She cackles and squirms as Bridget jumps up and runs over to them.
“She’s right there.”
“Where?” Beau turns dramatically. “Here?”
I flop back in the grass, not able to stop watching the way he plays around with them. He has … an imagination, that’s for sure, and he doesn’t seem self-conscious about looking like an idiot. Not that he does, but the way he’s singing about Fair Knight Bridget could definitely come across as dorky. It doesn’t take long for him to have them giggling so hard they can’t speak.
“Fly!” he cries, throwing them both onto the trampoline. Then he zips up the side and walks over to drop down beside me.
“Thank fuck you’re here,” I say. “I never realized how old I was getting until I tried to keep up with a four-and six-year-old. I’m beat.”
His smile is almost shy. “They’re a lot, but I love visiting.”
“Me too.”
“At least when I visit, I get to leave again though.” His words are calm, but his hands are twisting constantly in his lap. “I hope you know that being out here is setting a precedent you’ll have to meet for the whole of your stay.”
I groan. “Tell me they’re not this full-on every day.”
He mimes locking his lips.
“Shit.” I let my eyes fall closed. “If I lie here and fall asleep, will they pretend I’m a dead monster from one of their games?”
“That won’t work.”
My eyes snap open because I didn’t realize I said that aloud, and the first thing I see is Beau’s eyes. So freaking blue even through his glasses and trained right on my face. “Well, dammit, then. Looks like you’ll need to tag team with me more often, Bo-Bo.”
“Tag …” He stares for a second, then gives a short laugh. “Only the, uh, girls get away with calling me that.”
“Aw, come on. I’m going through a divorce. I’m depressed and shit. Take pity on me.”
“If I thought you were actually, you know, depressed, I might. But you seem okay. To me at least.” He cringes. “I’m just hearing how that sounds, and it was insensitive, so I’m sorry if you actually are still sad about it all.”
“Eh, I am mostly over it. I mean, it still hurts, but I’m more mad than upset.”
“What did your friend say? Leveling up? Evolving?”
“Evolving?” I tease. “I’m not a Pokémon.”
“What? Ah, no, I—”
“Only teasing, Bo-Bo.”
“Moving on.” His face flushes, which is cute as hell. “Yeah, so I brought lunch. Only some sandwiches, but the girls will be okay out here for a bit.”
“Sandwiches sound incredible.” I jump to my feet and reach a hand out for Beau.
Then he does something odd.
He sucks in a sharp breath and pretends not to see it.
It’s not like I was implying he needed help. It was an automatic thing.
My stare doesn’t leave the back of his head as I follow him into the house, wondering what that was about.
Lizzy and Marty have already set the tray of sandwiches out on the table, and I collapse dramatically into one of the chairs. “Your kids are life stealers. I feel ten years older after this morning.”
Marty points to his forehead. “Where do you think I got these wrinkles?”
I laugh and reach forward to grab some food, not waiting on the others. The meat-and-cheese combo is exactly what I need, but until I find a gym, I have to be careful about what I eat. My job keeps me fit most of the time, and while I have a six-pack, I work damn hard for it.
“How did you sleep last night?” Marty asks, and I glance up to find the three of them looking at me.
I level him with a stare. “Not interested in an I-told-you-so, thanks.”
“Lizzy mentioned you felt like shit.”
“Thanks, Liz,” I say dryly.
She smiles back innocently. “Totally welcome.”
I wave off their concern. “It’s fine. Hopefully the apartment won’t take long to sell, and then I’ll be out of your hair.”
“I-have-a-spare-room.” Beau’s words come out so fast I’m not sure I’ve caught them at first.
“You do?”
Lizzy answers before he can. “Payne’s fine where he is.”
“Is Bridget though?” Beau replies.
The look Lizzy’s giving him is hard to read, but Marty jumps in before she can.
“That’s actually a great idea,” he says. “Beau only lives ten minutes away, and he’s got a nice place.”
“Well, nice when it’s not a total bomb site,” Beau jokes.
Bomb site or not, the temptation of my own room with a proper bed is strong, but there’s a reason I’m staying here instead of leasing somewhere. “That’s nice of you, but I don’t have a job or anything, so I couldn’t contribute rent. The money I do have, I’ll need to ration until I work out what’s next.”
That makes Beau laugh. “Who said anything about rent? I own the place outright.”
“I’m not going to take advantage, Bo-Bo.”
“It’s not taking advantage when I’m the one who offered,” he points out. “You need somewhere to stay, and I have somewhere. It’s not like I’ll lease it out to anyone else, so you either use it, or it stays empty. Sounds like a waste to me.”
For the first time since he mentioned it, I let myself consider it.
Marty nudges me. “Beau’s right. There’s more than enough space, and he doesn’t need the money since the film rights to his books got him a big, fat check.”
Beau shifts. “Yeah, no money.”
“Trying to get rid of me, brother?” The joke doesn’t have much conviction, because I’m wavering. If he was planning to rent the room, that would be one thing, but it’s literally sitting there unused. I’d be ridiculous to turn it down, but I’m also not going to rely on Beau’s kindness, whatever he might say. “At least let me contribute something.”
An idea lights up his face. “Actually, there is something.”
“Yeah?”
“See, I’m a bit, umm, messy …？”
“Total slob.” Marty nods. “Continue.”
Beau gives Marty a flat look and turns back to me. “I’m not a slob, I’m low on time. When I’m not working, I’m stressing about working, and before I know it, the whole day has passed, and sometimes I haven’t done a single thing. If you really wanted to help out, keeping the place tidy and stocked with food would actually be a lifesaver.”
“Like a live-in maid.” I weigh up that option, and it actually sounds perfect. “All right. You’re on.”
“Yeah. Cool.” Beau shrugs, then shrugs again, some of that weirdness from outside hitting him. He’s a hard one to read. On one hand, he was almost pushing for me to accept, but now he’s being awkward about it.
Jesus fucking Christ.
This is going to be interesting.
4
Beau
I told myself I’d be ready today. I promised. And yet I’d gotten up early and then become distracted by, well, everything. As I look around the apartment, I can’t put my finger on exactly what I’ve been doing all day.