10. Chapter Ten
Chapter Ten
Soren
Sam was fast asleep when Tibby and I returned from our walk.
After she’d drunk her fill of water, my girl headed over to the windows facing the lake. She hunkered down in a beam of sunlight.
Black dog, warm day, hot sunlight. Of course. Why not? The glass was tempered and the worst of the heat would be blunted, but she was still liable to overheat. Ah well, I’d check on her after I made lunch.
Sam had somehow curled into a ball on the couch with his hand resting against the grate of the door.
The crate was secure and, to my amusement, Jack and Peaches had crawled over so their noses rested against Sam’s finger.
The heating pad was available in the back for them to crawl onto, so I didn’t need to worry about them getting cold.
I grabbed the bottles and headed into the kitchen. After cleaning them, I set about making lunch. That took little time, and the question of whether to wake Sam or not was resolved when he poked his head into the kitchen.
“Hey.” He yawned.
“Hey, yourself. I hope you’re hungry, I’ve made lots.”
He rubbed his stomach. “Yeah. A little bit. I woke and, for a moment, I couldn’t figure out where I was. Then everything came back to me.”
I moved the simmering soup to a cold burner, shut off the stove, and moved to him. When I held open my arms, he stepped into them. To my relief, he didn’t appear to be crying. Not that I couldn’t handle tears—because I totally could—but I didn’t want him to feel even more pain.
After what felt like a really long time, but was probably only a minute or two, he pulled back. “Thank you.”
I gazed up into his dark-brown eyes—so filled with pain. “I’m here for you, okay? Food first, then we can do whatever you like.”
He swallowed. “I don’t know what to do. On Mondays I work. I mean unless it’s like Christmas or the Fourth of July, I work.”
I caressed his cheek. “We have this one day. Thank Desiree and let’s make the most of it.”
His brow knit. “I don’t know what you mean.”
In truth, I didn’t either. I had a dozen ideas—but most of them involved us leaving the cabin and in no way would he ever agree to that.
I smiled. “I have a couple of streaming series queued that I’d like to watch.
Or we can just hang and talk. Or we can just, I dunno—” I considered. “Whatever you want.”
He ducked his head. “I like the idea of spending time with you. Getting to know you. Because this—” He gestured between the two of us. “—is more than I expected, and I’m not certain how to deal with it.”
“Let me get the soup and sandwiches, and then maybe I can help you sort out what you’re thinking.” I pressed a thumb to his frown line. “It’s as easy as smiling.”
After a long moment, he did just that. “Yeah. Okay.” He held my gaze. “Can we eat on the couch?”
“Of course. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Tibby poked her head out from under the kitchen table where she’d been lounging. “Maybe get some baby carrots? Some for us and a couple for her?”
Sam’s grin broadened. “Oh yeah, that’d be awesome.” He adored giving Tibby treats—and making her do tricks for them.
In turn, she did everything he asked of her. Not just because she loved everything he procured for her—although she did—but also because she so clearly enjoyed putting on a show for other people.
He petted her head. “You’re such a good girl.”
She grinned and rubbed against him.
I handed him a plate with a bowl of soup in the middle, as well as a cut grilled cheese sandwich and vegetables around the circumference of it. “Oh, maybe wash your hands first?”
He chuckled, put the plate on the counter, and obediently washed his hands.
Truthfully, I wasn’t a stickler for stuff like that—but I wanted to make a good impression. And I worried about exposing the kittens to anything. Tibby was healthy. That said, prudence was even more important than before.
I joined Sam as we sat on opposite sides of the crate on the couch.
The lake was serene today. Crystal clear and as still as could be.
“No wind.”
Sam shook his head. “I can just imagine this place during a storm. I think I’d be scared with all those windows.”
“Well, I can say it’s the most amazing sight.
Sometimes storms come in from the west—from the Pacific.
The ferocity is something to behold. I love Mother Nature.
I also respect her and understand her power is far beyond anything we can fathom.
” I bit into the crust. Not my favorite part of the sandwich.
But I was going to be good and eat most of it. I might save a small piece for Tibby.
“Storms terrify me.” Sam dipped a corner of his sandwich into his soup.
“The crash—” He took a breath. “Stormy night. Things had been calm when we’d left the house, and the storm intensified when we were in the restaurant.
None of that really matters because by the police accident-reconstruction team’s analysis, the driver—the drunk—crossed the center line.
They said a small chance existed that it might’ve been the storm, but the balance of probabilities said he crashed because he was drunk.
Three times the legal limit, three previous convictions, and driving without a license. ”
I winced. “Jesus.”
“Right? The cops couldn’t figure out how I survived. Dumb luck, they said. Lucius—” He took a deep breath. “I told you that he survived. We were on a less-traveled road, and most people stayed home that night, I guess. No one found us for hours. Or at least no one called in the crash.”
“Sam.”
He blinked, then turned toward me. He shook his head. “Sorry. I need to stop obsessing about it. I thought I was doing better, but then today—” He swallowed. “Yeah.”
“Right. Okay. So, I have three streaming shows I’ve been debating watching. We can either do a marathon of eight episodes of a British mystery, we can watch three superhero movies, or we can watch a Peter Erickson movie? Oh, have you seen Vigilante Justice?”
Sam grinned. “Every single episode. Cole Hamilton is so freaking sexy. Like, seriously. How is a guy allowed to be that gorgeous?”
“Right? And sweet, Canadian, and—” I frowned. “He’s in a throuple, right? With his two best friends or something like that?”
“Yeah. But like, they all dig each other now. And—” He squinted. “Like they had twins. Only the media made a big fuss about whether Cole or the other guy…what’s his name?”
“Michael.”
“Right. They kicked up a big fuss about who the father was. And I kept thinking that it doesn’t matter. The three look happy, and isn’t that what life’s all about?”
Curiosity had me pulling up a picture of Cole Hamilton with his partners Caressa and Michael. I scrolled until— “Oh.”
Sam leaned over. “Oh, what?”
I held up the photo.
He squinted and then. “Yeah, okay. So…”
I gazed at the photo again. Cole and Caressa both had black hair and blue eyes. Michael was blond with hazel eyes. Their twins? One with black curly hair and one with fair hair. I considered. “Well, they could both be Michael’s and one favors Caressa.”
Sam shrugged. “I never studied genetics. But I’d swear one looks like Cole and one looks like Michael. Not that it’s any of our business.”
“Nope.” I put my phone down. “So, what were the choices?”
“You suggested a Peter Erickson movie. Remember that gay movie he made with Cole Hamilton? I haven’t watched that in forever.”
I winced. “It’s bittersweet. I know I’m going to cry.”
Sam grinned. “I’ll hold your hand.”
“Promise?” I worried he might cry as well, but he had a serene smile on his face. I loved the movie and Peter Erickson had won an Academy Award for it. “I like that idea. I haven’t watched it in forever either. Let’s finish lunch and start the movie. We can take a break and feed the kittens.”
He nodded. “Yeah, that sounds great.”
So that was what we did. Only Sam swapped places with the crate so he sat next to me on the couch. And then, at the sad spot, he held my hand.
I didn’t cry.
A near thing.
But I held it together.
And so did Sam.
He sighed as the credits ran. “Peter totally deserved that Academy Award.”
“Yeah.” I switched off the television.
“I think Cole should have won, like, best supporting or something.”
“Yeah.” I eyed Tibby who had risen at one point to go have a drink, but who was now curled on her bed and snoring lightly. She did the cutest little snuffle thing in her sleep.
Sam smiled. “She’s adorable.”
“She is. She’s sort of saved my sanity over the past year.
I had something other than work to focus on.
She was a hellacious puppy, though. Noah’s the best trainer, and things got better when I started doing the serious training.
I know she’s young for a therapy dog, but her nature makes her perfect for it.
She passed every single test he put her through with flying colors.
He said she’s one of the youngest therapy dogs he’s trained. ”
“She’s special, Soren. No question about that.” He turned to face me. “So are you.”
I blinked.
He reached out to take my hand. “You barely knew me, and a week ago you basically invited me to move in. I mean, who does that? And then you’ve taken such good care of me. And the kittens. Even—” He closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, they were a little watery.
I squeezed his hand. “We’re doing okay. Peaches and Jack will be fine.”
Slowly, he raised his other hand. With a gentleness that broke my heart, he caressed my cheek.
A chuckle escaped. “I need a shave.”
“I think it’s kind of sexy.” He held my gaze. “I’m so confused.”
“About what?” My heart ached at his expression.
He swallowed. “I think you’re sexy. I mean, like, almost as sexy as Cole Hamilton.”
I barked a laugh. “I am not as sexy as Cole. Hell, I don’t even look like him.”
Sam smiled. “Yeah, he’s all brooding and dark. Well, his character. In real life he looks like he’s just fun.”
“Right. So why are you comparing me to him?”
“Because you’re light too.” He fingered my hair. “I love this.”
“Yeah. Going white in my early twenties was…it sucked.”
“Did you ever consider dyeing your hair?”