Chapter 47

Eileen looked from one to the other. "You have no idea how terrible I feel about this, but we have to come to some type of agreement here."
Dix sighed. He just wanted to unpack and go sit on the dock. He had the kernel of an absurd idea taking root in his brain, one he was sure he'd go to hell for, but he wasn't about to start looking at other places. He was done for the day.
"Let's take a look inside," he suggested.
"What good will that do?" the redhead asked.
"I want to see it," he repeated stubbornly. "Maybe I want to see what I might be giving up." As if.
"Fine." She turned around, unlocked the door, and opened it. "Come on in, then."
Dix felt at home the minute he walked inside. A peace he hadn't felt in weeks stole quietly over him. This was exactly what he was looking for. There was absolutely no way he was giving this up. He walked through slowly, taking in every bit of it. Comfortable furniture, a lot of wood, lots of windows. The porch had been remodeled to serve as both a dining room and a kitchen. A partially open door gave onto a bedroom. He noticed the redhead's clothes strewn on the bed. Immediately, an image popped into his brain of her without any clothes on at all, those lush curves so naked and tempting.
Shit, Dix. Stay out of trouble.
Another door opened to an also obviously renovated bathroom. No tub but a large shower he was itching to jump into. Certainly a cold one if he didn't change the direction of his thoughts and if his cock didn't stop begging to have fun.
He pointed to the narrow staircase along one wall. "Where does that lead?"
"To the second bedroom," Eileen told him. "It's nice and big. Runs the entire length of the second floor." She looked from one to the other, calmer than when she'd first arrived. "I can't apologize enough for the mess. We're usually much more organized than this, I promise you."
The redhead gave an unladylike snort.
He was obviously crazy because even that sounded sexy to him.
Dix walked to the big eat-in kitchen at the front of the cottage and stood looking out the windows. The lake was bathed in late afternoon sun, the golden light reflected on the water. There was a smattering of boats out there, people paddling or rowing - people still rowed? - a couple of boats with outboard motors farther out. It was so damn peaceful out there, exactly the environment he was looking for.
He turned to look at Eileen and the other woman.
I have to be crazy. Just fucking crazy. Someone shoot me. Please.
"We'll both take it," he said.
"What?" the redhead screeched. "Are you for real?" She gave her head a vehement shake. "No way, Jose. Nuh-uh. Nein. Not happening."
"Well, it appears neither of us is planning to leave, so what else do you suggest? There's plenty of room." He gestured around the space. "I'll take the upstairs. You can have the bedroom down here since you've already appropriated it. We can have a schedule for the bathroom."
She stared at him. "Have you lost your mind? I'm not staying here with you."
"Okay, then. I guess you're leaving, right?"
Eileen stood silently to the side, observing them as if watching a play.
"No." Her chin jutted out. "Not leaving."
"Well, I'd say you've got two choices. Share it with me or leave. What's your preference?"
"If you decide to share," Eileen told them, "I'll give you each a fifty percent discount on the rental charges."
"See there? A benefit already." He sighed. "Look. This isn't any more appealing to me than it is to you, but I'm not about to start looking for someplace else. We're adults. We can figure out how to stay out of each other's way."
Was he crazy? Share the space with a woman he didn't even know? In a place this small? Yup. That was it. He'd lost his fucking mind.
In a gesture rapidly becoming familiar to him, she folded her arms across her chest. "A schedule for the bathroom, like you said."
He nodded, even as he held his breath. Was she really going for this?
"We each clean up after ourselves and don't get in each other's way in the kitchen."
Dix nodded again. She was going to do it. He didn't know why he was so relieved. The last thing he needed was a woman hanging around his neck and bothering the shit out of him. Why the hell had he even opened his mouth?
Because he was tired, his thigh had now progressed from aching to throbbing, and he just wanted a place to nest for four weeks.
"We can have a schedule for cooking," she said. "Have a meal schedule of sorts." When he said nothing, she shrugged and added, "Or not."
"Okay."
"Another thing."
Jesus, when would she shut up? "What now?"
"I do a lot of, um, work at my computer. I don't talk to people when I'm working. I came up here to have peace and quiet."
"Fine by me," he agreed. "I'm not much for talking, anyway."
She studied him for a very long, drawn-out moment. Then she nodded. "Okay. You've got a deal." She held out her hand. "Peyton Gerard."
"Dix Amendola." He took her hand in his. It was soft and warm. When they made contact some kind of something zinged him. Shit! Nope. Not going there or doing this. He'd sleep with ice in his shorts if he had to.
"Well." Eileen smiled at them both with relief. "I'm so glad we got that settled. I'll have a check cut for each of you and drop it by tomorrow." She hurried out as if escaping before they could change their minds.
Peyton picked up her purse, which she'd set down on the kitchen table when they came inside.
"I hope I won't regret this," she told him.
"I hope neither one of us will. You can be assured I won't bother you. I have my own things to do."
"Fine. Well, I was just about to go into town and make a run to the grocery. In the interest of being a friendly roommate, is there anything I can pick up for you?"
He thought about it for a minute. Maybe he should just go with her, if she'd tolerate that. He could get everything he needed without having to rattle off a list to her and feeling as if he was imposing on her.
"How about if we go together. We can get acquainted on the way into town."
"Acquainted? Really? You actually want to do that?"
No, but he had put them both in a position where they didn't have much choice. Again, he wondered where his brains had been. "You know. Just a crash course in who we are."
She actually laughed, a friendlier sound than the one earlier. "It's less than twenty minutes away. Does that mean you don't have much to tell?"
"Nope. Only that I don't talk much." At least now.
"All right." She nodded. "Let's get going. I'm actually hungry."
"I'll drive. I get itchy with other people's driving."
"Well, good lord." A corner of her mouth twitched with the hint of a smile. "I wouldn't want to have you scratching yourself."
Wow. Was that a sense of humor lurking there?
She locked the door behind them and followed him to his truck. It was only when they were on their way that he wondered what in hell he'd done. First chance he got, he should probably have his head examined.