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Mom nodded.
Nate came out of her old bedroom with one last box. “This is it,” he said. “Let’s get this last box home and figure out something for supper.”
“DoorDash again?” Shelby asked.
He nodded. “I’m not up to cooking after moving you. And I’m sure you’re tired from all the talking you’ve been doing,” he said.
Shelby grinned. “Definitely. I may have to prescribe some throat lozenges for myself.”
He laughed. “Come on. Let’s finish this up.”
Shelby hugged her mom. “See you in a few days, I’m sure.”
“I’ll be here,” Mom said. “I’m glad you’re home.”
“I think I am too,” Shelby said with a smile. “I never thought I’d want to move back to Scranton, but I’m happy.”
Shelby stood and followed Nate out the door, glad to be going home with him and not staying with her mother. Her mother still made her feel like a child, though she knew Mom didn’t mean to. Being with Nate made her feel like she was a teenager and a grown woman all at once. He brought back so many memories.
On the drive back to their house, she rested her head on the headrest, watching him drive. “Did you have to ride with Dr. Lachele?” she asked.
“No, but she ran over Mom’s azalea bushes.”
“She ran over our mailbox, and almost killed me like ten times. Someone needs to take her license away from her.”
He chuckled. “She paid for the bushes.”
“And for the mailbox. I think that’s how she gets away with it all. Even though she’s destroying things, she fixes them without getting the police involved.”
“That is probably true. Sorry you had to ride with her.”
“That’s okay. She took me out for the best steak I’ve ever eaten to make up for it.”
“Where?” he asked.
“Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. It’s part of the casino.”
“Ah,” he said. “We’ll have to go there one of these days. I’m always in the mood for a good steak.”
When he pulled into their driveway, he had his door half open when she stopped him by putting her hand on his arm. “I’m really glad we’re married. Thanks for moving me while I spent all day talking to my mom.”
He grinned. “I know she’s really missed you. Maybe even more than I have.”
She put her arms around him and kissed him. “It feels like we’ve been apart for so long, and like we’ve never been away from each other all at once. Isn’t that crazy?” she asked.
He nodded. “It is crazy, but it’s exactly how I feel. I’m so glad you’re back in Scranton and here with me.”
They stayed in the truck in their embrace for a few minutes, and then he whispered, “Are you hungry?”
Nothing made her move as quickly as the thought of food did.
Chapter Six
Shelby wished she’d taken a full week off after the wedding, and she said as much to Nate as they were getting ready for work the following day. “We should have taken a week or two,” she said. She was still exhausted from her fellowships, and here she was working constantly. A vacation felt like a necessity at the moment.
He nodded. “I just can’t at this time of year. We’ll take a week this winter.”
“Sounds good. We should go somewhere hot to get away from the cold for a change.” She’d always dreamed about living somewhere that didn’t have a ton of snow every year.
