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Here. The local college, which, yes, was practically an Ivy, but here? My pulse pounded.
“You want to leave the West Coast?”
“We do.” Elaine nodded at the same time as Brandon. “We want to be near family.”
“But yours…”
“Travels the globe.” She rolled her shoulders before refilling her wineglass. “A flight to Philly isn’t going to stop my folks. And Brandon misses you too.”
“Yup. And eventually, we want to make you an uncle.” Brandon’s grin reached new levels of wide. “Can’t have you miles and miles away.”
“No rush on that.” My voice came out too gruff. Brandon? A dad? Damn. I wasn’t sure I’d ever be ready for that. But them starting a family here, where I could see…that seemed like almost too much to hope for. “But you’ll need a job too.”
“I’m working on it. I’ve got a bunch of applications in. Everywhere in commuting distance from here. Something will turn up for me too.”
“He’s being modest.” Elaine bumped his shoulder. “He’s already being wooed by some private-sector jobs nearby, and I’m expecting him to get more than a couple of finalist nods for local professorships after the first of the year.”
My jaw dropped open. This might really be happening. “Wow.”
“Good wow?” Brandon’s eyes narrowed. And this was where I should be unselfish, tell them to stay on the coast where they were likely to be happier, but instead, I nodded. Honest. I was trying to be more honest.
“Yeah. Good wow.” I swallowed hard, trying to collect the right words. “I don’t… You shouldn’t make this choice because of me. I love the idea of you here, but I don’t want you giving up your sunshine and West Coast living.”
“Paul.” Brandon gave me a stern look. “You gave up two decades of your life for me. I can shovel a little snow.”
My eyes burned, and all I could do was nod. Under the table, Gideon grabbed my hand, laced our fingers together.
“And when it gets to be too cold, Elaine and I will escape to an island.” Brandon laughed like he knew I was struggling to keep my composure. “Maybe drag you along.”
“I’d pay to see Paul in swim trunks.” Gideon offered me a gentle smile.
“See?” Elaine’s grin hadn’t wavered. “It’ll all work out.”
“Yeah.” I exhaled hard and clung to Gideon’s hand like it was the one thing keeping me from drowning. I managed a rough nod for Brandon and Elaine. “Thank you.”
“No, thank you.” Brandon continued to hold my gaze, his brown eyes way more solemn than usual. I’d told Gideon that I said thank you because I didn’t want to miss my chance. Maybe Brandon was doing the same thing. I’d do it all over again, fight to keep him, make all the same sacrifices, and more, and I’d do it without any thanks. But still, him saying it mattered.
Under the table, Gideon squeezed my hand. Funny how “thank you” came so easily to me while other words were so big and scary. I could thank Gideon later, tell him how much it meant to me that he’d given Brandon and me this time together, that he’d helped me make Brandon’s dream come true. But thank you wasn’t entirely accurate either. I didn’t merely appreciate Gideon. And he deserved to know the truth in my heart.
Chapter Thirty-Six
It’s my annual New Year’s Eve party! All are welcome, families especially! Parking is likely to be tight, so bundle up! See you soon! ~Cheryl Bridges posted to the What’s Up Neighbor app
Gideon
“Tell me we get to leave soon.” Paul ambled up next to me right as Penny Jordan left to go chase after one of her kids.
“It’s not midnight yet.” I pretended to care about staying. Cheryl’s party with its loaded buffet table and lively conversation was fun, way more fun with someone by my side than in prior years, but all it took was one heated look from Paul, and I was already calculating exactly how many steps to our driveway.
“I know.” Paul threw an arm around me, apparently caring naught for the neighborhood gossip mill. “But I’m old and grumpy and watching you from across the room has me wanting a more private…toast.”
“That could maybe be arranged.” It was just us, Brandon and Elaine having flown back to California on the twenty-ninth. “Maybe I can tell Cheryl we’re worried about Jim in case anyone sets off fireworks at midnight.”
“Yes, think of my poor dog and not my d—Hello, Molly.” Paul went from lecherous to upstanding citizen in three seconds as Molly Reed joined us.
“Hi, Paul. And Gideon. Paul, I just had to tell you how much the kids loved your reindeer this year. What a welcome addition to the neighborhood. Will they be returning next year?”
I waited for Paul’s answer almost as eagerly as Molly. He’d said he wanted me to still be around next Christmas. He’d even indulged me in the shopping. But I was still working on believing that cranky Paul Frost truly wanted a future with the Holiday guy. Paul, however, had no such issue, giving Molly a lazy nod.
