Page 100 of Singled Out
Emerson herded her two kids and Evelyn toward us, her phone pressed to her ear. She was involved in an animated discussion with whoever had called but broke off to say, “I need five minutes,” to Ben.
“I got ’em.” He took her daughter Skyler’s hand.
From what I could gather, Evelyn and Xavier, her son, were involved in a discussion about rose quartz and obsidian. Then my attention was drawn to Emerson, who didn’t move away as she continued her phone conversation.
“Kizzy, that’s crazy talk. No way can you turn it down.” Emerson paused to listen, laughed. “It’s absolutely not a problem. We’ll make it happen. For that kind of money? You can’t say no. Nope, no more arguing.” Another pause. “I don’t know, but we’ll figure something out. Yes, the chickens too. Call him back and tell him yes. The timing isn’t a problem. Nothing’s a problem, my dear.”
I raised a brow at Ben to see if he knew what she was talking about since she wasn’t hiding her end of the conversation. He shrugged.
“You’re welcome. Congratulations, Kizzy,” Emerson said, her face lit up. “Now hang up and call him back. We’ll talk tomorrow. Love you.”
She ended the call and looked at Ben, then me.
“Good news?” Ben asked. They were good friends, I knew. Ben had been close to Emerson’s late husband, Blake, growing up. Some Saturday nights, Emerson watched Ben’s kids during our single-dad get-togethers.
“My mother-in-law got a preemptive offer on the house for significantly over the price she planned to ask.”
“Your house?” Ben asked.
“Our house,” Emerson confirmed. “She owns it. You know that.”
Emerson and her two kids had moved in with Kizzy after Blake’s death. Skyler had been an infant, if I remembered right. Just a few weeks ago, Kizzy had shocked the town with her elopement with an old friend who lived in Vegas.
“But you still live there,” Ben said. “What are you going to do?”
“Find a place to live. ASAP,” she said with a laugh that sounded nervous around the edges. “Somehow. But first, the chickens.”
“I can house the chickens,” Ben said before she could ask.
Emerson let out a breath. “Thanks. You’re the best. One challenge down.”
“How long do you have to find a new place?” I asked.
“Oh, you know, about three weeks.” Her smile disappeared as she scrunched her face and squeezed her eyes shut.
“You’ve got your work cut out for you,” I said.
“There’s no way you’ll find a place that fast,” Ben said. “Not in this town. The market’s tight.”
I nodded, remembering what Harper had said before she’d lucked into her apartment.
“Something will turn up.” Emerson’s voice wasn’t as sure as her words.
“Why don’t you plan to stay with me for a couple of months. That’ll give you a place to land and some time to look,” Ben said.
“I can’t impose like that. Not with these two.” Emerson nodded toward her kids.
Ben grinned. “I hardly think two small humans plus you will make a dent with me, two kids, two llamas, a coop full of chickens, a rooster, three horses, two dogs, and a handful of cats.”
“You, too, can move into the zoo,” I joked.
“These two sometimes smell like a zoo,” Emerson said. “Ben, I can’t do that to you.”
He shrugged. “I’ve got room. You know that. But if you need to be stubborn first and waste a couple of weeks looking for a place while packing an entire house, that’s your right. My offer will be there.”
I watched the back-and-forth, doing my best not to weigh in. It wasn’t my business, but Ben made sense.
Emerson looked at me. “Happen to know of a long-term rental that’ll take a dog and six chickens?”