Page 48 of Where We Call Home

“No, you don’t.”

“Rhodes, please,” Theo said, her voice firm. “I don’t want your pity. I’m not a charity case, and I don’t want you making this offer because you feel bad for me.”

“That’s not it at all,” I said, finally looking up at her. “I want what’s best for you and the baby. You deserve a clean, safe place to live. Can’t you believe I want to do this because I’m kind? Because I’m your friend? Not because I have any other motive.”

Her cheeks flushed pink, and her eyes locked on mine with an intensity that made me feel like she could see straight into my soul.

“Rhodes...”

“Plus, it gets lonely anyway. I’d like the company,” I said, my voice softer.

There was a smudge of chocolate ice cream at the corner of her mouth. Without thinking, clearly lacking control, I reached out and wiped it away with my thumb before going back to my cup like it was nothing.

“What other rules do you have? Paying isn’t an option,” I said after swallowing the last bite.

“I don’t know yet,” she admitted, her voice softening. I wanted to crawl inside her mind and see what was going on up there.

“When do you want to move in?” I asked, hoping the question didn’t sound as eager as I felt.

Theo cleared her throat, wiping at the same spot I’d touched moments earlier. “As soon as you’ll have me. I think it’s best to get settled before the baby comes.”

“You’re probably right,” I agreed with a laugh.

“And I’ll need to learn all your weird quirks to make sure you’re good enough for the baby,” Theo teased, her eyes twinkling with mischief. She stuck her tongue out playfully, making the moment even more ridiculous.

Shaking my head with a grin, I hopped off the tailgate, placing my empty cup in the truck bed. “Alright, that’s enough sass for tonight,” I said, holding out my hand to help her down.

“Wait!” Theo squealed, cramming the last of her ice cream cone into her mouth. Her cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk storing nuts for winter, pulling another laugh from me.

She took my hand and hopped down, steadying herself as her feet hit the ground. The mischievous glint in her eyes made me wary of what she might say next.

“You don’t do anything creepy at night I should know about, do you?”

Nineteen

“Ugh!” I groaned, flopping back onto Rhodes’s couch. Or, I guess,ourcouch now. Was his furniture mine, too? If I had people over, would I say,you can sit at my table? Or would it be,you can come to my room, or justthe room?

Too many questions for a brain running on fumes. Those were answers for another day. For now, all I needed was rest.

Rhodes and I spent the entire day moving my stuff in—not that there was much to begin with. My room at Mom’s wasn’t big, and after spending so much of my adult life on the go, I hadn’t bothered collecting too many belongings.

The baby’s stuff, though?Thatwas a different story.

She had claimed the entire dining room at Mom’s house with mostly gifts from the gender reveal and stuff accumulated over time. We loaded Rhodes’ truck bed to capacity and filled the back seat to the brim. Luckily, we managed it all in one trip.

By “we,” of course, I meantRhodes.I was barely any help. There wasn’t much I could carry, and by my fourth trip inside, I was winded and in desperate need of a break.

While I caught my breath, Rhodes made three trips for every one of mine. When I got back to work, he still lapped me, and the whole time, he never complained or lost the determination.

Now, after getting the rooms semi-set up and my stuff into its designated spots, Rhodes still hadn’t slowed down. Watching him do everything was unsettling. I wanted to pitch in more, lend a hand, but there was no denying how much I needed the help. Accepting help was becoming easier, butfeelinghelpless? Not so much.

I grabbed a throw pillow and pressed it over my face, muffling a loud groan. My feet were throbbing, and my ankles had swollen to three times their normal size. I hadn’t even known that was possible.

“Ugh!” I yelled again, dragging it out this time.

The cushion under my legs dipped slightly. I didn’t even bother moving to make room for Rhodes to sit down.

“Are you okay?” he asked, a small laugh escaping him.

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