Page 26 of Love Finds Home

“Maybe?”

“Have you heard anything from that fucker since the banquet?”

“Not a word. Have there been any more flowers left?”

“No. But I’m still pissed that you didn’t tell me something was going on.” He purses his lips.

“What did you want me to say? So, hey, since I broke up with creepy guy, I feel like I’m being watched?”

“Yes! That’s exactly what I expect you to do. It’s part of my job to keep an eye on you and make sure you stay safe. We put it in my damn contract, remember?”

“Of course I do. My brother made us, but I just didn’t think there was anything to worry about.”

“Well, you were wrong.”

“I felt like I was being silly.”

“After what happened before? No, you weren’t being silly. Because of who you are, you have to be careful. You have to stayvigilant, Elle. So we don’t get a repeat of the past. Do you hear me?”

“I hear you.”

“Good. Then I’ll move on.”

“Let me have it.”

“Are you happy here? Or can you be happy here?”

“Honestly, yes, I really think so. The people in this place are great. The atmosphere is wonderful. Mable at the diner is so fantastic.”

“Then what’s the issue?”

“I still feel like I’m lost. And I don’t know how to fix it.”

“You’ll find your way. You always do. And you have people in two places now that want to help you. And I fully expect a meet and greet with all these new people and the hot men.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll make sure you get to meet them soon.”

“And you’re going to get your mojo back. You’re going to relight your spark and do your art thing.” He pauses to look around the room. “Speaking of, where is the sketchpad you keep telling me you have?”

My ears get hot, and I avoid looking at him. “I don’t want to show you.”

“Fuck that. Gimme,” he laughs.

“You’ll laugh at me,” I whine.

“I’m already laughing at you, so give it up. Let me see what you’ve got.”

I can never tell the man no, and he knows it. He also knows all of my deepest and darkest secrets, so I go into the kitchen and pull the three sketchpads that I’ve filled up in the last two weeks out of the top drawer and slide them across the counter to him. He raises his eye brow at me before flipping open the first one.

It’s a really great drawing of Ginny the night we got drunk at my place. She’s got her head tilted back and she’s laughing at something. She looks relaxed and beautiful.

“She’s hot,” he tells me. “Reminds me of one of your French ladies,” he says in a horrible accent.

“Okay, Leo,” I laugh. “That’s Ginny. She’s pretty great. She lives across the street from me so I see her more than the others.”

“More than your brother’s girl?”

“Yeah. She’s got her own shit going on right now, so we’ve been letting her get through that. Ginny and I seem to always show up at the same times, so we’ve grown closer. We’re also the single ones.”

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