Wrapped Up in You (Heartbreaker Bay, #8)(56)

Caleb nodded. “Okay. And while we’re up here discussing security . . .” He met Kel’s eyes. “What’s happening with your job?”

“Nothing, as I’m not there.”

Caleb rolled his eyes. “When you get back.”

Kel shrugged. “Same old, I expect.”

“What if you didn’t go back?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

Caleb shrugged. “Because you have a brand-new baby niece that might want to know her uncle. Because your sister misses you. Because my sisters miss you.”

“And . . . ?” Kel asked.

“And hell. I miss you too, okay? Come on, man. Your grandparents are gone. You’re living on the ranch, and I know you love it and probably miss it, but I also know that Donovan’s shown you ranches for sale in Sonoma, an easy drive from here. Yeah, you’ve got the job in Idaho, but what else? There’s nothing tying you there anymore. Stay here. Archer would hire you in a hot second for Hunt Investigations. Hell, the SFPD is hiring. And I don’t even have to say I’d hire you yesterday.”

“I don’t need you to make up a job for me.”

“Call my head of HR right now,” Caleb said. “He’ll tell you we’ve been looking for someone with your skills for months.”

“Caleb—”

“Just think about it, okay? I’ve gotta go. See you tonight at the surprise baby shower, right?”

“Right,” Kel said, but Caleb was already in the elevator, the doors closing, leaving so that Kel couldn’t give him an impulsive, off-the-cuff answer, which would’ve been no.

Right?

Right.

But he could admit a part of him wasn’t thinking no at all. He did love Idaho. He loved the wide open spaces. The peace of the ranch. The way at night you could see the entire universe in the sky, or so it seemed. The quiet . . .

But it didn’t have Ivy.

He was still thinking of all this hours later after he’d left work, showered, dressed, and driven to Ivy’s. He parked on the street where buildings butted up against the neighboring buildings without any space between. Where there was no peace and quiet, ever. And though dark had fallen, due to the vast city lights, he could barely make out a few faint stars.

Is that what he wanted?

His phone chirped with a text. Donovan, sending him more links to ranches in his area up for sale. One of them had a shot of the place at night.

There were stars, lots of them.

Tucking his phone away, he headed down the sidewalk, pausing in front of Jasmine and Martina. “How are you two doing tonight?”

They both look startled that he’d stopped to chat. “We’re not doing anything wrong,” Jasmine said defensively.

“I know.” He held out a brown sack with the extra subs he’d bought at lunch and saved for them. “Are you hungry?”

The bag was snatched out of his hand so fast he nearly lost a few fingers.

“It’s a turkey, bacon, and cheese club,” Martina told Jasmine reverently after she’d pulled out the sub and examined it. “Nice.”

“I like salami,” Jasmine said.

Kel felt his mouth curve. “I’ll remember that next time.” He started up the path to Ivy’s building.

“I told Ivy all men suck,” Jasmine said, and Kel stopped and looked back.

Martina was bobbing her head in agreement.

Since they were both eyeing him, clearly waiting on a response, Kel nodded. “I agree. All men suck.”

“She doesn’t have men over,” Jasmine said. “Ever. Near as we can tell, she doesn’t let many in. But she let you in.”

“Took some work,” he admitted.

“See that you don’t suck,” she said.

And then they vanished into the shadows.

Kel turned to the building just as Ivy came out of it. She was wearing a soft-looking sweater that hugged her body to midthigh, jeans, and boots, and looked like the best thing he’d seen since he’d left her that morning, limp and boneless, sprawled facedown across her bed.

As if she knew where his thoughts had gone, she gave him a small just-for-him smile and met him on the path.

“I was coming up to get you,” he said.

“No need.”

He pulled her in to him and kissed her. “Is that because you didn’t trust yourself with me near your bed?”

“Or my countertop. Or my shower. Or anywhere,” she admitted freely and made him laugh.

But as they headed over to Remy and Ethan’s apartment building, most of his amusement faded, leaving him with a sudden and raw case of nerves and anxiety.

“What’s wrong?” Ivy asked.

“Nothing.”

“You’re nervous,” she guessed.

“I said nothing. And I’m not nervous.” But he was wondering why he’d ever agreed to this. The evening was going to be a nightmare, and Ivy would have a front row seat.

She turned to her passenger window. “Now who’s the liar?”

He glanced over at her. She was still looking out the window, her posture stiff, radiating tension, and that was on him. Blowing out a breath, he reached across the console for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I should’ve warned you. When I’m walking into a situation I know isn’t going to be pleasant, I get . . .”