Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 105756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
“So, you bought the place next door?” I almost laughed. We really did live in different worlds. What would it be like to have the money to just buy an extra apartment simply to avoid having any neighbours?
“Yes,” Jonathan sighed. “Look, I feel terrible for putting you out of Mam’s place, and I know I could just suggest you move back in there, but I grew up in that house and losing Mam is bringing up a lot of old … stuff. I’m feeling unusually possessive of the place. I just …” His words fell off as he sighed, and I was shocked by how much he was revealing. Jonathan Oaks was being unexpectedly candid, not to mention vulnerable, and I was rapt.
He stared at the floor for a moment before his eyes flicked up. “I feel this irrational need to preserve the place.”
“Creating a mausoleum for your mother isn’t going to bring her back,” I said, speaking gently.
Jonathan’s stare turned probing. “You loved her, didn’t you?”
His question had my throat thickening with emotion. “Yes. We became close over the years. She was my friend.”
His jaw did that weird flickering thing again before he cleared his throat. “Thank you for loving her when I couldn’t.”
For a second, it felt like the world stood still. I found myself taking a step towards him, my heart pounding. After our first meeting, I never thought I could feel this level of empathy for Jonathan, but he was clearly in agony over his mam.
“She loved you,” I said, placing my hand on his arm. “She spoke about you all the time.”
His eyes met mine and held. He looked on the verge of tears, but they never came. Instead, he stepped away from my touch. Turning, he took a moment to survey my office. It was small and neat, lined with filing cabinets and with a window that looked out onto the residents’ garden.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been in one of these places,” he said.
“A care home?”
Jonathan nodded then stepped closer to the window, peering out. “I always imagined them to be lonely and depressing, but it’s not like that here. It feels like, well, as close as one could get to a home.”
“We try our best,” I spoke quietly, and he continued peering out at the garden. “So, this empty apartment, it’s right next to yours?” I asked.
At last, Jonathan turned back around, seeming to have gathered his scattered emotions. “Yes, but I’m rarely there. You wouldn’t have to see much of me.”
“Oh, right,” I said, not mentioning how I hated living alone and had been hoping to find a house share. Still, I wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. I could stay in Jonathan’s apartment until my search for a room turned up something suitable. “This is incredibly generous of you.”
He almost smiled. “Better snap up the offer while you can, Miss Rose. I’m not often generous.”
I blew out a breath, placed a hand on my hip, thought about it for another second and then finally held my hand out to him. “All right, then. You have yourself a deal.”
He actually smiled, and I wasn’t sure how to feel about the level of handsomeness being directed at me. He was surely aware of how good looking he was. With that in mind, I refused to let it affect me.
We shook hands, his palm warm and smooth against mine, and I endeavoured to ignore the zing of awareness that shot through me. So, I found him attractive. Big deal. If he was rarely home then we probably wouldn’t bump into each other very often.
When he let go, I stepped back and surveyed my desk, a little light-headed. “So, um, maybe you can have Therese send me the address, and I’ll drive over when I’m finished here for the day.”
“No need. I’ll write it down for you now,” Jonathan said, selecting a pen from the mug on my desk alongside a small memo card. I stared at this profile while he bent to write before rising to hand me the card.
“Here. I’ll meet you out front tonight at seven-thirty. Is that okay for you?”
I nodded, glancing down at the address. It was in a very upscale part of the city, not too far from Jonathan’s office building. My commute to work in the mornings would be longer, but it was better than the alternative.
“Okay, yes, I can meet you there,” I replied just as a knock sounded on the door. “Come in,” I called.
My eyebrows shot up when Cathal appeared. What did he want? He rarely came to my office these days, not unless there was an emergency with one of the residents.
“Cathal, is everything okay?”
He shot me an easy-going smile, his gaze flicking to Jonathan for a moment. He wore the same curious expression he’d had when we’d walked by out in the lounge a few minutes ago.