TWENTY-NINE
AND, BOY, WAS she in a pickle. It plagued her all day. Tuesday. Moving day… or it was supposed to be.
Yesterday, with Darroch, she’d accepted the new apartment and the keys. She’d also informed her current landlord she’d be leaving. What the hell was she going to do now on her own? This was why she should know better than to rely on people.
Moving the furniture was out. Even if she could get a truck, she couldn’t lift such large, heavy pieces by herself.
“You’re a million miles away,” Yvette said, joining her at the counter.
“It’s been a busy day,” she said on a sigh. “Sorry.”
“You don’t have to worry about moving, I’ll help you. We’ll go tonight, rent a truck from… somewhere.”
“I can’t afford it.” Turning her back to the store, she leaned against the counter. “It seemed like a good idea at the time. Now I’m locked in.”
“Is anything urgent? Maybe the landlord will store whatever we can’t move.”
“That’ll cost money I don’t have.” She sighed. “I’ll probably be charged for abandoning it there too.”
If the landlord had to pay someone to come dispose of her junk, that cost would be passed onto her, no doubt.
“Or she rents the place fully furnished.” Good thing they hadn’t gotten around to dismantling the furniture. “Iain’s away for another sixteen days.”
“Don’t worry about it, I’ll figure it out,” she said, squeezing her friend’s arm. “Thank you though, your support means a lot.”
The apartment was one worry that she could at least attempt to tackle. The other things on her mind, the other thing, Darroch, was less tangible.
No matter how many times she told herself it was for the best, that they would be better apart, she couldn’t get him off her mind.
“Hmm, maybe that will cheer you up?”
“That?” Her friend’s gaze was aimed at the door. “What?”
Pushing off, she twisted around and couldn’t believe there were Breckenridge boys out there on the concourse between their store and the leathers department opposite. Darroch, Caber, Ward, and Troy split off in pairs. When Darroch headed toward them with Ward, she turned her back again.
“Think our teammate heard about the latest sign up?”
“Ladies…” Darroch’s voice vibrated the counter from the other side, that’s what it felt like anyway. “Busy day?”
She bit her lip.
“Celeste call you?” Yvette asked whoever was on the other side of the counter.
Wouldn’t that be the icing on the cake? If her boss had Darroch’s number and she didn’t.
She didn’t care. Didn’t matter to her. Just relax. Exist without taking up any space… was that possible? If she could invisible herself, that would be the time to do it.
“About the car wash? No, but our mom did. Yvette, this is Ward.”
“Another brother?” Yvette asked. “Nice to meet you. Are you joining the team too?”
“Get one, you get them all,” Ward said.
“Same here.” Yvette took her shoulder to turn her around. “This is my colleague Savanna.”
“Savanna, huh?” Ward smirked. Okay, so they’d met at the breakfast table, but he played along. “Who’s on for the walkathon?”
“That why you’re here?” Yvette asked.
“Nessa around?” Darroch asked. “You should introduce her to Ward. They’d make a dynamic recruitment team.”
“Oh, yeah, sure,” Yvette said and gestured Ward to follow on the other side of the counter.
Half a dozen steps later, when they were out of earshot, Darroch laid both hands on the counter. “Want me to fall to my knees?” She didn’t want to lift her head. “I stayed at the Grand last night; it was as close to you as I could get. I couldn’t sleep without you.” That startled her enough that instinct raised her eyes to his. “There’s my girl.”
“Darroch—”
“Look, I’m sorry. I could’ve handled last night better. Hearing you talk to him, and knowing—my blood was hot, I admit it. That guy, you were with him, and he calls you up to… I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to apologize.”
“I charged in, I was rude—”
“Really, Darroch.” She forced a smile. “You did nothing wrong. Your response was completely natural.”
“Yeah?” he asked, squinting. “Doesn’t feel like my Cherry’s with me.”
“Savanna’s here.” She sighed. “It’s good that this happened, that it happened now. We got carried away.”
“No, see, this is exactly what I didn’t want. You’ve convinced yourself our relationship is broken.”
“Darroch, you made it clear you didn’t want to be with me—”
“I want to be with you. I am with you. That Germ though? I don’t want him in your head, I don’t want him anywhere near us when we’re making love.”
“That won’t be a problem.” Because it wouldn’t be happening. “Darroch—”
“Have dinner with me.”
“Darroch—”
“If I have to start at zero all over again, hell, if I have to start at zero twenty times, I’ll do it. Breckenridge men don’t—”
“Give up?”
“No, we don’t.”
“I’m not a challenge to overcome. I’m a person.”
“I get that.”
“And I think you’re incredible, but if you haven’t noticed, my life is a mess right now. I can’t even think about dating until I straighten things out.”
In her entire life? Yeah, that was an unachievable goal, maybe she’d never have sex again.
“What’s the problem?” he asked. “Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out together.”
Yeah, ‘cause that worked out so well the last time. “This is my problem. It’s my problem I have two apartments. It’s my problem that I don’t know if I can afford either. If I can’t pay the moving stipend, it’ll be storage, or my old landlord will—”
“What are you talking about?”
Why was he confused? This wasn’t difficult.
“What do you mean what am I talking about?” she asked. “You forgot we spent yesterday filling boxes? Now I have to get everything from A to B and—”
“It’s done.”
Just nothing. The look on his face was completely neutral, yet she was absolutely lost.
“What’s done?”
“The move,” he said and frowned. “That was the plan. We did the paperwork and the packing yesterday; me and the guys did the heavy lifting today while you were at work. Cleaners went in to do their thing too. Gave my keys back to the landlord. It’s done.”
Even her mind stuttered. “But… we—last night we—”
“Last night didn’t change anything. Together means together, argument or not.” How could he be so…? Oh, where were her defenses? “Baby…” His hand rose, but she pushed her shoulders back, leaning away while scanning the store. No customers and Yvette was busy with Nessa and Ward at the other counter. The cameras would be watching though. “Have dinner with me. Please, Cherry, you have to let me touch you.”
“Not here,” she murmured under her breath. “You know we can’t.”
“Have dinner with me.” His voice got a little stronger. “Tonight, tomorrow, this weekend, whenever you want.” What was right? God, that determination in his eyes, tinged with pleading… “I’m your guy.”
And whatever went on last night, he’d proved himself that day. He’d proved himself a million times over. He wasn’t petty or petulant, Darroch Breckenridge was a real stand-up guy, solid, dependable. Oh, God, she could be in serious trouble.
Celeste appeared behind the others and gasped in elation. “What a surprise! Wonderful.”
“Tomorrow,” she whispered with Celeste barreling toward them. “At eight. I’ll meet you at Blaze.”
“Darroch,” Celeste said before he could acknowledge her murmur. “What brings you to us today?”
“Missed you.” He walked Celeste’s way. “Come and meet Ward.”
As Celeste turned he glanced back and winked. Yeah, he got it. Tomorrow gave her something to look forward to.