At her door, I hesitate. I don’t want the night to end, but I have no claim for more.
She steps closer, moving in for a hug just like she did the other night. We linger, holding on to one another longer than would be normal for friends at the end of a platonic night out.
Eventually, I step back, looking down into her eyes. “Thank you for coming out with me.”
“I had a lot of fun,” she says.
“I’m glad. Me too.”
We stare at one another, the air heavy with unspoken words. I try not to read too much into it, but I know I’ll be running every nuance of her expressions through my mind well into the night. There’s something elemental in the way she impacts me, how holding her feels like finding a piece of myself that had been missing, but also like discovering someone brand new—exciting, captivating, unexpected.
“Well,” I say, infusing a lightness I don’t feel into my voice and stepping backward so I don’t accidentally reach for her again. “See you tomorrow, partner.”
She smiles up at me and simply says, “Tomorrow.” Then she turns toward her door and with barely a whisper she says, “Partner.”
Chapter 10
Alex
You have such a pretty face.
You should be on a Christmas card.
~ Elf
“Hand me that angel,”Lexi says.
She’s up on a stepladder and her kids are at the foot of the tree, hanging plastic and clay ornaments in uneven clusters while Lexi decorates the higher branches with thoughtful precision. The tree fills the corner of a room with large windows and a high ceiling edged in crown molding. The nostalgic scents of pine, cloves and cinnamon fill the air. The cheery lilt of Christmas music floats through the farmhouse. Lexi’s home practically glows with warmth. It’s the love she and Trevor have poured into every restored floor, painted wall and resurfaced cabinet. But more than that, it’s the love they have for one another and their children.
The whole scene is a stark contrast to the quiet solitude of my undecorated house across town.
Trevor’s out front hanging the lights on the eaves. He boasted that when he’s finished, neighbors will be able to spot his lights from the country road down the end of their long driveway. It’s quite a claim considering their “next door” neighbor is a rancher at least a quarter mile away.
I reach up with the angel ornament.
“So, how is it working with Jesse?” Lexi asks.
“Good,” I say, a defensiveness taking me by surprise.
Heat pricks the back of my neck. My reaction says as much about me as it does about Lexi.
“He’s a little over the top,” she says without any malice to her tone. It’s the same way she’d say Trevor’s too easygoing on the kids.
Still, I bristle slightly. It’s one thing to point out a flaw in someone who has been well loved and included in the community their whole lives. It’s another to say something about a man who’s lived on the cusp of every social circle.
“Are you talking about how he pulled me over in your van?” I ask.
“Well, that, for sure. He’s just …”
“Sweet? Thoughtful? Patient? Devoted?” I purposely cut her off before she says something we both regret.
A gentleman. That’s what he is. Awkward on the rare occasion, but that’s mostly because he’s sensitive. And last time I checked, a little social anxiety isn’t a crime. It’s probably preemptive on his part. After years of living on the fringes, he doesn’t know how to include himself without risking more rejection. But that’s not who he is. I’ve seen the real Jesse—the one who extends grace to Cooter, settles disputes with diplomacy, exudes a quiet confidence and has a great sense of humor.
Lexi’s mouth almost drops open. “Oh.” She stares at me. “I didn’t see that coming.”
“See what coming?”
“You and Jesse.”
