Page 135 of In the Air Tonight

I bump the suitcase up the three stairs and stumble into the back door, nearly dropping the laundry on the way in.

“Well, well, well. Look at what the cat dragged in.” Jack puts down his coffee mug and takes the laundry from me, dumping it on the floor in front of the washing machine.

“Actually, it was the dog who dragged me in. She convinced me to move across the yard.”

Smiling, he kisses me as he removes my backpack from my shoulders. “Remind me to thank her later.”

“I have news.”

“I’m listening.”

“I quit my job in New York.”

The smile that stretches across his face makes his lovely golden eyes dance with happiness. “Is that so?”

“That is so.”

“What now?”

I shrug. “How do you feel about hosting a homeless, out-of-work freeloader for a little while?”

“I feel very good about that. In fact, if you’re looking to earn your keep around here, I could use some help getting my shit organized on the third floor.”

“I could help with that.”

“Does that mean you’re sticking around indefinitely?”

“I believe I will, if you’ll have me.”

“Oh, I’ll have you,” he says, waggling his brows.

“I need to return the rental car that’s putting me into debt.”

“We can go do that this afternoon. You can use my mom’s car in the garage. I’m sorry I didn’t think of that sooner.”

“You’re making this far too easy for me.”

“Am I?” he asks with the little grin that gets to me every time.

“You know you are. You’re sure you’re okay with it?”

“I haven’t been this okay in a very long time.”

Smiling, I kiss him. “Me either.”

I still need to tell Houston about Mary Elliott coming to see me, so I give him a call.

“Hey,” he says. “What’s up?”

“Mary Elliott was waiting for me at Jack’s this morning.”

“She was waiting for you? What’d she want?”

“To talk me out of testifying.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“Nope.”

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