Page 31 of Roughing the Player
“No, it isn’t.” He does have his pride, after all. But it’d be for his own good. “Look, I know this is not what you want. But it won’t last long. We can start looking for a house for you right away. Just let me know what you want.”
“I’ll need one with a big yard for Butch.”
“Yes, but I need to know what style house you’d like—contemporary, colonial, Victorian?”
“Doesn’t matter. Chances are I’ll only be here for a year.”
I could tell him that it matters, that you never know what fate will bring. But he’s not likely to listen. Not now when he’s as upset as he is. Better I point him in the right direction and let him decide where he wants to live. “How about I have my realtor contact you? She helped me find a house that fit my budget in a great neighborhood. I’m sure she can help you.”
“I guess that would work.” He doesn’t look too happy about it, but I think he’ll go along with the plan. “In the meantime, what about Butch?”
I didn’t even think about his dog. “What about him?”
“He can’t live here. Look at it. The place is too small for him.”
“Couldn’t you leave him at the dog kennel until you find a house?”
“No. I can’t. I called to check up on him. He tried to escape so they have him caged up most of the time. That’s not going to work. He needs room to run around. And a big backyard.”
“I may be able to help.” God, I can’t believe I’m saying this. I can’t believe I’m thinking this.
His head comes up at that. “How?”
“Butch can stay at my house. I have a big yard and Mama will be there during the week.” She’d already agreed to supervise Kaylee while I’m at Brock’s place. “Weekends, he can be with you.”
“Your mom won’t mind?”
“No. She won’t. She’ll already be watching Kaylee, and she loves dogs.”
“Kaylee? Is that your daughter’s name?”
Darn it. I shouldn’t have let that slip out. “Yes.”
Head down, he meanders around the living room, mulling things over, until he comes to a stop directly in front of me. “You sure it wouldn’t be an imposition?”
I try hard not to breathe. “Positive.”
Acceptance rolls over his face. “Then I guess that would work. Thank you. I’ll spring him from the dog kennel and bring him by this weekend.”
Thatcan’t happen. “No!”
“Why not?”
“I’m having a birthday party for Kaylee on Saturday. A bunch of giggling girls, a slumber party. It would not work.”
“Next weekend then. Although I hate for Butch to stay at the kennel another week.”
“Okay.” Kaylee won’t be there when he drops off Butch. She’ll be at camp for two weeks. I’ll have to hide all her photos before he comes by, though. “I’m glad we worked that out.”
“Thanks, Eleanor. I really appreciate it.” The relief in him is palpable. He was really worried about his dog. He never agreed to go incognito, though.
Baby steps, Eleanor. Rome wasn’t built in a day. I’ll need to figure out a way to convince him. In the meantime, we can do something about his things. “Want to finish unpacking?”
“Yeah.”
“Great. You take the orgy room, and I’ll finish up with the guest bedroom.”
He props his hands on his hips. “You do realize you’ve been putting my things away in your room?”
I do now. “I was not going in the—“
“Orgy room?”
“That’s right.”
A lopsided smile pops up on his face. “Stick in the mud.”
I answer with a grin of my own. “Pervert.”
In the end he moves his things and his boxes into the orgy room which leaves me with little to unpack. Once done, I head out, happy with the way things are working out. With any luck at all, we’ll sail right through this.
