Chapter Twenty-five
Leah covered the knickknacks with a final layer of newspaper, closed the flaps on the box, and sealed it with a piece of packing tape. Straightening from her bent position, she stretched to work the kinks out of her back and glanced around the apartment. “I think we’re making progress.”
Her grandma turned away from the half-empty bookshelf and nodded. “It looks barren in here with only furniture. No pizzazz.”
Leah smiled. “You do have a style all your own.”
“Magnus calls my style Early American Clutter, but what does he know. His apartment looks like a monk’s chamber. It’ll benefit from a few trinkets to dress it up.” Hands on her hips, her grandma surveyed the living room. “I don’t think there’s enough room to move over most of my furniture, though.”
“We can fit your rocker by the window and replace my coffee table, since yours is nicer. What furniture we don’t sell at the yard sale, we can donate to charity if it comes to that. Have you decided if you want to keep your bedroom set?”
“Definitely. There isn’t much of anything other than a desk in the spare room, so my stuff will outfit it in style.”
Leah frowned. “What spare room? All the bedrooms have furniture.”
“Magnus’s second bedroom. His apartment is bigger than mine.”
“So you’re giving him your furniture? I guess that’s one way to get rid of it. Less to move to my house.”
“Why would I move my furniture to your house?”
Leah wondered if Gram was beginning to lose it. “Am I missing something? What the heck are you talking about?”
“Geez, Leah, I told you I’m staying put.” She returned to packing books. “I told you not to worry, that I had the situation under control and wouldn’t need to move in with you.”
“Yes, but that was when we thought the police were going to bust the con artist. They didn’t, so your money wasn’t recovered.”
“I’m not happy about that, but my basic plan didn’t change. Over the weekend, Magnus asked me to move in with him. It only took a little nudging on my part.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Do you think this box will be too heavy to lift?”
“When, exactly, were you planning to tell me this?”
“I did tell you, but I don’t think you were paying attention.”
Probably because I was thinking about Ryan.
“Gram, you can’t move in with Magnus.” Her voice rose. “You’ve only known him a few months.”
“So? At our age, why waste time. We aren’t going crazy and planning a wedding or anything.” Her eyes gleamed. “We intend to live in sin.”
Leah slumped into the nearest chair. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Why say anything? You pack faster when you aren’t talking. Since you had a minimum day today at school, we’ll be able to finish up in the living room before my scuba lesson this afternoon.”
Nonplussed, Leah shook her head. “I may need a few minutes to process all this. Have you told Mom and Dad?”
“Not yet. I plan to wait until it’s a done deal so they can’t try to talk me out of it. Of course, they’ll be worried about a strange man taking advantage of me.” Her grandma gave an unladylike snort. “Magnus certainly isn’t after my money, since that horse already left the barn. As for anything else, he takes advantage very nicely.”
Leah held up a hand. “Stop right there. TMI!” When her cell vibrated in her pocket, she pulled it out. “Uh, that means—”
“Too much information. I’m hip to all this texting lingo.”
Leah couldn’t help but smile, though she refrained from pointing out that “hip” wasn’t hip. Instead, she glanced at her phone display. “It’s Ryan. I need to talk to him.”
“I’m not stopping you.”
Gram was certainly in a feisty mood. Leah shook her head and answered, “Hey, Ryan.”
“Hey, yourself. Are you riding your bike home, or would you like me to come pick you up?”
“Neither. We had a minimum day, so I’m over at my grandma’s helping her pack. We plan to put in another couple of hours before I head home.” Standing, she skirted boxes on her way to the door. Once she’d shut it behind her, she let out a breath. “Do you mind if I whine a little? That woman has more vintage crap than Paige’s antique store. And don’t get me started on all the furniture we need to sell. The only bright note is we don’t have very far to haul everything.”
“Your grandma’s moving out of her apartment?”
She frowned. “I told you we don’t have the money to cover her rent for next month. I could maybe squeeze out another payment or two, but then I’d be up against it in an emergency. And let’s not forget I have to buy a new car.”
“Surely the insurance—”
“The Audi was so old I didn’t carry anything but liability, so, no, I won’t be getting a check from the insurance company.” She pressed the heel of her palm to her forehead. “No one cares that the accident wasn’t my fault, that I was the victim of a crime.”
“Hey, calm down.”
“I am calm. I’m not screaming, am I?” She leaned against the wall and let the cool wind that fluttered her skirt around her knees defuse her temper. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you. You’ve been terrific through all this.”
“I guess I could—”
“Help?” She straightened. “If you wouldn’t mind—”
“I don’t mind.”
Leah frowned. He certainly didn’t sound very enthusiastic. “If it’s a problem—”
“No problem. I’ll be over shortly.”
“Great. Thanks.” She disconnected, stuffed her phone back in her pocket, then went inside. “Ryan’s coming over to help. We can use his muscle to move boxes, since I’m still a little sore from the crash.” She fisted her hands on her hips. “Are you going somewhere?”
Gram nodded and pushed her arm through the sleeve of her coat. “Magnus just called to remind me our scuba lesson was rescheduled for earlier today. I’d completely forgotten.” She held out a key. “If Ryan wants to haul boxes over to Magnus’s place, you can keep packing. Tell him to put everything in the small bedroom with the desk.”
“Sure.” Leah bent to drop a kiss on her grandma’s cheek as she took the key from her. “Don’t you need your wetsuit?”
“All our gear is in Magnus’s car. Bye, dear. Thanks for your help this afternoon.”
“Of course. Have fun.”
“We always do.” The door shut behind her with a thud.
“Good God, I can’t keep up with that woman.” Shaking her head, Leah went to work on the second bookshelf and smiled as she loaded the box full of paperbacks with half-naked men on the covers. The fact that her grandma was moving in with Magnus probably shouldn’t have surprised her. The woman was a born romantic.
When a knock sounded, she glanced up and called out, “Come on in.”
Ryan entered the apartment and stared around the main room before giving her a quick smile. “Unpacking everything is going to take a while. I guess I should have called sooner.”
“Huh?” Leah scooted around to face him and rose to her feet. “Thanks for coming over. We aren’t unloading the boxes today, just moving them. You’ll never guess what new twist my grandma threw at me. My head is spinning.”
He pulled a checkbook and a pen out of his jacket pocket and dropped onto the couch. “More financial woes? How much does she need to keep her in her apartment and weather the latest crisis?” He glanced up, pen poised.
Leah frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“Should I make the check out to you or Evie?”
“Why would you write a check to either of us?” Leah pressed fingers to her temples when they started to throb. “I feel like I’m in some alternate universe. First with Gram, and now you’re talking in circles. Am I just being dense?”
His gaze held steady on hers. “Look, your grandma is in trouble, and you asked me to help. So, I’m here to give you the money. How much do you need?”
She stiffened, fists clenched at her sides. “Fifty grand ought to do it.”
He didn’t even blink, just bent his head and started writing.
“Are you kidding me?” Her voice came out in a screech.
“What’s wrong?” He stopped writing to look up as confusion darkened his eyes.
“What’s wrong?” She kicked a box then winced when her toe smarted on impact. “This whole situation, that’s what’s wrong. You’re sitting there writing a check with a look on your face like you just bit into something rotten. I was kidding about the fifty grand. I just said that to get a reaction. Jesus!”
He leaned back against the cushions. “I’m afraid I don’t understand. You asked for my help, and I agreed. Granted, I have a few concerns about bringing money into our relationship. That didn’t work out so well with Jay, but I hate seeing you worried sick about finances.”
“So you figured all my problems would go away with a big, fat check?” She swallowed hard as her throat burned with tears. “I can’t believe your opinion of me is so low you thought I’d expect you to give me money. What am I looking for, a sugar daddy?”
“Hardly, and I don’t think badly of you.” He surged to his feet and dropped the checkbook onto the coffee table. “You’re the one who asked for my help, so why are you all bent out of shape that I agreed?”
“Help moving boxes! They’re freaking heavy, and I’m still sore from the damn car crash. I never said anything about money.”
“You said you couldn’t afford your grandma’s rent.” His voice rose. “What did you expect me to think?”
“Excuse me for wanting to complain a little. God!” She rubbed a hand across her eyes. “I think you should leave.”
He shoved his hands in his pockets. “I’m sorry if I misunderstood. Can we talk about this?”
She wiped away more tears. “Probably not a great idea right now. I need to cool off.”
“Leah . . .” He stepped around the coffee table and held out a hand.
“No.” She backed against the bookcase. “Just take your checkbook and go. My heart hurts right now, and I don’t want to talk.”
He didn’t say anything else, just regarded her with a look she couldn’t interpret.
“Let me know when you’re ready to discuss it.” He grabbed his checkbook off the table, strode to the door, and opened it. After one final glance over his shoulder, he shut it behind him with a quiet click.
Leah stepped over to the couch on shaking legs and curled up in the corner. She pressed a hand to the ache in her chest beneath her soft wool sweater, then wiped away tears as they slid down her cheeks. When her cell chimed, she whooshed out a shuddering breath.
What part of no doesn’t he understand?
She snatched the phone from her skirt pocket and answered. “I told you not now.”
“Leah? Uh, is this a bad time?” The voice on the other end of the line was hesitant.
“Oh, God, I’m sorry, Nina. I thought you were Ryan.”
“Trouble in paradise?” Her friend’s tone held a deep layer of sympathy. “What did he do to you?”
A small smile tilted Leah’s lips. “Thanks for being so certain this is all Ryan’s fault.”
“Hey, I’ll always have your back. I called because I heard about a good deal on a used car, but we can talk about that later. Do you need to vent?”
“In a big way.” She glanced around the mess in the living room. “I also need a stiff dose of fresh air. Do you want to go for a hike? My knee’s feeling almost back to normal.”
“Sure. I’ve been slaving over my latest project, and I could use a break.”
“I’m at my grandma’s apartment, but I’ll meet you at my house so we can take Barney with us.”
“Sounds good. See you in a few.”
Leah went hunting for a pad of paper and jotted a quick note. She hated leaving the apartment in shambles, but she’d go crazy if she didn’t get outside. Fifteen minutes later, she pedaled down her driveway and leaned her bike against the wall in the now empty carport. She was still petting her ecstatic dog when Nina drove up and parked her Mini Cooper nearby.
She got out, slammed the door, and approached with a hand stretched out to ward off Barney’s dirty paws. “Down, boy. Yes, I’ll rub your ears, but no jumping.” Once she’d greeted the dog, she faced Leah. Clear green eyes regarded her for a long moment. “You’ve been crying. I may have to kick Ryan’s ass.”
“I’m probably making mountains out of molehills. Anyway, riding my bike into the wind caused my eyes to water.”
Nina’s gaze held a wealth of skepticism. “I’ll decide if you overreacted. You can tell me what he did while we walk. Are you planning to wear that?”
Leah glanced down at her skirt and sweater. “No, I haven’t had time to change since I got off work. Give me a minute. You can fill a couple of water bottles and grab some energy bars out of the pantry while you wait. I may need sustenance.” She headed toward the back door, unlocked it, then pulled a daypack off the row of hooks. “Here you go.”
Nina took the pack and glanced around. “Is it my imagination, or is this place a whole lot tidier than usual? No piles of miscellaneous crap heaped on the table. No mound of shoes and boots on the floor. Is Ryan the neat-freak rubbing off on you?”
“No, he just cleans up when I don’t. Be right back.”
A short time later, they set a quick pace through the forest with Barney leading the way. Leah’s knee ached a little, but the exercise was worth any pain. She breathed in the scent of damp earth and evergreens.
“You’re not limping.”
She glanced over at Nina. “My knee twinges now and then, and my ribs are still sore from the impact of the airbag, but I guess I should be thankful my injuries weren’t worse.”
“They were bad enough. So, are you going to tell me what Ryan did to upset you?”
“He tried to give me fifty grand.”
“What!”
“To help out with my grandma’s financial situation.” She kicked a fir cone, then gave her friend a nudge to keep her moving. “And he wasn’t all that gracious about it.”
Nina glanced back. “No silver platter beneath the check?”
Leah snorted and choked on a laugh. “Hardly, but I’m hurt and angry he believed I expected money from him. It was all a big misunderstanding, but the way he assumed I’d simply take his cash bothered me. Am I really that shallow? Does he think I’m dating him for his bank account?”
“Did you ask him how he feels?”
“No. He wanted to talk, but I sort of kicked him out. I wasn’t feeling terribly reasonable at the time. Honestly, I was a total bitch.”
Nina laid a hand on her arm and squeezed. “You’ll have a conversation and work it out. Bitchiness aside, Ryan is a good guy, so maybe you should listen to what he has to say before you judge.”
“I know. Maybe getting me to quit whining and complaining all the time was worth fifty thousand bucks to him. I haven’t exactly been Miss Congeniality lately.”
“You have every reason to bitch and moan. Christ, Leah, your grandma was robbed of her life’s savings, and then someone tried to kill you. Give yourself a break.”
“Still, no one likes a whiner.”
Nina rolled her eyes. “You stuck by me when I lost Keith, and I did nothing but cry and rail against fate and mope for a good six months. You and Paige both deserve sainthood for that.”
“We probably do.”
Her friend’s laughter rang through the trees. “I expect Ryan was just trying to help in his own inept male way. Point out his error and move on.” She gave her a sideways glance. “Maybe keep the check, since he can certainly afford it.”
“You’re hilarious. You know I’d never do that.”
“I’m kidding.” Nina was quiet for several minutes as they trod silently along the path covered with fir needles. “He really is a good guy. You’re lucky to have found each other again.”
“I know, but I may let him stew for a while before I apologize for yelling at him.” Leah kicked a stick to send it ricocheting off a tree trunk. “I’m still angry he misjudged me, and I want to make it clear he’d damn well better not do it again.”
“Good for you. Oh, and for the record, you didn’t overreact. Not much, anyway.” Nina gave her shoulder a nudge. “I still think he should have served up that check on a silver platter. Just saying.”
“And hold the side of grudging toleration. He wasn’t any happier about writing the check than I was to take it.” Leah scowled. “He said something about his old business partner, and how money ruined their friendship. If Ryan thinks I could ever care more about cold, hard cash than our feelings for each other, then he—”
“Wow, the man really did blow it. Sounds like he may have a few unresolved issues to work out that have nothing to do with you.”
“You think?” Leah let out a long breath. “His ex-girlfriend mentioned commitment and intimacy problems. I’m beginning to think he’s holding on to a whole lot of insecurities.”
“You talked to his ex-girlfriend?”
Her knee tweaked a little as they climbed steadily uphill, and she winced. “I ran into her in the ladies’ room of a restaurant in Sisters on Saturday. She seemed nice.”
“Interesting. You weren’t even a tad jealous?”
“No, why would I be?”
“You wouldn’t be because you trust what you and Ryan have together. That’s pretty amazing, so hold on to that knowledge when you talk to him. Okay?”
“I will. Thanks, Nina. Discussing this whole sorry mess with you helped.”
“Good.” Her friend reached out to give her a quick hug then glanced around. “The sun is beginning to set, and it’ll be dark in under an hour. How far are we going?”
“There’s a viewpoint not far from here, and I have a flashlight in my pack.” Leah stumbled over a tree root and stopped. “Hey, where’s Barney?”
“Somewhere up ahead. Apparently we weren’t hiking fast enough to suit him.”
“Well, crap. I hope he comes when I call him. I should have been paying more attention.” She raised her voice to shout, “Barney!”
The wind rustled tree branches in the silence.
Nina touched her arm. “Let’s keep going. Maybe he’s out of earshot.”
“Damn, I hope he didn’t go too far.”
They hiked until they reached the viewpoint where Leah and Ryan had stopped before, but encroaching darkness hid the ocean vista. When she yelled again for Barney, a snuffling bark answered her.
“Oh, thank God. I know where he is.” Leah pushed through the manzanita bushes. “He’s obsessed with this spot. There must be a nest of squirrels or something.” Breaking through into the clearing with the large stone, she let out a breath. “You’re a total pain. You know that?”
Barney whined and dug furiously near a large fir tree on the far side of the open area, butt upended and tail wagging. Dirt flew in all directions.
“Whatever rodent you’re after, leave it alone.”
Barney turned with a stick in his mouth, long and nearly black in the fading light. When Leah walked around the stone and reached for it, the dog sidestepped her and dashed toward the bushes.
“Fine, but I can’t throw your stick if you won’t drop it.”
Nina laughed. “Your dog is an idiot.”
“I know, but I still love him.” Leah shrugged off her pack and unzipped the compartment to pull out a flashlight. “We’ll definitely need this on the way down.”
“I’d prefer not to fall on my head, so lead the way.”
“Happily. This place has an eerie feel to it, secluded with the trees towering over us.”
Nina nodded as she held back the bushes. “You’d never know there was a clearing here if the dog hadn’t found it. If this is an actual trail, it’s super overgrown.”
“Ouch.” Leah rubbed her arm when a branch scratched her. She flashed the light down the main path and caught Barney in the gleam, chewing on his stick. He jumped up and trotted off when she called out, “Stay close, boy. I don’t want to look for you again.”
“God forbid, especially with the fog rolling in.” Nina shivered. “It’s going to be a cold night.”
Such an innocent comment, yet Leah’s heart ached. Ryan wouldn’t be around to keep her warm. Not that she was willing to simply forgive and forget. Not yet, anyway. “That wind cuts like a knife. Let’s go home.”