“He’s fun.”
“He’s a giant pain in the ass, but I’m crazy about him.” I can’t believe Angus has only been living with us a few days—it feels like we’ve had him forever. I love how he sleeps at the foot of my bed at night, cocking his ears at a strange noise, or raising his head and woofing if he thinks it’s something I should investigate. I love how happy he is to see me every day, how his big melting brown eyes can somehow make me give him a sample of whatever I’m eating. Even his huge feet, which track in every bit of snow and mud, make me smile.
“You okay?” I say.
“Yeah, just thinking about Katie. This was her favorite time of year. She’d make everyone crafts, but she was terrible at it.” He laughs. “I have a box full of ornaments with shredded ribbons and sparkles falling off of them. One year she tried to make Christmas candles and ended up with blobs of red and green wax all over our floor. It took us hours to scrape it all up.”
“It sounds like she was a lot of fun.”
He nods, but his smile is fading, and he looks tired now. “I think I’m going to take off,” he says. “Can you say good-bye to everyone for me?”
“Of course.” I walk him out and wave from the front door, feeling bad that he’s going home to an empty house. Then I think of Andrew, how Sophie had thought he was lonely, and glance around the dark woods. Is he watching now? I close the door firmly. Then I head down the hall to the bathroom, and accidentally open the door on Greg, who is standing at the sink.
“Sorry,” I say. “I didn’t know you were in here.” Then I realize his hand is on the medicine cabinet as though he was just closing it.
He gives me a sheepish smile. “I ate too much.” He rubs his chest. “Heartburn.”
“The Tums are in the kitchen.” He waits for me in the living room and talks to Rachelle while I get him a glass of water and a few Tums, then we settle back on the couch in front of the fire. Now that I’m not watching the tension between Marcus and Greg, or scared that the phone is going to ring, I’m enjoying myself. Greg has also relaxed, and I’m not feeling as annoyed. It’s natural to feel a little jealousy, I suppose. Eventually my guests begin to leave, and an hour later they’ve all gone home. Greg helps me clean the kitchen. When we’re finished, he kisses me against the counter, his hands drifting down to my waist. “Want me to stay?”
“I would, but Delaney is sleeping over tonight and that might be awkward.”
“You know you and Sophie can come to Vancouver with me. They’d love to meet you.” Greg is visiting his family for Christmas and won’t be home until after New Year’s Eve. We’ve agreed not to exchange presents and instead go skiing for a day when he gets home.
“Maybe next year.”
“Is there a next year?”
I hide my face in his sweater, unsure of my answer. The warm, cozy feeling the wine gave me earlier seems to have disappeared and left me with a tight, trapped sensation.
“Things are complicated right now,” I say. “It’s hard to think that far ahead.”
“You mean because of Andrew.”
“I don’t know what’s going to happen. We may have to move.” I haven’t seen Andrew since he agreed to the peace bond, but the phone calls were upsetting. It’s like he knew I was having a party tonight and wanted to mess with my head.
“I wondered if you were getting ready to run.” I feel him take a breath, his chest lifting under my cheek. “Promise you won’t leave town without letting me know, okay?”
I hesitate. Is this a promise I can make? What if I have to leave in a hurry? I don’t want to get into details right now and start an argument. Better to just agree and reassure him.
“Okay.” I tilt my head back and look up at him. “See you when you get back?”
“I’ll make dinner at my place.”
“Sounds great.”
He leans closer, whispers in my ear. “But I want to wake up next to you. No sneaking out with some lame excuse.” He’s using a teasing tone, but I know he’s serious and I feel bad for how I’ve made him feel these last couple of months, always holding him at arm’s length. I think about Marcus, going home alone. I don’t want to be like that. I want a relationship—a real one.
“I’ll bring my toothbrush.”