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He made a face and drew in a long breath. “I had a crush on my next-door neighbor when I was ten. She moved away. There were a few casual things after I grew up. Angie was the closest I came to love. But that was a physical thing.”
“My grandparents were best friends,” she said after a minute. “They went everywhere together. They liked the same sort of things, kept to themselves, played video games together,” she added, laughing softly in memory. “When he died of a heart attack, she didn’t last six months. She said it was like her soul went with him, and her body just felt empty. They were married almost fifty years.”
“I don’t know that I want to feel anything like that,” he mused.
“Me either,” she confessed.
He played with her fingers idly while he thought. “There’s a big ice rink in Denver,” he said. “It’s open late.” He looked up. “I’m not much on movies out. I like to watch them in my living room, so I can get up and grab a sandwich or a beer if I want to.”
She burst out laughing. “That’s me,” she replied. “I hate crowded places, especially now.”
“So, we could go skating. If you don’t know how, I’ll teach you.”
“I’ve been skating since I was five,” she told him. “I love the ice. I even have my own skates.”
“I’ll have to rent some, but it might be fun. And there’s a place near the rink that serves some of the best sushi . . .”
“I love sushi!” she exclaimed. “We had a nurse who worked with us who lived in Denver. One day when she was on day shift, she brought in a cooler full of it for us to have for lunch. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven!”
His hand contracted. “I got hooked on it in Chicago,” he said. “One of the guys was crazy about it. He took me with him to this little Japanese place on a back street. I was sure I wouldn’t like what I called ‘fish bait,’ but after the first bite, I was truly hooked. I have it every week back home.”
Her eyes were full of delight. He studied her, feeling his heart lift. So many things in common, he thought, and his hand became caressing. Then, suddenly, his face went taut and he let go of her hand.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Years,” he replied somberly, his eyes searching hers.
It took her a minute to understand what he was referring to. “Oh.”
“When you were born, I was eleven,” he pointed out.
“Well, it isn’t as if you’re exactly over-the-hill,” she replied. “And it wouldn’t matter if you were. I don’t mind polishing wheelchairs.”
That took a minute. He chuckled. “I’ll get shot before I end up like that,” he said with some conviction.
She made a face and now she was looking overly thoughtful.
“What?” he asked.
“Dangerous professions,” she replied. He just nodded. “Age and job.”
“Exactly.”
“But we’re going to be just friends, so none of that matters,” he replied coolly. “We can have a day out together while I investigate a suspect. We’ll have fun. And besides, there will be sushi.”
That brought the smile back. He loved the way she looked when she smiled. It made her pretty face even prettier.
“If we leave early, we can get back home before you get sleepy,” he said. “What time do you get off?”
“Seven, but I have to give the report to the day nurses first, and it takes a few minutes to drive home.”
He was thinking. “We could leave at eight. That would give us plenty of time.”
She nodded.
“Wear something warm,” he added. “They’re predicting snow tomorrow.”
She looked crestfallen. “We might not be able to go,” she said.
