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“Wow. That’s amazing.”
“I thought so. Now, I’m not sure it’s what I want anymore.”
The sounds of footsteps and clanking of keys draw both of our attention. Joan stands in the entryway and smiles wide at us both. “Well, hello you two. What are you up to?”
Gage stands and moves a step toward me, taking my empty bottle from the table. “I should get going. Thanks for the beer.”
“Well, it isn’t mine but you’re welcome. Thanks for the conversation.”
Nodding, he turns his attention to Joan. “Do you have a shopping list for me?”
“I do, let me grab it. Here, I’ll take those bottles. Dinner will be ready in about an hour, Sophia.”
Joan leaves Gage and me alone and that awkwardness we had earlier is back. Neither of us speak at first. I’m not sure his reasoning but for me, I have a million questions that are none of my business. I want to know more about his family of police officers. I’m curious why, when he speaks of his job, his entire demeanor stiffens. Even his words and tone.
“Are you shopping for Joan?” I finally ask. It’s not one of the burning questions on the tip of my tongue but at least the silence is broken.
“Yeah. I go down the mountain once a week anyway. No sense in both of us going to the same destination.”
“That’s sweet of you.” Gage grumbles and I snicker. “Since you’re being sweet, would you mind picking up something for me?”
He rolls his eyes and gifts me a small smile. I ignore the way my belly flutters at the sight.
“I need a couple of those composition books. Like we used in school. Do you know what I’m talking about?”
“Yeah. The black and white ones?”
“Mm-hmm. If I have all this down time, I might as well do some writing. Although I don’t think I’ve written with pen and paper since I was in high school.”
We both laugh and as Gage opens his mouth to say something, Joan appears again with a piece of paper in her hand. He skims the list and nods.
“Maybe you should add my items?”
He turns to face me, that smile on his face again. “I won’t forget.”
Our gazes hold and my skin warms. Tugging my top lip between my teeth, I smile back. I’ll just pretend that fluttering isn’t back and I don’t like his smile a little too much.
Chapter 22
Sophia
Writing has always been an escape for me. When I was little I would make up stories and then read them to my stuffed animals. That was before I could write more than my name. As I got older, my storytelling improved and I began writing short stories. Somewhere in a hope chest in my parents’ attic are dozens of composition books with my versions of a fairytale.
By the time I left home for college, my writing had taken a backseat to life. Young and full of dreams, I spent the beginning of my college life socializing and finding my footing. Although I wasn’t crafting fictional stories, I enjoyed documenting my life. Each of my first time experiences documented for future me to take a trip down memory lane.
When the stalking began I couldn’t find it in me to document the experiences. I tried once. Instead of writing about my feelings and fears, I focused everything I could have done differently to prevent it all from happening. Now I see that was never possible. Stalking is complicated and while I see signs looking back, in the moment, they were just weird instances in a busy life.
“Hi honey, whatcha doin’ out here?”
I turn my head and smile at Joan. “Just thinking.”
She settles on the couch, her knees tucked beside her. Like me, Joan is dressed for bed even if it is only just before eight in the evening. Since arriving, I have been turning in early and up hours before I typically am at home. Maybe it’s the fresh mountain air that has my sleep cycle in disarray. Or maybe it’s that I feel safe, like I can breathe without looking over my shoulder.
“I haven’t seen one of those composition books since my kids were in school. Do they still use them?”
“They do. I’ve been using these as journals for years. When I’ve filled a book, I color in the cover. I’ve never thrown one away.”
Joan smiles and settles in a little more, her head resting in her hand. While we may be decades apart in age, we have a lot in common and it’s nice to have a relaxing night laughing and sharing stories. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this small town and assumed I would be lonely and scared.
