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“And I’m so incredibly proud ofyou,” I tell her.
“I was an idiot not to leave sooner,” she says under her breath.
“You’ve never been an idiot, Marlow.Hewas,” I say, quietly so Dakota doesn’t hear me.
Theo comes down the hall from the guest bedroom and grins at us. “Wine? Beer? Juice?”
“I really like him,” Marlow says loud enough for him to hear.
He laughs.
“Me too,” Dakota pipes up.
* * *
After we’ve eaten the cheese and crackers and fruit Theo had prepared before we arrived and the canned soup he heats in a hurry, I finish my glass of wine. Once I’ve made a quick trip to the bathroom and plop back down on the couch, all of that adrenaline I felt an hour ago is gone and my eyes struggle to stay open.
“Why is it so exhausting to sit in a car all day, just staring at the road?” I say after a long yawn.
“Exerting all that mental energy to keep tons of machinery on the road,” Theo says, his fingers tickling my arm.
Dakota is curled up on the couch next to Marlow, sound asleep. Marlow puts her hand on Dakota’s forehead.
“She’s cooler than this time last night but still feels feverish. I’m exhausted too,” she says, yawning. “Thanks again for letting me crash here. I promise I’ll figure out another place soon.”
“You’re welcome here as long as you need, Marlow,” Theo says. “Rest, relax, and let’s get Dakota feeling better.”
“I’m so glad you’re here,” I tell her. “I’ve missed you and that peanut so much.”
She smiles and stands, leaning down to pick up Dakota.
“Need help?” Theo asks.
“It’s okay. I’ve got her.” She lifts Dakota like it’s nothing even though she’s petite and Dakota’s gotten considerably bigger. “I’ve missed you too,” she says. “The only thing that gave me peace about us being so far apart from each other is that guy right there.” She tilts her head toward Theo, and I look over to see his eyebrows lifting in surprise. “I’ve been rooting for the two of you to get back together since Sofie first told me about you.”
His fingers wind through mine and his eyes are soft as he looks at me and then Marlow. “Thanks for not giving up on me.”
Marlow’s eyes fill, but she smiles and nods. “Keep her happy.”
Theo’s attention is back on me when he says, “I will.”
There is such promise in his words, in his look, that my stomach dips and I shiver slightly, despite the heat coursing through me.
He rubs away the goose bumps on my arm and I lean over and kiss his cheek. And then I stand, holding my hand out to him. He takes it and follows quickly, his hands moving to my hips.
“Let’s get you to bed, sleepyhead,” he says.
“Shower with me first?”
“If you insist.” His voice is light and playful, but I haven’t missed the shadows under his eyes.
I feel awful that my leaving put him through another second of doubt.
Leading the way, I smile at him over my shoulder. His hands land on my backside as we’re going up the stairs.
“Just trying to be helpful,” he says. “These poor tired cheeks.”
“Flat as pancakes after driving for a million years.”
