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“Probably.”
She falls silent, and I wonder what she’s thinking about.
“Do we need to pick up some donations?” She looks over at me.
“I’ve got a box in the back to take, but we can get more if you want.”
She cranes around to see the cardboard box sitting on the floorboard. “How did I not see that?”
“You’ve had other things on your mind.”
She looks up, startled, but I smile, not wanting her to think I’m pressing judgment.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For being you.”
She reaches over and takes my free hand in hers.
“Well.” I pause, not sure how to respond. “You’re welcome.”
I curse the console that breaks up the front seat. I had an old truck in school with a bench, and I wish I still had it so she could slide closer and put her head on my shoulder. I drive with our hands entwined and the local radio station playing classic country music.
She seems relaxed, watching the countryside roll by. We’re quickly back at the cabin, and I grab the bag of garbage from lunch and my duffle bag.
Norm greets us at the door, winding around our ankles and purring. He’s lined up a row of his toys like prized kills displayed for sport.
“I think he missed us.” Lenore is smiling down at him. His broken rumblings grow louder when she reaches down to him, and he stands on his hind legs to be picked up. Scooping him up easily, Lenore cuddles him close. He rubs his face on her chin and blinks slowly at me over her shoulder.
“I think so too.” I scratch his cheeks. My wrist brushing against Lenore’s shoulder sends awareness skittering up my arm and goose bumps across her pale skin. Remember, Matt, we’re going slow. Let her make the first move.
“You want to shower first?” she asks me.
“Go ahead. I’ll entertain this creature.”
She hands him over, and he repeats his head-butting routine. I can feel his claws digging in gently while he kneads my arm, and we watch Lenore retreat upstairs.
I walk over to the couch and sit down with him, settling in while her soft steps echo from the loft. I relax deeper into the plush cushions and sigh. I really have to look into getting one of these. It’s incredibly comfortable.
Norm stands on my chest, happily swishing his tail back and forth, little paws kneading away. At first, I doubted needing a babysitter for him all day while we were gone to work but now, seeing his reaction to us being gone for just a few hours, I think he’ll be miserable without company for an entire workday.
Maybe he’d do well at the shop instead of dropping him off with Annie every day. We could keep him in his travel harness on a leash if we needed to. I’ve seen other garages with dogs who were their unofficial mascots. Maybe Norm could be ours.
The water upstairs turns on, but it sounds different. I realize she’s not taking a shower; she’s filling the large tub. The vision of her soaking, her body relaxed, creates a swirl of emotions in me that I try hard to keep under control.
At first, the sound of the filling tub conceals the beat of her footsteps, but I hear the last few as she comes down the stairs.
“Matt?”
I glance over the back of the couch to see her standing hesitantly at the bottom of the staircase. “What’s up?”
“I decided to take a bath and soak for a bit. Did you want to use the shower?”
All of my senses heighten. It feels like my nerve endings are completely focused on her. Gently setting Norm aside, I stand and walk toward her. She looks nervous but determined.
“You want to split the bathroom?”
