had no idea why they called this longing she felt and had for months and months pining, but Armie was right. She’d spent all this time with an ache in her chest, and it had only gone away when she was with him.
Would she spend the rest of her life pining for this man?
“So when I take over the animal services department, I’ll be like the sheriff of animals,” Zep began.
Armie’s lips kicked up in a grin. “Sure. You be the sheriff of all the mangy dogs and restless cats. And Otis. You get Otis, my friend.”
Zep groaned. “I swear that gator knows he’s causing trouble and he loves it.”
Armie seemed genuinely amused. “Well, I’m happy he’s your trouble now, and you should know that Herve found a baby raccoon whose momma got hit by a car and he thinks he can raise it.”
Zep shrugged. “He can until that sucker hits puberty, and then all bets are off. Damn it. I’m going to have to deal with that. Seriously, you think a teenage boy is rough. Teenage raccoon is way worse.” His hand brushed against hers as he looked at Armie. “I talked to a couple of people over at the mayor’s office, and they said this might be the best place for me to find a space. I’ve got a couple of projects I need to work on.”
But that was the beauty of Papillon. Unlike a big city or even a larger town, they could move quickly. “I’ve already talked to enough of the city council to know they won’t fight Sylvie. No one is going to fight him for the job, either, so it’s all about finding the money. I’ve already found a good portion of the funding we’re going to need. I filled out the paperwork this morning. I have ideas on the rest.”
Armie looked at Roxie, a fierce expression on his face. Although this was his fake angry face. “You did city business when you’re working for the department?”
She shrugged. “It was a slow morning. It was fill out grant applications or play solitaire.”
It had been a nice morning. She’d liked knowing Zep was in another room working on something.
Armie gave up with his fake anger and smiled. “You are always good with paperwork. It’s one of the reasons . . . well, one of the reasons I’m so happy you’re around.”
His smile had faded halfway through—the moment he’d started to say, one of the reasons I don’t want to lose you.
She wasn’t going to feel guilty. She hadn’t promised to stay.
Armie seemed to shake off his emotions. “And Zep can use the empty desk at the back. Feel free to come in whenever.”
“Thanks,” Zep said. “I want to start working on a page on the city website and start putting together a shelter. I’m going to get the kids involved. I’ve got plans for a fundraiser.”
Oh, she might have made a Leslie Knope–style monster. “You know we’re still months away, right?”
Months away. Would she even be here to watch him get his department started?
“I know, but I want to hit the ground running,” Zep said with a sparkle of pure enthusiasm in his eyes. “And we should go or you won’t have time to get ready for our dinner.”
Armie pushed back from his desk and stood. “That’s right. You’re having a birthday dinner with your parents tonight. I heard Seraphina’s planning something nice.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. “If I get through tonight, they leave tomorrow and my life can go back to mostly normal.”
“Yeah, it’ll be good to get back to normal.” Zep’s voice was light, but there was something about the way his jaw had tightened.
He was worried she meant something she didn’t—that they would go back to the way they were. Did she have a right to reach out and comfort him? Would it be a lie to say they would find a new normal, one that included their relationship?
Even though it might not be fair, she couldn’t stop herself from reaching for his hand. Maybe things would go back to normal once her parents left. No one from the force was calling her, so any offer of work was still up in the air, and if there was one thing she’d learned while living here, it was not to borrow trouble, as Dixie would say.
She was better at finding some peace because of this place.
“You ready?” He was staring down at her. “I promised