Page 17 of Turning Tides
Tonight. I could move in tonight. Like hell I was going to say no to a deal as sweet as that. I was out of the diner and down the street before I could think about it. I wanted to save what little money I had left, so I took the bus back to Cyrus’s place. He and Marshall had bought their little fixer-upper a few years ago and they’d turned a turd into a jewel. It was a cute house with a swing on the porch and a white picket fence, and more than anything, I was happy to give them their space back.
Marshall was in the living room, folding laundry while he watched TV. He turned and offered me a smile when I came in.
“Hey, you’re back earlier than usual. Did you eat?”
“I just came from dinner actually.” I set my messenger bag down by the door and went to the laundry room. Most of my stuff was kept there because I hadn’t wanted my things lying around tripping Cyrus and Marshall and cluttering their house. They’d moved some extra linens around and made room for me.
Grabbing my small suitcase out of the bottom of the cupboard, I filled it with my clothes. By the time I went to the bathroom and gathered my stuff from there, Marshall had caught on that something was up.
“Can I ask what you’re doing?” Marshall eyed me with concern.
In all my excitement, I’d forgotten not to be an asshole. “Um, I ran into Shane Taggart today. And we got to talking.” I sent a silent thank you to my body for not betraying that we’d done more than talk. “The space above The Anchor was empty and his brother has been on his ass to rent it. He’s checked into it, and I can run my business out of the space.”
I took my armload of toiletries to my suitcase and dumped them inside. I wasn’t going far.
Marshall followed me to the laundry room. “This is kind of fast, Archer. You should take time to consider your options.”
“What options?” I did my best to keep my voice level, to not be annoyed, because Marshall was a pussy cat, a gentle little kitten, and being mean to him wasn’t anything I’d intentionally do. When he didn’t say anything, I took a deep breath. “Look, I know it’s impulsive, okay. I know a lot can go wrong. A lot has gone wrong already. But I can’t sit around and mope anymore. Somehow or another, I was given this great opportunity to turn shit around and I’d be an idiot to say no.”
Marshall’s lips flattened into a thin line. “Shane is a nice guy.”
“I know.”
“Cyrus adores his boss.”
“I know. What are you trying to say, Marshall?” I zipped my suitcase shut and stared up at him. This was exactly why I needed to get the fuck out of here. I hated having my every move questioned. Did you eat breakfast? Didn’t you have three cups of coffee already? Have youlooked for a job? Have you found your ex-business partner yet? It made my skin itch. It was like being examined under a microscope. Living here had given Cyrus and Marshall the impression that they got a say in my decisions.
“Look, Marshall. If Shane didn’t want me to have the space, he wouldn’t have offered it. He doesn’t exactly seem like a guy who does shit he doesn’t want to do. And I won’t fuck anything up for Cyrus.”
Including definitely not sleeping with Shane again. I’d already established that he couldn’t be my landlord and my little slut. It was a shame, but sacrifices had to be made.
“Are you sure this is what you want? You don’t have to rush into things. You can take your time.”
“I’ve made up my mind.” I grabbed my suitcase and eyed Marshall until he stepped out of my way. Impulsive was my middle name. Over the years I’d sort of learned to curb some of the urges I had. It’s why I leaned into my art as much as I did. Doing things with my hands kept them out of trouble. Keeping my mind occupied kept it from wandering. Cyrus had a ten-year Plan A and a ten-year Plan B. I had a messenger bag of art supplies.
“Did you need a ride over?” Marshall asked, keys already jingling in his hand. The thing I loved the best about my brother’s husband was that he knew what battles weren’t his to fight. If I wanted to go, he’d let me. If I wanted to stay, he’d welcome me.
“That would be nice, thank you. Are we going to flip a coin to decide who’s going to tell my brother?”
Marshall laughed at me. “Hell no, that’s all on you.”
“You’re so loyal.” I envied that. Marshall would jump in front of a moving train for Cyrus. He’d move heaven and earth for him. They were the ride-or-die kind of husbands. I’d managed to find the exact opposite of that in Clayton. A man who only wanted me when itsuited him, who I went into business with only for him to take off without a trace. Were it not for Marshall and Cyrus, I might not believe things like love and loyalty still existed.
Hell, until this afternoon I hadn’t believed that there was someone out there who was exactly what I wanted. Then Shane took me upstairs and went to his knees… and rocked my fucking world. And now I’d be living in his building. I’d probably see him every day. But he was off-limits now. I knew better than to shit where I ate, and if I was going to take Shane up on his generous offer, the last thing I wanted was to complicate things by continuing to fuck him. Though it was tempting. Shane was everything I’d always wanted, but never been able to find. Not only had I found the unicorn, I’d ridden it, and now I had to look and not touch.
It was a small trade. A chance to rebuild what was stolen from me, and all I had to do was keep my hands off the sexy bar owner.
No problem.
Chapter 9
Shane
“Are you out ofyour mind?” Kieran stood in my kitchen, glowering at me.
It wasn’t even noon yet. I’d no sooner crawled out of bed when he knocked on my door.
“I’d offer you a coffee, but I don’t think I want to. What’s your deal, Kieran? It’s too early for this shit.”
