Love Rents A Room Chapter 38: Missing Him

"What’s he doing here now?" Patrick asked, stopping his wife as she eagerly moved to welco Jonathan yer.

Mary barely spared him a glance. "What do you think? He ca to see Jo, knowing she’s sick." Her tone was light, but Patrick wasn’t fooled.

His jaw tightened. "And how exactly did he find out?"

Mary finally turned to face him, her expression unreadable. "Don’t you think Jo deserves so happiness after everything she’s been through?" she asked, voice softer this ti. "The one you like can’t even talk about his family! Jonathan... We know him. He has everything—power, money, connections. Her future would be secure with him. How long do you want her to suffer alone?"

Patrick exhaled slowly. He knew his wife was acting out of love. She had watched Joanne struggle for years, and she wasn’t wrong to want her to have soone reliable by her side. But that didn’t excuse her ddling.

Mary, however, didn’t waver under his gaze. She had made up her mind. They had all left Joanne to her grief for too long. Now, it was ti to step in.

With a decisive nod, she turned and walked to the door, welcoming Jonathan inside.

Patrick took him in—the pristine attire, the confident posture, the warmth in his eyes when he ntioned, "I made her so chicken soup."

Mary glanced back at her husband, lips curving into a smug smile. See? He’s more suited for Jo.

Upstairs, Joanne had just finished sending out emails when she heard Mary calling her. She frowned slightly, pushing back from her desk. A guest?

Curious, she made her way down, her steps slowing when she caught sight of him.

Jonathan.

Her breath hitched.

She hadn’t expected him. And yet... he was here.

A lump ford in her throat as she took him in—standing in her ho, his expression soft with concern. She had fallen sick before, countless tis, and had always weathered it alone, with minimal help.

But today was different.

She cradled the warm bowl of soup he had brought, letting the heat seep into her fingers. He sat across from her, talking about mundane things—work, an article he read, sothing about his new assistant. He was a little awkward at small talk, never quite sure if he was saying too much or too little.

And yet, she found herself drawn to it.

More than his words, it was the gesture that got to her. The fact that he had thought of her, that he had wanted to do sothing for her. He wasn’t just checking in—he had taken the ti to make the soup himself.

That kind of thoughtfulness wasn’t sothing she was used to.

A quiet warmth settled in her chest.

She felt cared for. She felt... safe.

And that, more than anything, made her feel like she owed him.

JD punched out of the office, exhaling heavily as he loosened his tie. The entire day, he hadn’t been able to get her out of his head. Joanne.

But every ti he thought about her, guilt crept in like an unwelco shadow. He wanted to be there for her, to support her—but how? He wasn’t good at things like this.

He could have cooked sothing for her, but he didn’t know how. He had to rely on Patrick’s help, and even then, it had been a struggle just to get her to eat.

And after that night...

JD shook the mory away and turned onto the road ho. But as he slowed at a red light, his eyes caught an unusual sight—Brian Cooper dragging Sam Smith by the collar into a dimly lit alleyway.

His instincts kicked in.

Curious, JD pulled over, killing the engine. He crept closer, his ears straining to catch their conversation.

"...when you can have a piece of the pie, why are you looking for scraps?" Brian’s voice was sharp, filled with irritation.

Sam chuckled darkly. "I’m not settling for scraps. I’m going to take it all."

Brian’s expression hardened. He leaned in and whispered sothing to Sam, sothing JD couldn’t quite catch.

JD shifted to get a better angle— crack.

He froze.

A twig.

Brian’s head snapped up in his direction.

Shit.

JD didn’t stick around. He turned on his heel and slipped back to his car before either of them could confirm his presence.

By the ti JD returned ho, the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon. He spotted Joanne in the barn, surrounded by her animals.

She had only been away from them for a day, but they acted as if she had been gone for years. That was what she loved about the farm—it never made her feel like an outsider. Her employees at the company could go a day without seeing her and probably celebrate it, but her animals? They noticed. They missed her.

Hearing the familiar rumble of JD’s car, Joanne peeked out from the barn, expecting him to at least ask how she was doing.

But all she got was a wave.

And then he was gone, disappearing inside without a word.

Her heart sank.

She wasn’t sure why she felt disappointed. Maybe he was just busy.

But over the next few days, nothing changed.

JD remained distant, his once easygoing presence replaced by silence and avoidance. anwhile, Jonathan yer seed to be everywhere.

The dinner he had ntioned? It was just around the corner, set for the weekend. And the way he kept lingering, the way their conversations always seed to drift away from business... she was beginning to suspect it wasn’t about work at all.

She should have been thinking about the escaped prisoner, about the potential danger lurking in the background, but between JD’s distance and Jonathan’s increasing presence, her mind was preoccupied.

Saturday Morning

Joanne woke up early, as always, and after tending to the animals, she headed toward the kitchen.

She had noticed sothing strange lately—JD had been trying to befriend her psychopathic horse, Jeffrey.

And, sohow, he was succeeding.

Maybe because they shared the sa na, the horse had stopped treating JD like an enemy. No more trying to eat his hair. No more aggressive nudging.

It was impressive. And a little unfair.

Joanne had always prided herself on her ability to ta even the most difficult animals. But JD... JD had a patience she hadn’t expected.

Her lips curved into a small smile as she watched him from a distance.

Then the smile faded.

JD had been avoiding her. She could feel it.

Had she done sothing wrong? Said sothing to offend him?

She was tired of the silent distance between them. She missed talking to him. It felt unnatural, living under the sa roof yet barely acknowledging each other.

Gathering her resolve, she started walking toward him.

At the sa ti, JD, who had been brushing Jeffrey’s mane, turned to face her.

His heart clenched.

He missed her too.

But the more he tried to suppress his feelings for her, the more they suffocated him.

After what happened that night, he had wanted to make things clear between them. But before he could, Jonathan started showing up.

A lot.

And Joanne... she didn’t seem to mind.

She was happy.

So JD made a choice. He took a step back. She deserved better than him.

Before she could reach him, Joanne’s phone buzzed with a ssage. She glanced down, and JD saw the way her entire body went still.

His chest tightened. "Is sothing wrong?" he asked, stepping closer.

Joanne blinked and looked up. She smiled. But not at him.

"He sent a ’good morning’ text," she said softly, almost in awe. "That’s a first."

JD didn’t need to ask who he was.

His expression darkened.

Jonathan.

Another notification. Another ssage from him.

[Will you be free in the morning? Charlotte wants you to take her shopping for a dress for Father-Daughter Day at school.]

[It’s okay if you’re busy, but if possible, can you please find ti today?]

Joanne blinked at the text.

Charlotte. Jonathan’s daughter.

She had always had a soft spot for the little girl, and knowing that Charlotte wanted her to take her shopping made her heart ache in the best way.

JD watched her, jaw clenched, as she stared at her phone, lost in thought.

"Do you like him?" he asked before he could stop himself.