Page 46 of Loathe Thy Neighbor

Of course, because that was just my luck, Dean had to step out of the elevator as we were getting on. He hada lotto say the next morning at the diner.

That was the last time I let a guy pick me up from my apartment; I didn’t need Dean’s commentary about my dating life. I’d seen plenty of women coming and going from his place over the last year and never once made any unsolicited comments about his choices.

“As a matter of fact, it was—and he had a leg up on you too. There was an eight-pack hiding beneath thosestunningshirts.”

His eyes spark. “All I just heard was that you counted my abs.”

I sure as hell did.“It was a shot in the dark.”

“Shot in the dark, my ass,” he mutters, moving toward his pile of things.

He drops to his haunches and starts rummaging around, looking for a change of clothes. “What are you doing in here?”

“Working.”

“I’m glad you came in here when I was gone and not asleep like you’ve done all week. Big improvement there.”

I wince. “Oops. I’ll bring my—”

“Work laptop home—yeah, I’ve heard that before.”

“I’m sorry, are you being grumpy with me?”

He pauses his movements, then sighs. “Maybe a little. It’s not you.” He stands, turning toward me. “Well, it is…but not completely.” Another sigh, his shoulders slumping on the exhale. “It’s just been a long week.”

He looks worn out. Run down. Like he’s running on his last leg.

“I promise to bring my laptop home.”

“I’m sure you will.”

“I’ll text Maya and make sure she reminds me.”

He grunts and sits on the edge of his air mattress.

I can’t imagine that’s lending any hands in the sleeping department. Dean’s way too big to be sleeping on that thing, and I know it’s not comfortable.

We tried to rescue his bed from his apartment, but it smelled too much like smoke to us. We weren’t sure if that was just the smell burned into our nostrils or if it was toast, but we weren’t taking the chance.

“What are you working on this late? The shop closed hours ago.”

I click through my email one last time, making sure I haven’t missed anything. “Photographer.”

“You have a photographer?”

I nod. “We sell items online, started it at the beginning of the year. It’s still just us three managing the shopandnow the online sales, so it’s a lot of extra work to keep it running efficiently, but it will help keep business steady when tourist season is down.”

A lot of work and a lot of added stress. It’s why I run in here at night to check on things. Why I’m forever going in early and why I’m always the last to leave. We’re a small shop, but our online presence is growing every day and the internet is demanding as hell.

“Do Caroline and Maya know you’re staying up late and taking on the brunt of the work?”

There’s something in his voice that almost sounds like concern.

His worry is sweet—something I never thought I’d say when referring to Dean—but it’s not needed.

At the end of the day, Making Waves is mine, and since I’m not at the point of comfortably hiring more employees or paying the ones I already have more, it’s only fair for it to fall on my shoulders.

“Yes.”

---