“Oh, I don’t want to impose.”
“You and Diablo are not an imposition,” he said. “I’d be happy to have you stay here.”
“Would that be easier for you?” I asked. It seemed like it would be. There was no sense in both of us dragging our belongings to different houses if we didn’t have to.
He waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about me.”
“It’d be pretty rude if I didn’t consider how this affects you.”
“I’m fine staying here, and I’m fine staying somewhere else. It’s completely up to you.”
I blew on my coffee and took a slow sip to buy myself a little time before answering. “I’m okay with staying here. My stuff’s here, and your stuff’s here. It seems silly to move it all again.”
“Good,” he smiled. “I’ll let Phoenix know.”
“I guess that leaves the grocery store,” I said.
“Actually, if you’ll make a list of what you want, I’ll place an order and have them delivered later this afternoon.”
“Point me in the direction of pen and paper,” I said happily. “I hate going to the grocery store.”
“Me, too,” he agreed and got up to get a pen and notepad from a drawer in his kitchen. “Here you go.”
I quickly made a list of what I needed. I added a few extra things so I could make dinner for him at least two nights that week as a way to thank him for letting me invade his space. When I finished, I started to hand the notepad to him, but pulled it back when he reached out to take it. “I want you to let me pay for the entire order.”
“Daphne—” he started.
“No,” I interrupted. “I want to. It’s the least I can do.”
He sighed. “To save us both time and energy, I’m going to go ahead and give in now since I have a feeling this is an argument I won’t win.”
“Great. I’ll grab my debit card.”
I finished my coffee while he placed our grocery order.
“Well, now what?” he asked when he finished.
“Would it be possible to have a tour of the farm? I’d love to see the property.”
“Sure. Are you ready to go now?”
“Yes,” I said before looking down at my pajamas. “No, I need to change first.”
Dice laughed. “Let me know when you’re ready.”
I hurried back to my room to get ready to go. I didn’t bother to do anything with my hair other than pull it up into a messy bun, but I did wash my face and put on a little bit of makeup. Then, I changed into a comfortable pair of jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt, and my favorite hoodie. After slipping on my shoes, I picked up Diablo’s leash and returned to the living room. Diablo trotted along excitedly behind me. He knew we were going somewhere since I touched his leash.
“Ready,” I announced.
Dice pointed to my shirt. “Is that a bloody handprint on your hoodie?”
I laughed and nodded. “It is. I like psychological thrillers, and this is my favorite author.”
“I like it.”
“Thanks. Me, too.”
We walked outside to his driveway, where a golf cart was parked. “Where did that come from?” I asked.