Page 89 of Callahan

Brian offered, “If he needs somewhere to stay while he’s here, he’s welcome to stay with me.”

“I appreciate that. I probably should think about looking for a house to rent, so I have somewhere to store my stuff.”

“Depending on how much you have, you can keep it in my garage or in one of my spare bedrooms until you get settled.”

“Everything I own can fit in my Bronco.”

“Piece of cake, then.”

“I still feel bad,” I grumbled.

“Don’t,” Brian and Adam both replied at the same time.

I think that was easier said than done.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Adam

I hadn’t made it five minutes out of Dr. Williams’ office when my phone buzzed with a text.

Unknown number: Hey, Adam, this is Chief O’Shaughnessy. I understand you’re cleared to start work.

Good grief. Lancastle’s grapevine has nothing on the one in Haven Springs.

Surely there had to be a HIPAA violation in there somewhere.

I paused walking toward Main Street to type out a reply.

Me: Hey, Chief. Yeah, Doc gave me the all-clear.

Chief O’Shaughnessy: That’s great news! We’re just waiting on one more thing from your background check, then you’re all set on our end, too. I expect we’ll have a definitive yes by tomorrow if you want to swing by the station and fill out your hiring paperwork.

Me: Sounds like a plan. I’ll see you then.

Chief O’Shaughnessy: Looking forward to it.

Even though I wasn’t going to Massachusetts, I was still going to use some of the ten days I was promised before starting work.

It’d give me time to look for a place to rent, get a South Carolina driver’s license, set up a bank account, get insurance… all the things somebody needed to do when moving to a new town and state.

Even if it was only temporary.

That inner voice that I was learning to hate, whispered,Keep telling yourself that, buddy.

I would.

Because if I thought about staying here long-term, it’d mean I’d made a move to make things permanent with Lainey.

And even if she was willing, which I had serious doubts about, I couldn’t do that to Shawn’s memory.

~~~~

The chime on the bakery door alerted when I opened it, a feat I was still reveling in. Only a few customers were left when I walked inside: the college student in the corner by the front window—at least I assumed she was a student based on her age and the textbooks she had spread out next to her laptop. And a woman about my age with a toddler, accompanied by an older woman. My guess was it was mom, daughter, and granddaughter spending the afternoon together.

The girl who’d taken my order that morning—her name tag had read Paulina, stood behind the counter looking at her phone, but glanced up when she noticed me walking toward her.

“Is Lainey upstairs?”

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