Dear Roomie (Rookie Rebels #5) - Kate Meader Page 0,30

when we spoke after the game, you should have told me.”

“What would you have done then? The vet’s office was closed so you would have just been worried all night, maybe not getting any sleep, or trying to get a hold of the vet after hours. You saw him yourself—he was fine. Vet Lisa assured me he was okay and I made a call that this information would be best kept to myself until you returned and could see Bucky in person. You have to trust me to make some executive decisions here or this isn’t going to work.”

Had she just talked herself out of a job?

He folded his arms. Stared. Looked down at Bucky. Back at her.

“I would prefer you keep me informed … but I understand why you didn’t. Next time, just tell me, I can handle it.”

“So you can handle the truth!”

Blank stare. Not a fan of the paraphrased Jack Nicholson impression, then.

“Okay. Got it.” She fake-wiped her brow. She’d tell him about the multiple peeing incidents later. Bucky’s, that is. “Thought I’d lost my gig there.”

“I considered it, but you’re all I have and Bucky likes you. That’s important.”

And she liked him. Reid was growing on her as well. She liked that he had bowed to her greater wisdom here and didn’t act like a complete dick about it. The beauty of compromise.

They stood staring at each other for a moment that turned into two, then three. It should have been awkward but wasn’t.

“Cute sweater,” he finally said in a tone that implied, that’s hideous.

She picked at one of the lumps shaped like pine cones on the front. “It’s Edie’s.”

“Edie?”

“My grandmother. I don’t have winter clothes so she let me borrow it.” It had the comforting scent of her, too. A faint citrus that kept Kennedy connected to another time.

“Why don’t you have winter clothes?”

“I’m usually in warmer climes, but Edie had a stroke and moved into Larkvale.” At his curious expression, she explained. “It’s an assisted living home for seniors. I haven’t lived in the States for a while so I came back to spend time with her.”

“Is she …” His entire demeanor went on alert. “Ill?”

“God, no. The stroke was one of those minor ones. She’ll outlive us all but it made me realize that I need to visit more often. I’ve been gone a while.”

“Why?”

“Why have I been gone?”

He nodded.

“For the last six years I’ve been traveling in Mexico, South America, Asia. In fact, by January I’ll be back in Thailand teaching English. I’m just waiting on a work visa.” One of her first jobs had been teaching English in Japan, and now she would be doing it again in one of her favorite countries. Definitely more stable work than bartending for a few bucks or trying to marshal funds from broke backpackers for a yoga class. “Always chasing the sun, that’s me!”

People usually weighed in at this point in her stock explanation with how awesome it was, how jealous they were, how lucky she had it. This time, her cheery coda didn’t produce the typical response.

Reid said nothing, just stared. She felt exposed, her skin flayed and burning. She’d yet to decide if Reid’s dark-eyed intensity was sexy or serial killer energy.

“I should get going as I have a few appointments. I wondered if you’d mind paying me before I leave? You can Venmo me.” She doubted he’d stiff her but if he changed his mind about using her services again, she’d rather have the cash in hand now.

“Mais oui.” He took out his phone and started tapping the screen, completely oblivious to the fact her spine had liquefied in the face of spoken French. “We said two hundred a day?”

She swallowed, worried that she may have overpriced her talents.

“Three days, two nights,” he murmured. “Plus what I owe you for the vet … that should do it. Let me know if it’s not what you expected.”

She checked, her eyes bugging out. “That’s a thousand dollars.”

“It’s a tip for the extra work you had to do, taking him to the vet. You were cool under pressure and then I was less than polite when you explained. There should be some compensation for putting up with a cranky employer.”

She liked that he had a sense of humor about it. “Yes, but this seems like overkill.” This would pay for her return ticket to Asia and leave her with some to spare.

“And you had to stay overnight away from your home. That’s above and