“It was too fast. I’m so impulsive. I moved in with him after only three weeks. Who does that?” Falling back on the couch, I curl my legs under me. “That’s it. No men for a year.”
She starts to laugh. “You’ll find somebody new tomorrow.”
“Nope. This chick is off the market.”
Courtney gives me a wink. “He doesn’t deserve you.”
I sit up and hug my friend. “Men are rats. They’re fleas on rats.”
“He’s probably a Clemson fan.” That makes me laugh, and I squeeze my eyes shut. “Two of my best friends went to Clemson.”
“Oh, well. He’s a USC fan, then.”
We laugh more, and fresh tears fill my eyes until we spot a little visitor standing in the hallway watching us.
His mother gives him a gentle frown. “Aren’t you supposed to be sleeping?”
Courtney holds out her hands and seven-year-old Oliver closes the space between us, crawling into her lap.
I pass him the pint of ice cream and grab a tissue, quickly blotting my eyes and pasting on a smile. “Hey, buddy. Are we being too loud?”
He takes a big bite of vanilla with chunky cherries. “Why are you crying?”
Taking a deep breath, I try to conjure a reason he can understand. “I thought I was getting a present, but I got a kick in the pants instead.”
He scoops more ice cream, eyes wide. “Mom says kicking is bad.”
“Your mom’s right. I should’ve known better.”
“Somebody kicked you?”
“No…” My eyes meet Court’s, and she rolls hers. “It’s a figure of speech. Like an unpleasant surprise. I found out somebody wasn’t who I thought he was. Or he was who I thought he was, and I didn’t want to admit it.”
Oliver’s little brow furrows, and I’m pretty sure I’ve only succeeded in confusing the shit out of him.
Court jumps in and saves me. “Aunt Sly is going to stay with us a few days. Isn’t that fun?”
His confusion disappears, and he hops onto his feet between us. “Can she sleep in my room?”
“You’ve got the twin beds, so I guess I will.”
He bounces again, throwing up both hands. “We can build a fort and tell ghost stories and I’ll let you hold Chartreuse and—”
“Tonight, you need to go t
o sleep.” Court stands, putting him on the floor, and I stand, too. “Aunt Sly will be along later. You’ve got school tomorrow.”
And I’ve got to find a place to live. “I wonder if I could afford a place in The Vista?”
She shrugs. “It’s pretty expensive.”
“Yeah, and I’m down to three clients now.” Shame squeezes my chest. I hate when Daisy is right. “I’ll probably have to move back to Fireside. Live with Ma.”
“You’re staying right here until you’re back on your feet. You can’t build a client list from three hours away.”
“Two and a half hours.” She narrows her eyes, and I concede. “You’re right. If I want to work here, I have to live here. Just promise me one thing.”
“What?”