At least he had the decency to look ashamed. Anger flooded Piper and she opened her mouth to remind him that she didn’t need looking after, but the words fell flat at the sight of his bare feet. The man had leapt out of his bed and come running to her aid without even stopping to put shoes on. He didn’t deserve her anger. She could admit defeat if it was on her terms.
‘Guess I’ll head into the real estate office after my shift tomorrow and see what rentals they have available. Put in an application for one.’
Major shoved his head onto her lap, his long tongue licking her hand. She stroked the soft fur between his ears, happy to have something to do with her hands.
Emmett dragged her camp chair over and sat in it. ‘That might be a bit hard, given Tobias, the guy who owns and manages the only real estate in town, has shut up shop and gone away for the holiday period. He does it every year. People refer to him as the town Grinch because he hates Christmas.’
‘But Christmas isn’t for another five and a half weeks.’
He grinned. ‘Not in Rush Creek.’
‘That’s the second time I’ve heard that.’ It didn’t sound like this was the right town in which to have the low-key Christmas she’d planned.
‘What’s going on with you, Piper? You love Christmas. Your whole family does. Why are you here, so far away from them?’
Piper opened her mouth. Shut it again. She wanted to tell him; the open concern in his eyes kept the words on the tip of her tongue. But she couldn’t. She needed to leave the past in the city with Heath. Not bring it here. ‘I’m here to work and get some rural experience. Something I can put on my resume.’
She held Emmett’s stare before he slowly nodded. ‘Acknowledging that the offer might make you angry again, my spare room’s still available. For as long as you need it.’
‘You sure your girlfriend won’t mind?’
‘No girlfriend,’ he replied.
Piper was mildly surprised. She couldn’t remember Emmett without a girl on his arm or running after him.
‘Even if I did have one, she’d just have to deal with it. You’re too important.’
Her heart leapt then crashed back down. He meant as Carter’s sister. Defeat curled her shoulders forward. So much for her independent era. ‘I guess I’m running out of excuses to say no.’
Emmett squeezed her hand. ‘With both of us working shifts, I doubt we’ll even see that much of one another.’ He checked his phone. ‘It’s just past one; how ’bout I bring my swag down here and camp under your awning with Major? You can cook a bacon and egg breakfast to thank me.’
Piper rolled her eyes and stood up. His hand dropped away and she missed its warmth. ‘You can sleep here if you want, but there’ll be no breakfast cooked by me.’
His slight chuckle stopped her from turning for her bed.
Emmett stepped out into the night. ‘Stay here, Major. I’ll be back.’
The giant German Shepherd tilted his head at Piper. He really was cute. Living with him might not be too bad, but existing under the same room as Emmett? The guy she’d secretly referred to as hers for the entirety of her childhood? While she was trying to rebuild her existence into something less miserable than the one she’d shared with Heath? Fan-freaking-tastic.
‘Emmett?’ she called into the darkness. He spun around at the edge of the light. ‘Thank you.’
She was Maree Taylor’s daughter; she knew when to use her manners. Now all she had to do was forget about the giant Emmett crush she’d nursed for all of those years.
Easy, right?
Chapter 4
Emmett peeled back an eyelid at the warble of a country music artist sounding like the ugly cawing of a crow who’d pecked into a brick of cocaine. He growled when a harmonica was given space for a solo. It was the fifth morning in a row that ridiculous ruckus had woken him. She’d promised to keep it down. He looked at the screen of his phone. Damn the early risers! If he’d known Piper had this habit, he might’ve thought twice about demanding she move in with him.
The warble started again. Nope, he was not putting up with this. This was worse than his neighbour Harry Flinders starting up the mower three times a week. He kicked the sheet off and threw himself from his mattress. His room, the master bedroom, was at the back of the Queenslander he’d bought after taking his permanent position. He stomped down the hall, past the main bathroom, his office aka the dumping room, and the spare room that now occupied the most annoying housemate in the history of roomies.
‘Piper, I had forty-five minutes left until the alarm was going to go off. Are you trying to piss me—’ He cut across the living area and halted at the entry to the kitchen. Frowned.
Piper was dressed in her nursing scrubs, leaning against the bench and staring out the window. Her vacant expression told him she was a million miles away. Glancing around the kitchen, he noted her toast had popped and was still sitting in the toaster, but she hadn’t bothered to get any condiments out yet. What was going on with her? The country singer’s voice rose into the chorus and Emmett tuned into what she was crooning about. A blue heart? Being lonely at Christmas? Ah, shit.
He leaned over and pressed the power button on the Bluetooth speaker sitting on the bench, effectively pulling Piper out of her reverie with a jolt.
‘Morning, Emmett.’ The smile she pointed at him was strained.