Chapter Thirty-Three
Adam
I hadn’t made it five minutes out of Dr. Williams’ office when my phone buzzed with a text.
Unknown number: Hey, Adam, this is Chief O’Shaughnessy. I understand you’re cleared to start work.
Good grief. Lancastle’s grapevine has nothing on the one in Haven Springs.
Surely there had to be a HIPAA violation in there somewhere.
I paused walking toward Main Street to type out a reply.
Me: Hey, Chief. Yeah, Doc gave me the all-clear.
Chief O’Shaughnessy: That’s great news! We’re just waiting on one more thing from your background check, then you’re all set on our end, too. I expect we’ll have a definitive yes by tomorrow if you want to swing by the station and fill out your hiring paperwork.
Me: Sounds like a plan. I’ll see you then.
Chief O’Shaughnessy: Looking forward to it.
Even though I wasn’t going to Massachusetts, I was still going to use some of the ten days I was promised before starting work.
It’d give me time to look for a place to rent, get a South Carolina driver’s license, set up a bank account, get insurance… all the things somebody needed to do when moving to a new town and state.
Even if it was only temporary.
That inner voice that I was learning to hate, whispered, Keep telling yourself that, buddy.
I would.
Because if I thought about staying here long-term, it’d mean I’d made a move to make things permanent with Lainey.
And even if she was willing, which I had serious doubts about, I couldn’t do that to Shawn’s memory.
~~~~
The chime on the bakery door alerted when I opened it, a feat I was still reveling in.
Only a few customers were left when I walked inside: the college student in the corner by the front window—at least I assumed she was a student based on her age and the textbooks she had spread out next to her laptop.
And a woman about my age with a toddler, accompanied by an older woman.
My guess was it was mom, daughter, and granddaughter spending the afternoon together.
The girl who’d taken my order that morning—her name tag had read Paulina, stood behind the counter looking at her phone, but glanced up when she noticed me walking toward her.
“Is Lainey upstairs?”
“Yeah, Conor’s awake. She went up to feed him.”
I nodded, and without another word, walked toward the kitchen where the interior steps led to her apartment.
Once I reached the top of the stairs, I paused. Should I knock or just walk in?
Both felt weird.
I was technically living there, so knocking seemed too formal, but barging in felt intrusive.
I tried the knob; that would help determine my next move, since I didn’t have a key.
It turned easily, and I loudly called out, “Lainey, it’s me.”
Her voice sounded far away when she replied, “In the nursery.”
I found her seated in the glider, feeding Conor. She looked at me with a soft smile.
“How’d it go?”
“I have been cleared for work.”
“I bet Angus is going to be thrilled to hear that.”
“He texted me five minutes after I left Dr. Williams’ office. He said he’s waiting on one more thing from my background check but wants me to come to the station tomorrow and begin the paperwork.”
“That’s great. Congratulation, Officer Callahan.”
“That’s probably going to take some getting used to.”
“I’ll bet it won’t take as long as you think.”
I stared at her for a beat, as it dawned on me how easy it had been to get used to being in Haven Springs and in her and Conor’s life
“You’re probably right.”
****
Lainey
“Do you have an extra set of keys?” Adam asked before I headed back downstairs once Conor fell asleep.
“Brian has my spare keys, but I can get more made once I close the bakery.”
“It’s only one?”
“Well, it used to be, before Brian installed an extra set of deadbolts.”
“If you give them to me, I can have copies made at the hardware store.”
I reached into my apron and produced my keychain. I found the one with the sunflowers design and held it up.
“This one works all the original locks—bakery front and back doors, and both doors coming into the apartment. The shiny silver key next to it is for the new deadbolt for the door leading to the outside staircase, and the one next to that is for the door leading to the bakery. I can never get the keys off the ring, so you’ll have to do it. ”
He took the set and in a matter of seconds, had slipped the three designs from the ring, then handed it back to me.
“How did you do that so fast? I always hurt my nails.”
He held up a penny. “Use a coin. Or my mom uses a staple remover.”
“That is brilliant.”
With a wink, he replied, “And I learned it before TikTok even existed. I’m going to swing by the grocery store while I’m out. Can you text me a list of what you want?”
“Yeah, sorry my cupboards are so bare. I don’t want to take Conor to the store yet, so I’ve just been grabbing the necessities as I run out.”
“Don’t apologize, baby, but text me whatever you want, I’ll take care of it.”
“I can’t ask you to buy groceries.”
“Are you charging me rent to stay here?”
“What? No! Of course not.”
“Then I can buy some groceries.” He raised his eyebrows at me. “Text me the list.”
“Okay, I will. I have to get downstairs to help Paulina close up.”
“I mean it, Lainey. Whatever you want. Don’t forget.”
~~~~
I didn’t forget, I just felt weird asking for anything knowing he was buying.
Me: Here’s my list: Eggs, milk, orange juice, and bread.
He replied a few seconds later.
Adam: Baby girl, if you want to get punished, just say so. But, Imma need you to try again with your list.
Me: Fine. Ice cream, cheese, lunch meat, frozen sweet potato tots, and maybe some blueberries and yogurt.
Adam: That’s a little better, but there’s still plenty of room for improvement. And you need to be more specific. What flavor ice cream and yogurt? Are there certain brands you like best? What type of cheese and lunchmeat?
Me: I like cookies and cream ice cream, and vanilla yogurt. Brands aren’t important—whatever is on sale. Mozzarella cheese, and turkey lunchmeat.
Adam: If all things are equal, what are your favorite brands?
I thought about it for a second and sent him my favorites, with the caveat, “But seriously, buy whatever is on sale.”
Adam: Was that so hard to tell me what you like?
Me: Actually, it was.
Adam: We’ll work on that, princess. I’ll see you soon.
I couldn’t help but smile, but even as I did, I reminded myself as much as I enjoyed having Adam around, this was only temporary.
Don’t get used to it.