Page 84 of This Time Around
Jack stifled a groan. “She sent me another apology this morning.”
“Don’t mention it.” She waved a dismissive hand, then looked back at her phone. “I have an early meeting on Thursday, which means I could leave work by three-thirty or four. What if I picked Paige up right after that?”
“I can drop her off here to make it easier. And thanks, Allie. Really. This means a lot to her. And me.”
“No problem.” She shoved her phone in her pocket and looked at him again, her expression somewhere between amused and contemplative. “You know, when I imagined our fairytale happily-ever-after together, I didn’t picture myself wearing combat fatigues and talking with you about buying a training bra for the daughter you had with another woman.”
“Ooof,” he said. “Sorry you didn’t get your fairytale.”
“It’s okay,” she said, though her expression was still wistful. “Fairytales are probably overrated.”
“True enough.” He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the knuckles, the courtliest gesture he could muster. “But maybe if you keep kissing me, I’ll turn into a prince.”
Chapter 13
Allie’s week went by in a blur. The days she went to her office were a flurry of meetings and spreadsheets, memos and presentations. She had a big convention coming up in two months, but there was still plenty of time to plan. Her co-workers were understanding, and her boss told her to take more bereavement days if she needed them.
She’d taken to spending nights at the B&B so she could make better progress on the fix-up projects she’d identified with a little help from Jack. She was determined to do most of the work herself, and spent evenings watching DIY videos on everything from resealing travertine floors to reconditioning leather sofas. Then she put her new skills to the test, scrubbing and polishing and working her way through the dilapidated house with a trail of mutant-toed cats behind her.
Jack helped when he could, stopping by after work to lend tools or muscle or some combination of the two. Sometimes he’d bring Paige, and sometimes they’d both stay for dinner. There was an undercurrent of something new and different between them. They weren’t “back together,” exactly. It was more like they were together for the first time.
By the time Thursday rolled around, Allie felt a delirious mix of accomplishment, exhaustion, and excited energy. She’d been home for twenty minutes, waiting for Jack to drop off Paige for the bra shopping, when the doorbell rang. She smoothed down her dress and hustled to the front door, giddiness coursing through her at the thought of seeing Jack again.
But it wasn’t Jack at the door.
“Hey, Albatross.”
“Wade.” She stepped aside, allowing him to pass. “I don’t think Skye’s home from class yet. You can wait in the parlor, though.”
“Actually, I wanted to talk to you for a sec.”
“Oh?”
“It’s about the money.”
The seriousness in his voice, his expression, shot a shiver down her spine. “Okay. Come on in.”
She turned away so he wouldn’t notice and headed toward the parlor, feeling him close behind her. Once she reached the doorway, she gestured toward the sofa. Wade sat awkwardly, resting his hands on his knees. He must have come straight from work, but he’d left his suit jacket behind somewhere. He yanked on his tie to loosen the knot, but didn’t take it off.
“Can I get you some water?” Allie asked. “Or a beer or something?”
“I’m good.” Wade patted the space beside him. “Have a seat, Albatross. You’re making me nervous hovering like that.”
“You’re making me nervous looking all stern.” Even so, she sat down beside him, bristling with tension.
Wade sighed and raked his fingers through his hair. “Look, we haven’t had a chance to talk alone since that day on the back deck. When you mentioned finding money somewhere in this house?”
“Right. It’s been kinda crazy around here.”
Which was partly Allie’s doing. She’d done her best to avoid him, pretending to be on the phone when he stopped by to see Skye, or hunkering down in her bedroom with Jack when the happy couple was in the family room binge-watching Outlander. Allie knew she was burying her head in the sand, afraid to hear what he might have to say.
But she’d clearly run out of opportunities to put off hearing Wade’s lawyerly lecture. “Lay it on me,” she said heavily. “What did you want to say about the money?”
Wade cleared his throat. “Look, you know property law isn’t my specialty. But I did a little more research this week and found out some things you should probably know about ORS Chapter 98.”
Allie nodded and fought the urge to glance at her watch. “Okay. Jack’s bringing Paige by to go bra shopping in about ten minutes, so maybe you could give me the short version?”
His eyebrow lifted a little at the mention of bra shopping, but he didn’t say anything. “You didn’t tell me the amount you found, but you said it’s more than two hundred and fifty dollars, right?”
