“Why not?”
“Because I know nothing about contracts.” I sigh, running a hand down my face. “Why does it have to be so official? Can’t it be two friends working together?”
“Friends?”
“Well, it would be easier working together if we were friends.” Because friendship with Amber is getting a foot in the door and one step closer to winning her back.
Now would be a good time to tell her I plan to live there too, but the words don’t come out. She’s moving in and I don’t want to risk her changing her mind.
“I have two kids I need to think about. I can’t move them in only for you to change your mind and kick us out. I need some sort of assurance that you won’t disrupt our lives, at least until this whole custody thing blows over.”
“You really think I would do that to you?”
“No.” She looks away, embarrassment blushing her cheeks. “Sorry, that was mean.”
“You’re forgiven, but let’s not make this harder than it needs to be. The place is yours until you don’t want it anymore.”
“Thank you, Luke.” She smiles at me and with those three words, I have hope again.
8
- Amber -
I watch my parents and kids follow Luke into the house. Their excited chatter fades when they shut the red front door. It isn’t the same red door from fifteen years ago, this one is newer, more modern, and exactly what I would have picked out.
Am I really doing this?
Looking up at the house that held so many hopes and dreams, I mentally try to prepare myself. These last few days have been a whirlwind trying to prepare me and the kids for the move, that I never stopped to think about how I might feel once I finally walk through the front door.
“What are we staring at?” Burns asks, coming to stand next to me, his wrinkled face scrunched in contemplation.
“Burns, hi, thanks for coming to help.” I kiss his cheek.
“I ain’t here to help, I’m here to watch my boys paint Emily’s room pink sparkles,” he says, returning the kiss to my cheek before holding up a dated Polaroid camera. “I’m getting it all on camera to use against them when they piss me off.”
“I want copies.” I point at him, then pat his shoulder as he heads for the front door.
“You comin’?” He thumbs toward the house.
I wave him on. “In a minute.”
The house is still drab looking with its peeling paint and cracked concrete steps, but it’s still a beautiful house. Just rough around the edges. I want to hate it, but no matter how hard I look for fault in this house, I find nothing that would justify bailing on this place. Unless you count having an insanely hot landlord as a reason... At least I don’t have to deal with him all the time. In fact, our paths shouldn’t cross that often, and I can just avoid him when he needs to work on the house.
“What are we staring at?” Dawn asks. I should really go inside. Everyone probably thinks I’m losing my mind, standing out here all alone just staring at my new home.
“Nothing,” I mutter, rubbing my temples. “Tell me this is a good idea.”
“It’s a good idea,” Dawn says, nodding her head with a teasing smile.
“It’s a terrible idea,” Clint says, coming to stand next to his fiancée. He wraps an arm around her shoulders and looks at me. “I still can’t believe you’re moving in with Luke.”
“I’m not moving in with Luke,” I deny. “He’s my landlord, that’s it.”
“Where’s he living, then?”
“I don’t . . .. Oh no.” Realization dawns on me and I storm up the steps, through the front door, and scan the room for my intended target. “Lucas Michael Colson!”
“Oh shit.” Luke swallows when he sees how furious I am.
A camera snaps with a flash before Burns pulls the Polaroid from the camera, laughing.
“You live here?”
“Amber—”
“Don’t you think you should have mentioned that?” I all but scream at him. This is bad, very, very bad. I can’t live with Luke. Not in this house. Not in any house.
“Maybe you guys should have this little chat elsewhere?” my mother says cautiously.
“Luke is living with us?” Emily asks, her toothless smile wide across her face. “Yay!”
“No, he is not living with us!”
“Can we take this outside?” Luke asks as he runs his hand over his short-cropped hair, not a trace of guilt found on his face. No, he looks amused. Amused!
“Might as well duke it out here, we’ll just eavesdrop on you both,” Burns says, still holding his camera, ready to capture the drama.
“Shut it, old man,” Luke growls and Burns snaps another picture.
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me!”
“I thought you knew.” He shrugs.
“Liar!”
“Okay, yes, but—”
“You son of motherless goat!” I cry out, raising my arms in frustration.
“We’re taking this outside.” Luke moves faster than I can dodge him, grabbing my elbow and leading me out the front door, down the cracked porch steps to the middle of the lawn, away from inquiring minds and the photo frenzy.
I point at him. “This deal is off!”
“No, it’s not.”
“Yes, it is, Luke!”
“You’re going to go tell Emily she can’t have her pink sparkle room, and Matt can’t have his Jayhawks-themed room?” Luke cocks his head with a smug grin I want to smack off his gorgeous face.
He’s got me there. The kids are excited about moving here. Matt has a friend who lives two doors down and is looking forward to riding the bus with him.
“No . . ..”
“Good—”
“Wait, Jayhawks theme?” I scrunch my nose. “Matt wants a Jayhawks, as in a KU Jayhawks-themed room?”
“Yeah, your mom texted about painting an accent wall and putting up a large wall sticker.”
“You’re texting with my mom now? What else aren’t you telling me?” I tap my foot. My traitorous mother . . . I should have known she would somehow butt her nose into this.
“I’m not texting your mom.” I shoot him a glare. “Okay, maybe I’m texting your mom, but only because I thought you were being stubborn and not texting me yourself.”
“I wasn’t being stubborn. I didn’t know Matt had told my mom about wanting a KU theme. I thought he just wanted to paint his room red.”
“Amber, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was living here,” Luke says, though he doesn’t look sorry at all. He takes a step into my personal space; his hand lightly slides down my arm and a shiver that has nothing to do with the late autumn air tracks down my spine. “I’ve got a lot of work to do on this house. I’m going to be here all the time as it is. Is this really going to be an issue?”
“I don’t know,” I groan, covering my face with my hands. “What if Henry finds out?”
“Why do you care if he finds out?” Luke growls and pulls my hands away from my face. He inches closer to me and I have to tilt my head up just to see his face.