“Dental, I hope. Less talk.”
Since her sister’s back was to their parents, Grace had to watch as Jenni eyed her boyfriend with the frank assessment of a single woman living in a small town. “Doctor, lawyer, dentist. You bagged one of the big three, and he pumps iron, too. Congrats.”
“He can also hear,” Grace pointed out to her sister. “You could talk to him instead of about him.”
Rey didn’t appear to mind Jenni’s admiration, given how his arms and chest seemed to expand under his collared shirt.
“Quit flexing,” she whispered. “It only encourages her.”
At least the diversion of Jenni’s perusal offered Grace a moment to recover from the news that Rey would be relocating to Seattle. Instead of texting during the week and driving across the mountains on Fridays, she could come home at the end of the day and see him, sleep beside him, wake up curled with him. Jumping into his lap would not win over the older members of her family, although her sister would probably cheer.
Her parents’ delight and Rey’s thoughtful charm carried the dinner while Grace processed the news that Rey would move to Seattle in January, or sooner. By the last cup of tea, she knew one thing. She wanted to see him every day. When they were alone, maybe her next question would surprise him as much as his news had thrilled her.
Bundled in padded coats, they walked to the end of the driveway and her father’s car. Her heart pounded. She’d offered to drive him home and hoped he’d be interested in a detour to look at the river from someplace dark, but first she had to ask. “It’s true? You’re going to the U?”
“Yes.”
She took a deep breath and plunged. “My place is close. The Metro bus goes right to campus. You could—”
He put his finger over her lips, and her heart shuddered in her chest. “Inde-pen-dent.”
He’d told her he loved her a dozen times since the ice rescue and spent an hour and a half being nice to her family, neither of which seemed like a man who wanted to dump her, but that word confused her. “Of course. I didn’t intend—” the noise of her ragged breathing was loud in the country winter, “—to assume that you and I—”
“Don’t mean no.” He rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and first finger. “Don’t want alone.”
His fluidity was failing, and she felt to blame.
“Want…parents’ respect.”
That was something she understood, so she started to both listen and hear again. In front of the passenger door, insulated from each other’s bodies by their coats, she leaned toward him until her forehead rested on the padded fabric covering his shoulder.
“U-housing. Disabled.” Their breath wrapped them in a steamy world. “Easy start.”
“I understand.” Almost. She looked up at him. “I just thought… ”
“My lease.” His mouth came closer.
Her eyes nearly crossed as she stared at his lips. Could they kiss in the driveway, surrounded by white-light reindeer and possibly half the town?
“Month to month,” he said.
“Ohhh.” Until the next quarter started, her parents were definitely going to have to get used to her coming across the mountains on the weekend.
One week wasn’t longenough to revise all of her misconceptions about her parents, especially a week filled with catch-up at work and obsessively checking weather conditions in the pass for her drive Friday, so the news that her mother and father were throwing a town-wide party for Rey at the restaurant was a shock. How much they relished the chance to host everyone in Salito and Brewster who wanted to shake Rey’s hand was an earthquake.
Standing in the dining room, she studied the familiar restaurant. The red and gold wallpaper had seen better days, but it highlighted the fresh Christmas tree centered in the window and the garlands tied across the booths. An American flag, a Washington state flag and an army flag—where had they unearthed that?—clustered in front of the register. No one would pay for today’s buffet of Chinese food sitting next to tamales and empanadas from Rey’s family.
Her phone chirped.
Rey
On the way. Have a surprise for you.
What?
Rey
Have to wait until we’re alone.
