Page 56 of S.O.S. Billboard

Screw him if he didn’t like being iced out. She was busy nursing a heart that hadn’t even been given a proper chance to be broken.

Eventually they thanked Wiley for the use of his gym. Sarge had taken off with Rory to return her to Mizzay. Prez had collared both the teens with promises of the long-awaited hotdogs and fries; having no problem getting them into his truck.

O’Shea and Billboard were left with Ethan, who they drove back to his house in a silence that was neither comfortable nor uncomfortable. It was just…there.

Ethan grew excited however, as they pulled into his driveway. “Miss O’Shea? Are you going to come in so we can ask Mom about you moving to our house?” he asked, bouncing in his seat.

O’Shea glanced at Billboard, who said nothing, but whose jaw was clenched.

“I think that sounds like a great idea,” she told Ethan, then turned to Billboard. “I’ll only be a minute. Just to see if Mrs. Jakes is at all amenable to the idea.”

Billboard grunted.

Yup. That’s all O’Shea expected.

She and Ethan left the car, with Ethan running ahead of her to burst in through the door.

“Mom! Mom! Can Miss O’Shea be our new roommate? Please? She has two cats, and one of them is a kitten, and you’ve always said we could get a pet someday.”

“Whoa. Whoa. Slow down,” Mrs. Jakes’ amused voice came from the kitchen where Ethan had disappeared. “What’s this all about?”

O’Shea entered the room and took over, hoping to moderate some of Ethan’s enthusiasm. After all, she’d only met the woman once when they’d picked Ethan up. She might think this request was crazy, coming so quickly.

“Uh, if I may?”

Mrs. Jakes nodded agreeably.

“Ethan overheard me today that I’m looking for a place to live with my two cats. I’m not at all trying to put you on the spot. It was something that just came up, and I haven’t even had a chance to peruse apartment ads yet.”

“Nuh, uh,” Ethan disputed. “We heard. Billboard told her shehadto move out, Mom. And he didn’t sound very happy when he said it,” Ethan added, snagging an apple out of the bowl on the counter and taking a big bite.

“Seriously?” Mrs. Jakes bristled.

O’Shea could tell that the woman had her back up, and it was funny. O’Shea had noted that she and Mrs. Jakes had some physical similarities; short dark hair, and equal statures, but she was amused that their personalities meshed, as well.

O’Shea tried for some damage control. “It, uh, wasn’t exactly like that,” she demurred. “I kind of crashed his place unexpectedly. When a cat I rescued couldn’t stay in the room I’d rented at a hotel, Billboard came to get me, and basically had no choice but to take me in,” O’Shea explained. “But now that I’ve got cat number two, which is a story in itself, we’ve decided that it will be better for me to find a place of my own.”

“I see.” Mrs. Jakes relaxed. “I’m glad he’s not forcing you out. I’ve had…” She looked at her son and trailed off.

What had she been about to say? Clearly things weren’t exactly as they seemed with Ethan and his Mom. If O’Sheamoved in, she promised herself she’d get to the bottom of the odd situation.

Mrs. Jakes cleared her throat. “I’ve actually been thinking about taking in a roommate,” she admitted. “I’ve simply been putting it off because I wasn’t sure about letting a stranger into my home.” She brightened. “But you’re not a stranger. You’re a friend of the SOS team, and I trust them implicitly.”

True, but… There was a caveat that needed to be mentioned.

“I understand you don’t trust cops,” O’Shea dropped. Mrs. Jakes had no idea that O’Shea wore a badge.

“Uh, not exactly,” the woman prevaricated uncomfortably.

O’Shea sighed. “Then I feel I have to disclose that Iaman officer of the law employed by a rural police force in Louisianna. So, if that’s a deal breaker…”

Mrs. Jakes chewed on her bottom lip while looking O’Shea up and down. “I don’t think…” She dragged in a deep breath. “You’re not from around here, and you’re a woman.” She clearly made up her mind. “I’m comfortable with that.”

“Okay,” O’Shea allowed, “but I’m not rushing you. If you change your mind, I won’t be upset.” O’Shea gave her a gentle smile. “Do you have any idea how much you might want if things work out?”

Mrs. Jakes named a figure that sounded extremely fair, and O’Shea knew her savings could take that hit for a few months once she gave her notice and closed up her at-will apartment back home. If she hadn’t heard back from the Boston Commissioner’s office by the time her bank account was running low, she’d have to look for a job—not at SOS anymore—but it was all doable.

O’Shea felt a punch of optimism. “Let me talk to Billboard and get his thoughts on the matter, Mrs. Jakes.”

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