I Can See You (73 page)

He snorted a laugh. “I’m functional. Very, very
functional.”

“So shut up and drive, Web.”

He obeyed, making the trip to her place in record
time, then carrying her up the three flights of stairs to her apartment. He’d
started by romantically cradling her close, but after the first flight flung
her over his shoulder while she laughed out loud.

“That was a one-time deal,” he said, breathing hard,
but the sound of her happy laughter had been worth it. “Open the door so I can
collapse.”

She obeyed, then they both stared at David Hunter, who
sat in her stuffed chair, arm in a cast, looking as if he owned the place. “I
thought you went home,” she said.

David’s dark brows lifted. “I did.”

Noah’s eyes narrowed. “You’re going to live here? With
Eve?”

David chuckled. “Not exactly. I’ll live downstairs.”

“You are renting from that scum-sucking bastard, Myron
Daulton?” she demanded.

“No,
you
are renting from
me
. And in six
months, your lease is up. If you choose to renew, I’m going to have to raise
your rent.” David grinned. “I bought the place.”

Eve’s mouth fell open. “You bought… this place? This
place should be condemned.”

“Nah, it’s not in such bad shape. See, on Wednesday
morning I was up on the roof, patching your leaks, all of which were man-made,
by the way.”

Eve narrowed her eyes. “I knew it. And Callie said I
was being paranoid.”

“Well, you weren’t. Anyway, this guy pulls up in a
fancy car and calls up to me to come down, that he owns this place and I’m
trespassing.”

“Eve’s landlord wouldn’t allow you to fix her roof?”
Noah asked.

“Because he’s a scum-sucking bastard,” David said
affably. “You’d said he just wanted to sell the place, so I decided to buy it.”

“Just like that?” Eve said. “You’d buy an old house
like this?”

His smile softened. “Yeah. It’s an investment.”

Her smile softened as well. “That’s sweet. Except for
the part about raising my rent.”

David grinned. “Yeah, well, not by much. A few bucks.
If you’re still here.”

Eve sat down on the sofa. “Wait a minute. So what are
you using for money?”

“I got a good deal. Myron didn’t want me telling
anyone he’d sabotaged the roof, so he heavily discounted the asking price.”

“But what are you using for money?” she repeated.
“You’re not rich.”

David sat back and studied her face. “I sold my
garage.”

Eve’s mouth fell open again. “Your body shop in
Chicago? You’ve had it for years.”

“Yeah, I know. I’ve had somebody running it for me,
ever since I joined the fire department, and that guy’s been asking to buy it.
So I sold it.”

Eve’s mind was reeling. “Just like that? My God.”

“And I gave my notice to my captain at the fire
department,” David added.

Noah sat down beside her, heavily. “Why? You weren’t
hurt that badly…”

“No, it’s nothing like that. I applied with the fire
department here and in St. Paul.”

Eve sat back, stunned. “David. I can’t keep up.”

He smiled at her. “Actually you led the way. Gave me
the push I needed anyway. You were right. I was hiding in Chicago, just like
you were. I decided it was time to start fresh, just like you did.” He gave her
a wink. “Maybe I’ll be like you when I grow up.”

“So what if you don’t get the job here?” Eve asked,
bewildered.

“Then I’ll fix this place up, flip it, buy the place
next door and do the same. You reinvented yourself, Eve. It’s about time I did
the same.”

“I don’t understand,” Noah murmured. “Do I need to?”

She smiled serenely. “No. It’s all good. I’m going to
pack a bag and go to Noah’s. This chair is the only furniture I want. The rest
can stay with the house.”

“The rest can go in a bonfire,” David said, shaking
his head.

“If I decide not to stay with the new management,” she
said archly, “I’ll move my chair to Noah’s.” She glanced up at Noah. “If you
can’t bring the mountain to Mohammed.”

Noah’s lips twitched. “I see.”

She smiled at him. “I thought you might.”

“I don’t want to see,” David said with a scowl.

“Exactly my point,” Eve said, rising. “There are some
things family shouldn’t see.”

David watched her go back to her room,
contemplatively. “Make her happy, Noah.”

“That’s my plan.” Noah gave David a measuring look.
“You do body work?”

The measuring stare was returned. “Some. Why?”

“I’ve got this ’69 Dodge Charger that’s been sitting
in my garage in pieces.”

Hunter nodded. “I can help with that. And if I don’t
get a firehouse right away, I might start up another shop. You know this
starting all over might not be so bad.”

“We all need a nudge sometimes.” Noah stood as Eve
re-emerged, a bag over one shoulder. “Life’s too short to stand back and watch
from the sidelines.”

She tilted her head, hearing the last part of the
conversation, her lips curving in that half smile that had first attracted him.
“No more dipping our toes in. From here on out, it’s just one big cold pool.
Cannonballs, big splashes.
Babe
.”

Noah laughed as David grimaced. “Sounds painful,”
David said.

Eve pressed a hard kiss to Noah’s mouth. “Actually,
the water’s warm. Ready?”

And Noah found that indeed, he was.

The End