The Family You Make (Sunrise Cove #1)(30)

His dad put a hand to Levi’s shoulder. The Cutler equivalent to a warm, hard hug. “Thanks.”

Levi slid him a look. “You must be extra desperate.”

His dad smiled ruefully. “I was two seconds from chucking the laptop out the window before you woke up.”

Levi supposed he should be thankful for the small things. For instance, it was better to have been woken up by a dancing fairy demanding a tea party than by the sound of a laptop crashing through the window and falling to its death two stories below.





Chapter 9


Jane woke up late, a rare treat. It wasn’t often she had a day off. Typically when she was in Tahoe, she worked every shift she could get. Because she’d had some lean years with no one but herself to rely on, working her ass off and saving for a rainy day had become second nature.

But lying in bed, contemplating the ceiling, she knew what she’d told Charlotte was true. She wasn’t on her own anymore.

She touched the locket. Normally it invoked memories of her grandma, but there were new memories attached to the locket now. The way Levi had looked at her when he’d brought it back. She’d known he had a killer smile, that he was also funny as hell, and could more than hold his own in an emergency—all super attractive things.

But she hadn’t imagined he could do sweet, and her eyes drifted shut as she smiled— And then flew open when the bed shifted.

And began to purr.

“What the—” She leapt out of the bed, yanked back the covers, and came face-to-face with a pair of slightly crossed gray eyes, tail twitching in annoyance at losing the covers. Alley Cat.

“Oh my God, how did you get in here?”

He stood, stretched, turned in a circle, then lay down, his back to her.

She had to laugh. “You can’t be in here. This house is a pet-free zone, and plus, I only pay rent for one.” Scooping him up, she strode down the hall to the kitchen, unable to resist nuzzling her face against his, making him purr louder. Damn. If she’d been one to stick somewhere and put down roots, she’d keep him in a heartbeat. But she wasn’t, so she couldn’t. “Please understand,” she whispered against his fur.

Charlotte was at the table, glaring at her laptop. “You’d think that paying bills online would be so much more calming. It’s not.”

Jane passed by her to the back door and set Cat outside.

His tail switched back and forth for a few beats. Then he stalked off.

“He’d have kept your feet warm,” Charlotte said.

“Is that why you let him in?”

They looked at each other, Jane waiting for the confession, Charlotte not looking sorry at all.

“You know I can’t keep him,” Jane said softly. “And you know why. Don’t make this harder on me.”

Charlotte sighed as Jane poured herself a coffee and then refilled Charlotte’s cup as well, nudging a chin toward the laptop. “You know you could double what you’re charging people to live here, since we all know you don’t charge enough, and then the bills wouldn’t be as stressful.”

“Not doing that.”

Jane tossed up her hands, and Charlotte smiled. “You love me.”

Jane rolled her eyes.

“You do,” Charlotte said.

“Maybe,” Jane admitted. “But I don’t love you sneaking the alley cat into the house and opening the door to the den so he could get onto my bed.”

“First of all,” Charlotte said, “he wanted to come in. Secondly, he’s not an alley cat, he’s your Cat, and he went looking for you, crying outside your door—which isn’t the den, it’s your bedroom.”

Jane’s chest tightened at the thought of Cat crying for her. “I can’t keep him. You know I’m leaving. It wouldn’t be fair to him to live with me for the next month, and then be out on the street again.” She picked up a piece of paper with a list on it. “What’s this?”

Charlotte shrugged. “My family and some others keep asking for my birthday wish list.”

Jane slid her a look. Charlotte hated accepting gifts, but it was the “some others” that interested Jane. “Is one of them named Mateo?”

Charlotte pretended not to hear her. “I made the list, but it seems greedy, so I’m not sending it to anyone.”

Jane stealthily pulled out her phone and snapped a pic of the list. If Charlotte wouldn’t take her damn money, then she’d give the woman a hell of a birthday gift, and make sure others did as well. The southern belle would never, ever, turn down a gift—it would be rude.

“So . . .” Charlotte said.

“So . . . what?”

“You going to do it? Be the hot guy’s girlfriend?”

“I knew I was going to be sorry I told you about that. I’m going to shower and then run errands.” Jane turned to go.

“Don’t forget to buy a bed for Cat to sleep on in your room,” Charlotte yelled after her.

“Sure, soon as you stop taking care of everyone but yourself,” Jane yelled back.

Back in her room after she’d showered and dressed, Jane pulled out her phone and sent the photo of the list to Mateo with a text: JANE: She’s made herself a list and she’s checking it twice. I’m attaching a copy. Calling dibs on the ski jacket.