had texted. Piper also wasn’t a bit worried about Paige’s addiction to cats. “Do what makes you happy,” had been Piper’s response whenever Paige talked about how her mom worried about her life choices.
That’s…wow, had been Whitney’s reaction. You’re okay though?
Paige typed, I’m completely okay. I got here with no trouble, Mitch was really happy to see me, and I can stay as long as I want.
She thought about her response as she stepped into the living room. Mitch had been really happy to see her. She smiled. She’d had nothing to worry about, obviously. Everything she’d thought she’d felt in Iowa for him was still there. And very reciprocal. All the details about her staying had just fallen into place. He had room for her. He was going to get her a job. He was fine with her just being here and them being friends and having some fun until she was ready to go to Colorado.
This was going to be great.
A few months of hanging out in a new place, working at a completely new-to-her job, and hot sex? Why would she turn this down?
Her head still bent over her phone as she reassured her friends, and avoided the messages from her sisters and mom, Paige rounded the end of the couch.
She sensed something and looked up.
And screamed.
The guy sitting on the couch looked over with a frown. “Jesus,” was all he said.
Her hand over her pounding heart, Paige worked to take a deep breath. “I didn’t know anyone was here.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t think I should open the bathroom door and inform you I was home,” he said. He lifted a bottle of beer to his mouth and focused on the television again. It was tuned to a basketball game. “Fuckers,” he muttered at the TV.
“You must be Griffin.” Obviously. The guy was sitting here as if he lived here.
“Yep.”
“I’m Paige.”
“Hey.”
Her eyebrows arched. Then it registered that he had a cat lying next to him, pressed up against his leg, and another on his lap. Eddie looked blissful against Griffin’s thigh, and Griffin was lazily stroking a big hand over Bernie’s back.
So, her cats liked him.
Well, not Fred. He was probably still in the lower cupboard next to Mitch’s stove. He didn’t like anyone or anything right now.
“Aren’t you concerned about finding a strange woman in your house?” she asked. She plopped into the chair perpendicular to him and propped a foot on the coffee table.
He looked over at her. “Not really. I figure murderers and robbers don’t take showers at the crime scene.”
“But you didn’t know it wasn’t Mitch in the shower,” she pointed out. “You weren’t expecting him to come downstairs?”
“His truck is gone, and the scent coming from under the bathroom door was not Mitch’s soap.”
“Damn, you’re like a detective or something.”
“Observant.” Griffin lifted his bottle again.
“You’re cool with having a new roommate?” she asked. Did he know anything about her? Kennedy had known who she was.
“If you smell like that all the time, sure,” he said. “Plus, you come with cats.”
He stroked a hand over Bernie again. She could hear the cat purring even from where she sat.
“Mitch said you’re a vet and wouldn’t have a problem with the cats.” He’d actually said Griffin could move out if he did, but she didn’t mention that part.
“Animals are far superior to humans,” Griffin said.
“They might want to sleep on your bed. With you.”
“They will,” he said.
“Oh?”
“I’m big, warm, and don’t move around much in my sleep.”
She grinned. “Good to know.”
“And they’ll think they’re getting away with something. Cats like that.”
He wasn’t wrong. When she was working and had papers spread all over her coffee table, the cats only wanted to lie on the ones she needed most. When they hid her socks, it was only her favorites. Even if she put another pair on the floor, they’d ignore it for the ones they knew they weren’t supposed to mess with.
“How long have you been in Autre?” she asked.
“About two months.” He didn’t say it with any kind of enthusiasm.
“Do you like it?”
He sighed and looked at her again. “No.”
“No?” She hadn’t been expecting that. Tori loved Autre. She’d been smitten with more than Josh when she’d come to Louisiana. And it had taken about a day.
“No.” He didn’t elaborate.
“Why not?”
“I was living in D.C. before this. Working at the National Zoo. I was working with endangered tigers. Now I’m in a tiny town in Louisiana taking care of goats.” He rolled his eyes.
Paige studied