AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“How’d she take the news?”
“Like I expected her to—she thought I was kidding about you staying with her at first. Then she used my middle name, which happens only when she’s on the brink of furious.” She shrugged in the glow of her dashboard lights. “So, yeah, she took it like a champ.”
“Great.”
“Eh, don’t sweat it. It’s me she’ll be mad at for a few days, not you. Anyway, I told her the rental places were closed and you needed a place to stay. Her house has a guest bedroom, mine doesn’t. Well, it did, but that’s been converted into Isaac’s office.”
“Isaac?”
“My boyfriend. He’s awesome—crazy smart with computers, funny, loves watching sports. Though he’s still rooting for all those silly New York teams.” She shook her head with a sigh. “We’ll convert him eventually. If you stick around long enough, I’ll be sure to introduce you two.”
In the glow of her dashboard lights, Alex saw contentment settle over Del’s features and felt a jab of envy. He’d watched so many people over the years find love and happiness. Had even given it a try himself after grad school, but it hadn’t panned out the way he’d hoped.
“So, is this Isaac a rebel like you?”
She slowed and rolled through a four-way stop, angling for town. “Pfft, no. But that’s a good thing, I suppose. He and Louie keep me grounded.”
“Louie?”
“His bulldog. Sooo adorable and chunky. Oh, and he’s deaf, so if you come over, donotlet him get loose. Do you know how hard it is to catch a roaming deaf dog?” She looked to him suddenly. “Oh, shoot—I didn’t even think to ask if you had pets at home that need fed!”
Alex shook his head. “Nope, no pets at my place. We’re good.”
In truth, he’d wanted a pet for some time. With work, though, he was simply on the road too much for that to be feasible. He’d considered getting a cat or one of those cool birds that would sit on your shoulder and nuzzle your beard, but so far hadn’t been able to talk himself into either.
Hmm, did getting a pet fall under the “no regrets” mantra?
Del slowed as they entered town, making two turns before pulling into the driveway of a modest two-story Craftsman home. He couldn’t decipher its exact colors in the moonlight, but its siding was darker than the trim around its windows and front door. The lot seemed tiny compared to the ones in the subdivision where he’d grown up, though the detached garage set past the house implied the backyard was likely deeper than the front. Christmas lights had been strung along the columns and rails of its broad front porch, and an inflatable snowman bobbed on the front lawn in the night’s slight breeze. Though, without snow, Frosty looked a little out of place.
Alex couldn’t help but smile. Mia had always loved Christmastime. No doubt she was dying for the white stuff to arrive.
As if on cue, the front door opened and out stepped Mia, hands jammed into the pockets of an unzipped coat. Alex couldn’t get a read on her mood, her face in shadow from the bright porch light behind her as she glanced up and down the street. Was she angry? Excited? Irritable?
Was he doing the right thing?
And again, his conscience told him to shut up and roll with it.
“Oh, and in case you’ve never lived in one, small towns never sleep and always talk. If you keep things on the down-low, we’ll avoid sparking rumors that might tarnish Mia’s squeaky-clean schoolteacher reputation. And not being fodder for the town rumor mill makes her a happy lady.”
With that, Del hopped down out of the truck.
Damn, it would have been nice to have started this conversation a little sooner. Keep things on the down-low? What did that even mean?
He exited the truck, making sure to grab his laptop bag. If he lost that in the shuffle, he’d be screwed. Mia came around the passenger side and pulled the door open to peer into the truck’s small back seat. As her cinnamon and vanilla scent hit him anew, Alex struggled to think of something to say.
“I really appreciate you offering me a place to stay.”
“Technically, Del offered you a place to stay. It just happened to be at my house.” She drew back on a grimace. “Sorry, it’s…been a long day. No suitcase?”
“Nah. This was supposed to be a quick trip north and back. The, uh, deer wasn’t a part of my original plan.” Never had truer words been spoken.
“Oh, I already grabbed his coat and duffel,” Del said as she rounded the back of the truck.
Mia arched a brow in his direction. Okay, so yes, he kept an overnight bag in his Rover most days. Being the regional VP for Wellington Equipment & Trucking sometimes meant hitting the road on a moment’s notice. He offered her an innocent shrug. She offered him a flat look.
“Will you two come on already?” Del said. “It’s freezing out here.”
“Shh,” Mia whispered. “Ears.”
