“Everyone but Emily,” he said, gesturing toward the plants.

Nora shrugged, reaching out a hand to gently touch one of the largest one’s leaves. “She’s shy.”

“I’ll give you credit,” he said, bending down to pick up his still nearly-empty Toss box. “It was a good idea.”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean by that.”

He held up the box. “Would you like to see how far I’ve gotten with cleaning out the kitchen? Or if that doesn’t appeal, I could tell you about Benny’s starter wort, which slowed me down quite a bit. That’s wort with an o, if you weren’t aware.” He hadn’t been, and for a good ten minutes he’d thought Benny was asking him for his professional opinion. “It’s got to do with beer. I learned a lot today.”

Her face flushed. “It wasn’t really—” She cleared her throat. “We only thought it might be nice to welcome you to the building.”

There was absolutely nothing so interesting about that plant. She was avoiding his eyes.

“I’m not sure it worked as you intended,” he said, and her mouth pulled to the side.

“Jonah’s manners are a little rough, that’s all.”

“It wasn’t just Jonah. Marian thinks I use my medical license for bribery-related poisonings.”

She finally looked up at him, her mouth curving into a closemouthed smile that she was clearly trying to keep from spreading further. Watching her wrestle it under control—full, pink lips, a small dent in her left cheek—was not easy.

It was a goddamned impossible delight.

“Marian likes a conspiracy theory,” she finally said.

“I gathered. She thinks I did something illegal for the permit.”

The almost-smile dropped from her lips. “Did you?”

“No. I had some help. A friend of mine keeps a few properties like this.” He wasn’t exactly sure if it was fair to call Sally a friend, but last night when she’d texted to ask him whether he’d gotten started yet, she had included a selfie with the hotel’s buffet spread as a backdrop. That seemed friendly.

Nora rolled her eyes. “Of course. Is that your plan, to make a business out of this? Any other property-related inheritances you’re expecting?”

“No. I didn’t expect this one. I told you, I didn’t know him well. I’m as surprised as you all apparently are about it.”

She furrowed her brow, crossed her arms over her chest, looking around again. She’d talked a good game the other day, about Donny being a member of this family she kept talking about, but seeing her now, he had to wonder. Her eyes kept landing on things—that box on the recliner, the stack of newspapers beside it, the black-and-white photograph of Wrigley Field hung above the flat-screen television—like she was looking for answers.