Page 82 of The Only Heart that Matters

I end the call and run outside to the main waterline. By the time I’ve figured out what I’m doing, Cal’s truck lights illuminate the line and I shove my phone in my pocket, no longer relying on the flashlight feature.

After the water line is off, Cal follows me inside with an arm full of towels and the toolbox he brought with him. It doesn’t pass me by how fortunate I am to have the family I do. Always just a phone call away. Always there when I need them.

By the time we reach the top of the stairs, there’s water covering the floor from the kitchen to the full length of the space.

“I fucking told you to upgrade the loft when you fixed up the bar. This is what you get for cutting corners.”

“Can we save the lecture for another time?”

Cal drops a towel at the top of the stairs, likely trying to prevent any water from going down the stairs. Wishful thinking on his part.

He works some sort of magic under the sink while I use every towel I own before remembering the wet vac we have down in the bar. Cal unhooks the appliances while I do my best to clean up and wipe things down, but it’s still a mess. It’s gonna take alot more than a wet vac and some towels to clean up this shit show.

“Pack a bag. You can crash at my place tonight,” Cal offers.

“I'll crash at the cabin,” I counter, shoving enough clothes for a few days into a bag.

“No can do. A producer friend of Knox’s is using it to hide from the paparazzi. Some cheating scandal with a pop star, or some shit like that.”

“Shit.”

“We’ll figure it out. In the meantime, I’ll reach out to my buddy in the morning and see how soon we can get them here. Where you land, you're gonna need to be there for a while. I’m thinking you’ll need to store your shit somewhere for the duration as well. No skimping this time. You need to upgrade the whole place.”

“Great. But I’m not gonna stay with you for more than tonight. You’re a newlywed and I’d rather carve out my eardrums than listen to you have sex.”

“You can always stay with Mom.”

“I could, but I work late and I don’t want to keep her up. I’ll figure it out.”

God, this is gonna cost a pretty penny. I hadn’t planned for a situation like this, but luckily the bar renovations paid for themselves and the business is doing well. This isn’t what I wanted to spend my money on, but life’s a bitch.

As much as the cost and the general pain in the ass of the whole situation sucks, there is a masochistic silver lining, because I know exactly where I can stay.

Chapter Thirty

Mia

I’ve been nauseous since receiving Angus’s messages this morning. So shaky inside and out that it took me three times to take my first patient's blood pressure. Unable to hear the pumping of their heart through my stethoscope over the thundering of my own. Half of what my patients said to me went in one ear and out the other because my brain had no room for anything other than Gus’s text.

It took until the end of my lunch break to contain my shaking fingers enough to text him back.

Angus:

Morning, Goof. I have a huge favor to ask of you. The pipes in the loft burst and I need a place to crash. If I promise to stay out of your way, are you cool with me moving into the house temporarily? You keep my room. I’ll use the spare.

Mia

Of course, it’s your house. But I don’t mind changing rooms when I get home. I’ll start looking for a new place so we can get out of your hair.

He answers right away, as if he was waiting for me to reply all morning.

Angus

Don’t you dare. My place is still your place. That hasn’t changed.

Mia

I don’t mind though.

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