Her dad’s face fell, and even though she was annoyed, it tugged at Cora’s heartstrings. “I’m sorry, honey. I just want to see you happy. I know you’ve been saving up to make an offer on that house you’ve always wanted, and I thought if he took over half the rent, it would be a quick solution.”
Cora sighed, absently playing with the gold rose pendant she wore around her neck. It was one of her mother’s only pieces of jewelry, and Cora never took it off. It reminded her of a time when her family was blissfully happy together, before cancer tore everything apart. She slowly shook her head. Her father had a point. After her former roommate moved away, Cora hadn’t been able to save as much money as she’d hoped. And she needed to save if she was ever going to make a competitive offer on her dream house.
The cottage at the edge of town wasn’t grand or palatial or fancy, but in Cora’s mind, it was as close to perfection as she’d ever seen. It was a beautiful two-story home with flower boxes in the windows, shady trees, a picket fence and a rose trellis. The location was perfect, close enough to shops but tucked away near the edge of the woods beside an honest-to-God babbling brook. There was even a tire swing in the side yard where Cora used to see children playing. Ever since she was a little girl, her dad would drive by that house and she’d imagine what it must be like to live someplace that looked so warm and inviting. She always thought the house felt like it was smiling. Like laughter and happy traditions and wonderful memories had seeped into the walls so deep, any person lucky enough to live there would live a charmed life. The kind of life where you were surrounded by loved ones who celebrated together, supported each other and shared every precious moment, no matter how fleeting.
She gave her dad a reluctant smile. As annoyed as she was, she could never stay mad at him for long. He was her rock, and he always had been. She knew he meant well. “Just don’t rent a moving truck and try to shoehorn him into my life anytime soon, all right?”
Hugh gave a single nod. “I’ll cancel the U-Haul.”
She narrowed her eyes. He’d better be joking. “And stop being so pushy. I barely know this guy, and when I do get a roommate, he or she will be someone of my choosing.”
Her dad stopped smiling. “You wouldn’t choose some random man, surely? Cora, that’s not safe.”
“Dad,” Cora said in exasperation, pointing in the direction of the living room. “He’s a random man!”
Her dad gave her a look that said she was being overly dramatic. “He’s my good friend’s son, Cora.”
“So what?” She jammed her hands onto her hips. “Contrary to popular belief, sometimes the apple falls far, far from the tree. You don’t even know him that well.”
“I know he’s going to be working with you.”
She crossed her arms and lifted her chin. “Not by choice.”
Hugh’s brows drew together. “Aside from my involvement, what do you have against him?”
Cora’s gaze darted around the kitchen as if she could find a good answer somewhere in the room. “He’s... I don’t know. He’s just...” She walked past her dad and peeked around the corner. Liam was holding her cat Angel as he browsed the photographs on her mantel. It was odd to see such a tall, muscular man snuggling her fluffy, prima donna of a cat.
She turned back to her dad and whispered, “He’s weird.”
“Your last roommate hung crystals in all your windows to balance her cheese.”
“Chi.”
Her dad made a face. “She piled garbage in the backyard.”
“She was trying to make a compost heap.” Although Cora was pretty sure a compost heap shouldn’t include soda cans and Burger King bags.
He rocked forward on his heels and brought out the big guns. “She sang opera all the time?”
Cora blew out a defeated breath. “Okay, yeah. That was tough.”
“See?”
Cora stared blankly at the wall, remembering. “She was so loud.”
“My point,” her dad said triumphantly, “is you could do worse. Liam’s a good guy. I’m not going to bug you anymore about taking him in as a roommate, but just don’t rule him out yet, okay?”
She gave a reluctant nod, which was the best she could do, at the moment.
Her dad joined Liam in the living room and Cora listened to their easy conversation as she put the kettle on the stove for cinnamon tea. She didn’t even really want it, but it gave her a chance to linger. Hugh said something that made Liam laugh. It was a deep, rich sound that seemed to resonate straight through Cora’s bones, tickling the back of her memory. She peeked around the corner again, unable to tear her gaze away from the sight of him laughing. The curve of his mouth. The smooth arch of his throat as he tipped his head back. Once again, she had that weird sense of déjà vu, like she’d lived this exact moment before. With him.
The teakettle whistled.
Liam glanced over and caught her staring. A jolt of physical awareness seemed to crackle in the air between them.
Cora spun away and went to turn off the stove. She poured hot water into her teacup and slowly stirred in sugar. Whatever was going on with her, this wasn’t normal. She felt shaky and uncertain, like she was standing in the eye of a hurricane, and any second that hurricane was going to come swirling through her normal world and turn everything upside down, sweeping her along with it.
The hurricane stepped into the kitchen and leaned a broad shoulder against the doorframe. “Are you coming?”
She placed the spoon in the sink. Did she have a choice?