Page 116 of Unlikely to Stay
“She’s doing a lot better.Much feistier now than she was the first day I took her home.”
“That’s good.Did she keep you busy working on things in the home?”
“Not really.She mainly had me watching a lot of old game shows on the Game Show Network and helping her with her crossword puzzles.”
CC laughed.“Did you do anything else while you were in the city or just take care of your mom?Surely there was something else.”
Brant’s heart stopped beating in his chest.He had no clue how to answer that question.He had every intention of telling CC about his job interview from the day before.He really liked everyone who interviewed him and he thought it went really well.His mentor from school called Brant to say the board had already called him for a reference.
Not only didthathospital call him, he also received phone calls from a clinic in Oklahoma City, and another hospital wanting to set up interviews.He wanted to tell CC everything.He just didn’t think the middle of Sadie’s Café was the perfect place to do it.
“Are you going to be here for a while?”he asked.
“Yes, she is,” Sadie walked back up to the couple.“I need to put her to work cutting out some of the decorations for the shower and making some of the instructions for the games we’re playing since shefailedat her one job.”
CC rolled her eyes.“I’m never going to live this down, am I?”
Sadie raised an eyebrow.“What do you think?”
“You can go home,” CC told him.“I’ll just haul all the stuff I know Sadie is going to load me down with to my apartment.”
“I already had Clyde go up your stairs and dump it all in your living room floor.”
“Seriously, Sadie?”she shrieked.“That’s ridiculous.”
“Learn how to make a diaper cake and it won’t happen next time.”Sadie pointed his way.“And you, mister.You’re not allowed to go with her.”
“Me?Why not?”
“Because I know if you’re at her apartment she won’t get any of this work done.So don’t distract her.Go home.Unpack.Clean off the dust that’s collected in your empty house since you’ve been gone.”
“I’ve only been gone for two weeks, Sadie,” he replied.
“Tell that to the old coots in town,” Sadie grumbled.“You’d think they were all going to die of bubonic plague the way they complained about you not being here.”
“It’s really okay, Brant,” CC said, resting her head on his shoulder.“Sadie is right.Youwouldbe pretty distracting.”
“Are you sure you don’t need my help?My scissor skills are on point.”
“She’s sure,” Sadie answered for Freckles.“Now go on out the door with your cute little booty and she’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
Brant knew that was his cue.He didn’t argue with the woman who supplied him with half of his meals, the other half coming from Griff’s.He stood up and planted a kiss on Freckles’ head.“Okay.I can’t argue with the woman who feeds me.What time should I pick you up in the morning to participate in all of the day’s activities?”
“I’m closing my shop for the day, so let me sleep in.”
“Your idea of sleeping in and my idea of sleeping in are two drastically different things, so you’ll need to be more specific,” he said with a laugh.
“Ten-thirty?”
“Seriously?You’re wasting half the day!”
He was rewarded with one of her famous eye rolls.“Fine.Nine-thirty.But come any sooner and I’ll chop off your ear next time I give you a haircut.”
“Ouch,” he said, covering both his ears with his hands.“I don’t want to be another Van Gogh.I won’t come any sooner than nine-thirty.”
She graced him with a smile that he felt deep down in his soul.This girl…she was amazing.
“Thank you,” she said.“I will be in a much better mood when not woken up early.”