due to arrive?”

“End of this week.”

“Surprised you haven’t gone to visit your folks yet.”

“Wanted everything to be afait accomplibefore I told them I lived here now.”

“Wise move.”

“I’m the wisest witch in the West,” I concur, snagging some of the trail mix spilling out of a bag Zee left on the table.

“There’s a classified ad in theHeraldthat might suit you.”

Both Zee and I grow still at the new voice.

The man in question.

Cody’s always hovering, and I’m not sure how he is when he has a job and stuff, but it’s one of the reasons I brought him up with Zee.

He’s…

I don’t want to say weird. Because I don’t think the Korhonens have it in them to be weird. Even Callan, the geek, ispretty cool despite sucking at the video games he challenges me to play.

---