Page 32 of Taking What's Ours

This is my chance. I slip from the room and move to the deck door, opening it and closing it like I just walked in.

Dylan comes around the corner. “Hey.”

“Hi. I just went back to the apartment for a second. I left Rosie here. I hope you don’t mind.”

“No problem at all.” He moves to the fridge and stares into it. “You want a beer?”

“Sure.”

He pulls out two bottles.

“Want to sit out on the deck?” I ask.

“Sounds good.”

I move through the door, Rosie at my heels, and Dylan follows. We sit, and he passes me a beer.

“Here you go.”

“Thanks.” I twist off the top and take a sip. “How was your morning? Did you get everything taken care of?”

“Yeah. Most of it.”

“You had a visitor while you were out.”

His eyes widen slightly. “I did? Who?”

“Desiree. Apparently, you missed your usual Monday morning hookup.”

His eyes slide closed. “Shit.”

I take a sip of beer and wonder if he’s upset he missed his hookup or because I found out.

“Look, Elaina. It’s not what you think. She and I… It’s not a big deal.”

“Sure.”

“She’s just someone who…”

I put a hand up. “It’s none of my business.”

“It is your business. I mean, I want you to understand. It’s been a long time for me. I haven’t had a real relationship with a woman in years. Desiree—she’s someone I suppose I’ve used to fight the loneliness. That doesn’t make it right. I suppose it sounds pretty bad from a woman’s perspective.”

“Kind of. Yeah.”

“I’m sorry you had to find out by her coming here. I should have told you.”

“She called you Baja.”

“That’s kind of a nickname I’ve got.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

He shrugs.

“Did she find you? She said she knew where you’d be?”

“No.”

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