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“No, I have two brothers. They’re in the military, one stationed in Alaska and the other in Montana.” She hands over her card to the cashier.
“So you’re all in the fields of service to others.”
She stills. “I guess so. Harmony doesn’t quite know what she wants to do when she grows up —not that I think that’ll happen anytime soon— so she’s the outlier.”
“She’s Nyck’s nanny?”
“More like Nyck ishernanny.”
I chuckle, again, and the feeling is like seeing a new dawn after a rough night of storms. “But she is providing care to you?” I ask softly.
She looks to me. “Yeah, and I’m concerned that she’s put her life on hold to— I don’t know why I’m telling you these things, Jasper, I usually don’t open up like this.”
I slip a hand to her lower back, not guiding or demanding anything from her, just for support. “Maybe you should.”
“I don’t like burdening others with my—”
“Your life is not a burden to anyone.” I step in close. “It’s your truth, your path, and your reality. This is why I find you incredibly attractive. You haven’t been anyone but yourself.”
The cashier clears their throat. “Wow. That was…”
“Let’s go,” Sonnet says over whatever the person behind the counter says on a breathy sigh.
I grab the last bag from Sonnet’s hand. We start toward the parking garage, the wind kicking up in the Colorado winter. We’re supposed to have a white Christmas, but I won’t hold my breath.
“I notice your limp is getting a little worse. Are you okay?”
Leave it to the good doctor to notice.
“Old war injury,” I respond, hoping to end the conversation.
I try to remember where the door on the garage that leads to the elevator is. I won’t admit it, but taking stairs isn’t going to happen.
“No, really?”
“I ruined my knee doing something. It doesn’t like the cold. Nothing you can do about it, doc.”
She slaps her hands together and rubs quickly. “There might be. I’ve got some pretty sweet Mr. Miyagi moves.”
After a chuckle, I think about letting part of my past out there, but I decide to deflect. Like Sonnet, letting go of my real issues isn’t my superpower. It’s more like my kryptonite.
“What do you want to do now?”
Please don’t say take me home.
She stills and watches a white horse-drawn carriage rolling up before we head into the garage.
“The last Christmas Parker was here, we did a carriage ride.”
I lean in close, her long legs, bring her ear to my lips. “Would you like to do one now?”
She looks up and our lips are inches apart. A hot mist of our breaths gathers like a soft cloud between us. I lean toward her, her eyes closing, giving me the needed indicator, and just before our lips touch the horse whinnies and Sonnet gasps, stepping back.
“Sorry, I… I’m not—”
I throw all bags into one hand and grab her hand, giving a squeeze. “No worries, sweetheart. It’s okay.”
She bites the side of her bottom lip, like she does when she’s in deep contemplation and I wonder if she even knows she does it.
