Unbreakable (City Lights, #2)(63)

I went through the kitchen and surveyed the little green space, fenced in for safety and privacy. The porch was mostly open and sported several wooden lounge chairs with thick cushions. On the far left, a pergola shaded a hot tub, which, judging by the looks of the cover, hadn’t been used in ages. The yard was small and full of greenery that needed some attention, but otherwise the perfect size for a seven-year old girl to play in. A huge maple tree shaded one half of the yard and my mind supplied a rope swing hanging from a low, horizontal branch.

Stop. You don’t really live here.

Alex moved to stand next to me. Her perfume filled my nose—expensive and sharp—but below that, her own clean sweetness…

“There’s a little shed out to the side. I have it for storage but you can turn it into a work area or place for your tools or any other manly endeavor you may have.”

I glanced down at her and her smile faded.

“What?”

“You know I won’t be here that long.”

“Sort of defeats the purpose of painting and decorating her room, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, exactly,” I said. “You’re doing too much…”

“I’m doing what it takes to pass that inspection and keep Callie in Los Angeles. We can worry about the rest later.” She plucked my sleeve. “Come on. There’s one more room.”

She led me out of the kitchen and farther down a small hallway that divided the house. “This is the master bedroom. Your bedroom…”

“I’m not sleeping here.”

Alex frowned. “I’m sorry?”

“I’ll take the couch.”

“Why?”

Because I’m not sleeping in your bed, Alex, I thought, and it was followed by another that tightened my chest. Not without you.

“The couch is fine,” I said quickly. I peered in and saw an en-suite bathroom, but the sight of a small suitcase and a rolling luggage bag near the bed sent a jolt to my gut. “Wait, have you been staying here? Were you here last night?”

She glanced uncertainly at the luggage. “Well, yes. I had been. But it’s yours now.”

I tried to keep my tone casual. “You’re not living with your fiancé?”

“No. We’re…taking a break. For a little while. Until the engagement party two weeks from…well, today actually.” She spied my incredulous expression. “It’s fine! Really. I’m going to a hotel—”

“Jesus, Alex!” I strode down the hallway, back to the living area. “You’re not going to a hotel. I can’t stay here. It was really nice of you to try to save my bacon in the courthouse this morning, but I can’t kick you out of your own damn house.”

“You’re not kicking me out,” Alex said, planting her fists on her hips. “This was my idea, in case you’ve forgotten. It’s not the greatest timing, I admit, for Drew and me to be…taking a break, but it’s not a big deal. A few weeks…”

“No,” I said. “I can’t live here knowing you’re in a hotel. Stay. I’ll figure something else out.”

Alex crossed her arms. “You don’t have time. And besides, the paperwork is already filed with the court. Going back now is not going to look good. It’s only going to strengthen Georgia’s case that you’re unstable. But you are stable. Here.”

I started to protest but she barreled on.

“Look, I’m not trying to trap you into something you hate. If you really don’t like this place then you’re free to go. I can’t stop you.”

“It’s not that, Alex…”

“And I know you won’t stay here any longer than it will take to find a place of your own. You’re stubborn and suffer from an excess of pride like most men I know. You probably never stop to ask for directions, do you?”

“I have GPS in my truck,” I said, relenting despite myself, despite the fact that I knew I was about to make a huge mistake.

Alex smiled coyly and I found it nearly impossible not to stare at her lips. “You’re going to stay here—”

“On the couch.”

She rolled her eyes. “On the couch. But we’re going to do up the spare room and ace that inspection. I don’t fail at anything, and I’m not about to start now. And after the judge denies Georgia’s request, you can do whatever you want. But until then, this is your house.” She arched an eyebrow. “Breaking a lease is serious business, after all.”

Every instinct in my body told me it was a terrible idea to live with this woman. An exciting, tortuous, dangerous, terrible idea, and demanding that she stay was a gigantic step in the opposite direction. But Callie…And there, of course, was the final answer. I wasn’t about to lose my daughter, no matter what.

“Okay,” I said, “but you’re not staying at any hotel. Keep your room. I’m on the couch anyway.” She started to protest but it was my turn to interrupt. “What you’re doing for me is really…it’s more than you need to. But I can’t accept all this generosity if it means you’re out of a place to live. What’s up with you and Drew that you aren’t living with him anyway?”

“That’s a personal question,” she said with a short laugh.