be okay.” He gave me a fond smile. “I hear he has a great vet.”
I chuckled. “Well, when you put it that way.”
I stood, my joints creaking. I always felt that way after surgery. Being stooped over for hours on end took its toll. I needed a hot shower, and I had to get home to Kona. Bailey had dropped her off at my house and given her food and water, but Kona hated changes in her routine. She expected my ass to be on the couch by a certain time, and I didn’t plan to disappoint.
Rory whimpered in his sleep, and I hesitated at the door. Charles gave me a little push. “Out,” he said, “and get something to eat, too. Real food, not take out.”
“Who’s the boss here again?” I grumbled, but I knew better than to disagree.
I stopped at the market on the way home. As I coasted into a parking spot, I noticed a familiar Mustang a few spots over. I briefly debated not going into the store at all. By unspoken agreement, Journey and I had been avoiding each other. Ignoring each other? I wasn’t sure. Being neighbors made that tedious and, not to mention, ridiculous. We’d gotten through a broken engagement—we could get over a few careless words. Granted, they were my careless words, but still. I owed him an apology, and hopefully, we could get back on track as friends. Just friends.
I got a basket and started to shop, keeping an eye out for him the entire time. Much as a hunter who finally set his sights on his prey, I finally got my chance. We came face-to-face as I rounded the corner of the dry goods aisle. Startled, I went to one side and knocked a display with my hip.
“Oh shit,” I blurted, putting one hand on the frantically quivering rack. I could only hope I wasn’t about to end a long day by chasing Pringles cans as they rolled down the aisles. Luckily, the display gave one last shiver and the tower of cans settled down.
I turned to Journey, who thankfully hadn’t used my distraction to disappear again. The look he gave me was decidedly cool. I searched for something to say and came up with something brilliant.
I gestured at his basket. “Cooking?”
Nice one, Cam. You’ve only had a week to come up with that amazing icebreaker.
He clearly wasn’t in the mood to toss me a bone as he started walking. “Yep.”
I nodded and followed… because that’s what you do when someone doesn’t want to talk to you. I looked in his basket, which was overfilled with fresh ingredients. “Looks good.” I winced. More inane chatter. You don’t even know what he’s making. How can it look good?
“Hopefully, it will be,” he said. “I only need to find the sesame oil.”
“There aren’t many products like that here. Brannigan’s on Third is more of a specialty store. They’d probably have it.”
“Thanks.”
He headed for the checkout counter. I became aware that I was still following him around with my sad little basket of three items because I hadn’t even finished my shopping. But I couldn’t seem to stop. And since there was only one other person in line, I probably needed to stop stalling and apologize. “Look, about the other day—”
“Forget about it,” he said absently, perusing the candy bars next to the register. “I already have.”
Molly, our cashier, gave us a friendly smile as she finished with her other customer. “Hey, Cam. And Journey, it’s good to see you again. How’s Jack?”
“Doing better every day,” he said, putting his items on the belt. “Thanks for asking.”
He put a divider at the end of his groceries, right behind a rolling cabbage that understood the end was near and was trying to make a break for it. I sat my basket after the divider without unloading it.
“I was just telling my mama the other day how thrilled he must be to have you around after you being gone so long.” Molly squinted at him. “You stickin’ around awhile, hun?”
If I hadn’t been staring at him like a crazed stalker, I would have missed the slight tightening of his jaw before he evened out his expression. “We’ll see,” he said noncommittally.
She turned her attention to my basket with a dismayed expression. “Cam, is that all you’re getting?”
I glanced down at my pineapple, box of crackers, and half pound of deli ham. I nodded, and with a shrug, she resumed swiping Journey’s items. I could hardly