“Yep,” Suzette said triumphantly.
Cora’s insides clenched. Her cottage. The house she’d been in love with as long as she could remember. She automatically reached for the gold rose pendant she always wore.
“End of August,” Suzette repeated. “So, you better get your butt in gear because you’ll need to save up to make a competitive offer.”
Suzette kept talking, but Cora wasn’t listening. She grappled at her neck in shock, realizing her necklace was gone. “No.” She frantically searched her blouse. Her jacket. The floor. “My mother’s necklace! It’s not on me. It must’ve fallen off.” Dread whipped through her at the thought of losing it.
Suzette started scanning the hallway floor. “When was the last time you remember seeing it?”
“I don’t know.” Cora’s voice began to rise. “I never take it off. It’s just always there.” The panic snaking through her stomach made her almost queasy. “I have to find it!” She strode down the hall and plunged back into the crowd near the bar.
Suzette found her a moment later, crouched low and searching the area under the barstools. When nothing came up, Cora began asking everyone within hearing distance, “Has anyone seen a gold necklace?” She held her thumb and forefinger close together. “It has a rose pendant on it about this big?”
Some of the more polite patrons helped her search for a few minutes. Others just ignored her and carried on with their conversations. Cora and Suzette continued searching under every chair and table, but it was nowhere to be found.
Cora returned to the booth where Liam and Finn were sitting.
Liam took one look at her and his brows snapped together. “What’s wrong? What is it?”
“My necklace,” Cora said miserably. “The gold rose pendant I always wear. I lost it and can’t find it.”
“Could it be at your office?” Finn asked with concern. “Or maybe in your car?”
“No,” Liam said. “I saw it on you when you were sitting across from me earlier. You were fiddling with it.”
“I’m always fiddling with it,” she said. “I think it must’ve broken and fallen off somewhere in here.”
Finn slid out of the booth quickly. “I’ll go look for it.” He took off toward the bar and Cora did a cursory search under the booth before slumping down in the seat. “If I don’t find it...” She trailed off and dropped her head in her hands. It was silly, really, for her to place so much importance on a piece of jewelry. Her father hadn’t raised her to be overly sentimental, but Cora couldn’t help it. The necklace was one of the only things she had left from her mom, aside from some old family photo albums. To anyone else, it probably wouldn’t be worth much, but to Cora, it was one of her most prized possessions.
Liam offered to help search, and together they retraced her steps, but it soon became apparent that the necklace was gone.
“Maybe someone will find it later and turn it in,” Suzette said soothingly. She patted Cora on the back.
“Or maybe someone stole it,” Liam said, glowering at the crowd like he was ready to do battle.
Suzette threw him a look. “Can’t you see she’s upset? If you’re trying to help, that’s not really working.”
“No.” Cora shook her head. “He’s right. Someone could’ve found it and decided to keep it.”
“Or like I said, someone might turn it in later,” Suzette insisted. “We’ll look around one more time, and if we don’t find it, you can call and ask tomorrow.”
“I can’t believe I lost it,” Cora whispered.
“I’m sorry, Cora.” Liam touched her shoulder gently. The warmth from his large hand felt reassuring through the fabric of her shirt, and strangely familiar. “I’ll come with you tomorrow to ask in person. Don’t lose hope, okay? We’ll do whatever we can to get it back. I promise.”
She nodded. He looked genuinely bothered that she was so upset. It surprised her how strongly he seemed to care. Maybe her dad was right about him, and he really was a good person. Maybe she just needed to give him a chance, especially now that her dream house was going up for sale. Time was running out. She needed a roommate more than ever. All her finances were in order, but if she could save up just a little more money over the next few months, she’d be able to make a competitive offer on the cottage if there was a bidding war. In the current real estate market, it often happened. She had to be smart. It was now, or never.
“Liam, do you still need a place to live?” she asked in a rush.
He blinked at her sudden change of subject, then hope flickered across his face. “I do.”
“Well, I need a roommate. Right away. I have to save up money and I need someone to help with the rent as soon as possible. So, you can move in on Friday, if you want.” There. She said it, and now there was no going back.
Some strong emotion flickered across his face, then he nodded. “I’d like that.”
“It’s settled, then.” So that was that. Roommate problem solved. At least one good thing came from this disaster of an evening. She slid out of the booth. “I’m heading home.”
Finn walked up to the table after an apparently fruitless search. He looked like a sad kid with a popped balloon. “Leaving so soon?”
“Yes.” She hoisted her purse onto her shoulder. “I’m not up for hanging out anymore.”
“Let me walk you out.” Liam started to stand, but Cora waved him down.
“No. Stay and enjoy yourself. I’ll see you all later.”
She wove through the crowd and into the parking lot, automatically reaching for the necklace that was no longer there. Don’t lose hope, okay? Liam’s words rang in her head as she drove home. Having him as a roommate was going to be a big change. She hadn’t had the best first impression of him, but there seemed to be a deeply caring side of him that couldn’t be denied. And he’d been kind to little Billy Mac the other day, hadn’t he? Maybe living with him would turn out to be a good thing. Maybe her dad was right, and he would be good for her to have around. The sudden memory of him roughing up the man outside the liquor store flashed across her mind. Then again, maybe this was a huge mistake, and she was going to kick herself later. Either way, she was about to find out.