City of the Lost (Rockton 1)

His gaze moves to my bag, which someone has left across the room. That answers my question, saving him from speaking.

I gingerly lower myself onto the sofa. It's big and soft and wonderfully comfortable.

"There's a fireplace," I say, and I can't fight a small smile. I've never had a fireplace. My parents turned ours into a significantly safer media cabinet.

"Two fireplaces and a wood stove," Dalton says. "You'll need to learn how to chop wood."

"Okay."

He looks at me as if I'm being sarcastic. When he sees that I'm not, he nods. The front door opens, and he starts for the hall.

"Casey?" Diana calls.

I smile and rise from the sofa. "In here."

She barrels past Dalton and throws herself at me in a hug. "Finally! I kept asking when you'd come in, and no one would give me a proper time, and then all of a sudden I hear that you got in this morning."

"She was busy," Dalton says.

"I asked to be notified--"

"And I vetoed that. She's here to work. I had work for her."

He's already heading for the kitchen. Leaving out the back, I presume.

"Ignore him," I murmur. "How's everything going?"

She grins then, a huge blazing grin, the sort I haven't seen since the day Graham asked her to marry him.

"It is amazing," she says. She runs her hand through her hair, droplets of water flying. "I just got back from a quick dip. It's freezing, but it feels so good."

"There's a pool?"

She laughs. "The pond. There's a lake, too, but you need an escort to go there."

"Um, you do know there's no filtration system in a pond, right? Or a lake?"

Her grin widens. "Yes, we went swimming in a dirty pond."

"We?"

From the way her face glows, I know the other half of that "we" isn't a woman. I try not to stare at her. I probably do. Thrown into a new situation, Diana usually just lies low and observes, like a rabbit in its hole. I was certain she'd be hiding in her lodgings, waiting for me to come and take her around. Obviously not, and I'm thrilled to see it.

"So are you boarding here?" she asks.

"I guess so."

"Hopefully it won't be for long. I had to board the first night because my place wasn't ready. I have an apartment now. If you'd like, you can bunk with me until they find you a permanent place."

"I'm sure this will be fine. But thanks."

We walk into the kitchen and find Dalton poking through boxes on the table.

"There's dinner in there," he says, pointing at one. "Enough for your friend if she stays. Basic supplies in the rest."

"When do I get to meet my landlord?"

He frowns at me.