Page 62 of Heart Me Up
I was ready to move home and reclaim my space; I hadn’t even needed to talk to Lisa about it. I just wasn’t sure how Malcolm would feel.
Malcolm pulled a hand down over his face. “Um, I’d like to, but I don’t know….”
We stopped at a light, so I turned toward him. “Do you want to run by the house now on the way back to Foster’s place? You can do a walk-through and see whether you think being there will freak you out or not.”
His eyebrows slammed down over his nose. “I am not going tofreak outas you so kindly put it. I just need to see if I’m going to remember that asshole every time I sit at the kitchen table.”
Oh.
“Well, I have an easy fix. I’ll put the table and chairs out by the curb. College students are always driving around looking for free stuff. You can help me pick out a new set.”
The light turned green, so I drove through the intersection, making a left at the next light to go to my house instead of the right to go toward Foster’s place.
Eventually Malcolm spoke. “You’d buy new furniture for me? What the hell? You barely know me.”
I shrugged. “I told you about my ex kicking my dog. I used to have an area rug in the living room. After Drew kicked Lucy she staggered a bit and sort of collapsed onto that rug.” I shook my head. “I had to get rid of it. I tried buying a new one in a different color, but I can’t have anything on the floor in there without picturing her dying on it.” I breathed through the wave of grief. “If I can spare you the same experience by switching out some furniture, I’ll do it in a heartbeat.”
* * *
The next morning, Tuesday, I was thirty minutes late to work. Greg took one look at me and laughed. “Someone rushed to get out of the house this morning. Spend a little too long in bed with Foster?”
“Oh, yes,” I purred.
“Eww. Never do that again.”
I laughed, then told Greg Malcolm would be moving back into the guest bedroom that evening.
“Hmmm.”
“What now?” I huffed. Sometimes Greg hadopinionshe found it necessary to inform me of.
“Well, I only briefly met Malcolm last week after the whole….” he waved his hand in the air, which was apparently meant to represent the hostage situation. “But I’m reserving judgment. I didn’t like the text joke he made that sent Foster into a jealous stew.”
I sighed. “I’ll be the first to admit Malcolm is an acquired taste, but if Foster and I had been dating for a long time, which Malcolm assumed, I think his joke would’ve been funny.”
Greg made a face but didn’t comment further.
I was saved from having to change the subject when Callie knocked on the door. “Hey, you guys got a minute?”
Greg smiled at her. Hooray for Callie getting him out of his snit about Malcolm. “Sure. What do you need?”
Callie reassured, “Nothing bad. I wanted to let y’all know Rhea has stepped up to the plate lately. Scott and Tamara both called out for this afternoon, and Rhea offered to do a double and cover the evening shift.” Greg and I both made goggle eyes accompanied by dramatic gasping sounds. Sometimes we didn’t model professional behavior, especially when we were together.
“Iknow,” Callie agreed. “I thanked her, probably too much. She told me after she was the one who noticed Bruno going into bloat, it kind of sank in about the impact she could have on the animals’ lives. She said she’s started saving up to go to vet tech school.”
“Whoa, really? That’s great,” Greg told her.
I said, “I’m glad. I hope she can stick with it.” I’d support Rhea as long as she kept up her new attitude, but I had to be realistic. It took a lot for people to change their habits.
Greg scolded, “Stop being such a cynic. She's making an effort.”
He lifted his eyebrows at me until I sighed and nodded. “You’re right, Greg,” I told him. “As usual.” I made a face at him.
“Well, I thought y’all would like to know,” Callie said. “Hey, Craig, how’s your sexy detective?”
I couldn’t stop the smug smile that crossed my face. Greg hunted around his desk, probably for something to throw at me.
Callie, however, was on my side. “You go, Craig.” She gave me a thumb’s up, which drew my attention to the paint residue around her cuticles.
