Say Goodbye (Romantic Suspense #25) by Karen Rose

            “Well,” Irina said, “that explains the boxes in your car. You’re moving out of Tom’s place?”

            “I’m moving out of the side of the duplex that I’ve been renting from Tom,” she corrected, grateful that it was only the two of them in the homey quiet of Irina’s kitchen. She couldn’t have handled all of the Sokolovs that morning.

            “Want to talk about it?”

            “Not really. Unless you know someone who’s looking to rent in a family-oriented neighborhood. Plenty of room for kids to run in the backyard.”

            Not that she’d dreamed about kids of her own.

            Of course she had. God, I was so stupid. Tom had lost his child with Tory, and Liza had dreamed of giving him the family he’d always wanted. But he didn’t think of her like that.

            You didn’t feel the same way.

            No. I didn’t.

            “No, but you can post it on a realty site and we can put out some feelers.”

            “I appreciate it. I’m also looking for a job. Just until school starts in July.”

            Irina’s brows lifted. “I thought you were going to take a holiday.”

            “Not now,” Liza murmured. “My job at the veterans’ home was only as a fill-in for a woman on maternity leave, so going back there isn’t an option. I checked the want ads last night but didn’t find anything.”

            She’d done a lot of things last night, because sleep had eluded her. She’d scoured the want ads, updated her résumé, gathered her letters of recommendation, and packed up her belongings.

            “I know some people I can ask,” Irina said. “There’s always a demand for nursing assistants. Can you send me your résumé?”

            “I have it with me.” Liza retrieved her résumé and letters of recommendation from her handbag and slid them across the table so that Irina could examine them.

            “Impressive. Coupled with your military service, you’ll have no trouble getting work.”

            “That’s what my nursing school advisor said. She was also army, back in the day, and helped me with financial aid for school and helped me find a job in the interim. She also helped me get my CNA license, all before my discharge was effective.”

            “Have you called her yet?”

            “I plan to, later today.” She’d be able to call on the drive to her tattoo appointment. The sketch was also in her handbag, carefully folded, just in case Sergio Iglesias was a nice guy and didn’t throw her out after she asked him about the Eden tattoo.

            She’d already texted Daisy to ask the woman to accompany her and gotten a “Hell, yeah” reply. Which presented another problem.

            “Can I store my boxes in your garage? Just for today. I need to go somewhere with Daisy and she won’t fit in my car right now.”

            Irina nodded. “Where will you go?”

            “With Daisy?”

            “No. Well, yes, but I meant where will you live now that you’ve moved out?”

            “I don’t know. I’ll find a hotel for a few days while I look for a place. Just temporarily,” she added hastily when Irina opened her mouth to speak. “I may be able to get a place in the dorm for the upcoming semester.”

            “You will stay here,” Irina declared, her mouth set stubbornly.

            “I will not stay here,” Liza replied, calmly sipping her tea.

            “With Sasha, then.” Sasha was Irina’s second-youngest daughter and lived in the house that Rafe had converted into apartments. Amos and Abigail lived on the top floor, Sasha on the middle, and Rafe and Mercy on the ground floor.

            “Nope,” Liza said with a smile to soften the refusal. “She and Erin are in the gooey and sweet phase at the moment and I won’t impose. Right now, I need my own space.”

            Irina nodded, resigned. “I understand. If you won’t live here or with Sasha, will you let me find you a place in a safe neighborhood until your school begins?”