Page 24 of Bear's Midlife Bridesmaid
He had to laugh a little at that. Only a few days, and she was already getting to know him better than he knew himself. “Ian just called. He asked me to come look at an apartment with him today.”
“Oh, that’s great.”
Since his face was giving so much away, he peered into hers to see if it did the same. “You don’t mind that I’ve got to take off?” He would’ve gladly invited her along, but he wasn’t sure how Ian would feel about that. Jace had found his mate and fallen head over heels, but he didn’t want to leave Ian behind. The boy might technically be grown, but he still needed his father.
“No, of course not,” she assured him, laying her hand on his arm. “He’s your son. I never had thechance to have kids, but if I did, I’d want to be there for them in times like this.”
“Thanks for understanding.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I just feel bad for taking off when I’ve asked you to stay with me.
“You don’t have to keep me constantly entertained, even if you’re very good at it.” She walked her fingers across his chest. “I can take care of myself. Would you mind if I used your washing machine?”
“Not at all.” In fact, there was something about the idea that he kind of liked. Yeah, he was definitely falling for her. Maybe he’d already smashed into the ground.
As he drove to the address Ian had given him, Jace absentmindedly scratched at the stubble he hadn’t bothered to shave off that morning. He did feel a little bad about leaving Erin behind, but he knew what was really bothering him. Ian had hesitated to ask. He’d worried that he was interrupting his father’s good time. Whether Jace had a mate or not, Ian would always be his priority. He’d have to find some way to tell him that without getting too mushy.
The apartment complex was a nice one, with landscaped islands between the buildings andfreshly asphalted parking spots. He found Ian’s car and pulled in next to him.
“Hey. You’re just in time. We’re supposed to go to the office to meet the landlord.” Ian glanced at his watch.
Jace had already seen the sign. “Looks like the office is right there, and we’ve still got fifteen minutes. We’re good.”
They stopped in the office, where the landlord didn’t seem flustered one way or another if they were late or early. He introduced himself as Sam and brought them to the available unit. “Two bedrooms, two baths, and a balcony,” he said as he stepped inside and closed the door behind them. “Water and trash are included in your rent, but the rest of the utilities are on you. We take care of all the landscaping and mowing.”
“That’ll save you some time,” Jace commented. He could tell that Ian was still tense as they looked through the place. “What are the neighbors like?” he asked Sam.
“When we can, we try to put similar people near each other,” the landlord explained. “I’ve found that it keeps everyone a bit happier. Other parents can understand a baby crying in the middle of the night, and other young folks understand someone cominghome late. Most of the families with kids are in the next building, where the apartments are a bit bigger. Here, you find a lot of young adults. Some are couples, some are roommates. Everyone gets along pretty well, or at least I don’t have any complaints.”
Jace looked out the window. “The view isn’t bad.”
“Yeah.” It was the first word Ian had said since they’d come in.
Something was definitely going on with him. Jace looked in some cabinets and drawers, checking everything over as if he were going to get the place himself. “Appliances all included?”
“Mmhm.” Sam had his hands in his pockets. His massive keyring jingled as he rocked back and forth on his heels. “Got a laundry room down in the basement, too.”
“That’s a lot better than lugging it all to the laundromat.” None of Jace’s comments seemed to be getting through to Ian, who was now chewing on the ends of his fingers. “Sam, would you mind giving Ian and me a few minutes to talk this over?”
“Sure thing. I’ve got to check in with one of my tenants down the hall, anyway. She said her dishwasher has been acting up. I’ll be back in a few.” Sam let himself out, whistling as he went down the hallway.
Jace turned to Ian. “He seems like a nice enough guy.”
“Mm,” his son grunted, looking gloomily at the empty living room.
“And this is a pretty nice apartment. Probably nicer than the places I imagine most kids your age moving into.”
“Yeah, but it’s soexpensive.” The landlord had left a sheet that broke down the pricing of the rent, showing what was included and what wasn’t. It sat on the breakfast bar, and Ian tapped it with irritation. “I mean, it’s great that I don’t have to pay separately for trash and water, but I’m still paying for it.”
“Utilities are an unfortunate reality,” Jace said carefully. He knew Ian was going to make his own decisions about all of this. The boy was an adult now, and guiding him through this wasn’t the same as guiding him through the eighth-grade dance or baseball tryouts. “If the cost is too much, what about getting a smaller place? Sam might have some with just one bedroom or maybe even a studio apartment.”
“There aren’t many available. I’ve seen the ones that are, and they’re complete dumps. I couldn’t ask Bailey to live like that.” Ian looked at the price sheet once more and then pushed it away.
“Bailey? Oh.” Jace opened the fridge. It wasn’t a new model, exactly, but at least it was clean.
“We’ve talked a lot about what we can afford, and I thought it would be plenty. We have enough of a budget that we shouldn’t have to live in a slum, but we don’t have enough to get a nicer place like this.”
“I didn’t realize the two of you were moving in together.” Jace flicked on a switch to see which light it turned on. He’d always known Ian would move out eventually, but he hadn’t realized Bailey was part of the plan. How had he missed that?
“Well, I figure it’s about time,” Ian reasoned. He moved over to the glass door that led out onto the balcony and slid it open. “We’ve been dating for a while now, and I don’t see myself ever wanting to be with anyone else. She’s on board with starting up this business with Buzz and me, and it seems like this is the direction it needs to go.”
