I nodded. "I’ll definitely try to be there.” There was no way inhellI would bethere.
She smiled, almost like she understood what I wasn’t saying. “You know, I wish Silas would bring more friends by the house.” Her gaze, deep blue and a little sad, met mine. “The quiet days are the worst this time of year. Can’t help but notice what’s notthere.”
Jamie squeezed herhand.
I gave her a ghost of a smile and hesitated. I had absolutely no standing to say anything on Si’s behalf,especiallynow, but… “You know, maybe instead of, um, noticing what’s not there, you could do some of the things Mathias liked to do? Like, uh… I heard he liked hiking? Orart?”
She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes, studying me, and I thought,Here comes the part where she squashes me like a bug. But instead she said, “I think that’s a really inspired idea, Ev.” She smiled and frowned at the same time, the same look Silas had given me more than once, like I’d pleased and confused her all atonce.
“Thanks.”
The bell over the front door chimed and a blast of refreshingly chilly air blew in. Carolyn’s expression cleared. “Oh, look! Silas is here!” She raised her arm and waved to get his attention. “Silas!”
No, but really though.All the baked goods in the world were not enough to justify my presencehere.
I turned my head and saw Silas walk in along with Daniel Michaelson, the man we’d met in the woods a few days before. Daniel looked like he would rather be literally anywhere else and I felt a total kinship with theman.
Silas looked every bit as good as he ever had, which was to say twice as good as any mortal had a right to look. It was lowering that even though I was pissed at him, so pissed I could imagine walking over, throwing him against the wall, and smacking his smiling face, I was equally turned on just by his presence. I wanted very badly to push him up against the wall for an entirely differentpurpose.
To my shock, Si clapped Daniel on the back and pointed in our direction, leading him over. I hadn’t thought Si likedDaniel.
“Hey, Mom,” Si said, bending down to give his mother a kiss on the cheek. “Jamie.Ev.”
I lifted my chin to acknowledge Si's greeting, but saidnothing.
It was ridiculous how badly I wanted to smile at him, to pretend that I wasn't mortified and hurt and rejected. The connection between us was still there, at least on my side. Electric currents zinged between us and I was hyper-aware of every move he made, even though I really didn't want tobe.
I gave Daniel my friendliest smile. “Good to see youagain.”
“Uh. Yeah. Si, um, saw me at the grocery store and, uh… said I should come.” He shuffled his feet awkwardly and only made fleeting eye contact with me. I could feel the discomfort coming off him in waves, far different than he’d seemed when we met him out in thewoods.
“He was buying a frozen dinner, so I told him he could come here for free food and leave right away.” Silas shrugged. “That’s what I’m herefor.”
Carolyn laughed. “That’s what most people are here for. Help yourself,Daniel.”
“Oh. Uh. Thank you,ma’am.”
“Shit!She-Ra!” someone yelled. “Get backhere!”
I turned just in time to see a tiny ball of fluff launch itself at Daniel’s leg and climb him like atree.
“What the hell is that?” Jamie demanded, taking a step back, but Daniel laughed and caught the creature in his bighands.
“It’s a cat,” Julian Ross said. “A kitten, actually. She’s been sleeping in mypocket.”
“You carry kittens in your pocket?” I said. Daphne would barely tolerate the cat carrier, let alone the indignity of a small, darkcave.
“Not generally, just this one.” Julian blushed. “She likesDaniel.”
“She smells the woods on me,” Daniel said, smiling down at the floof in hishands.
“She smells your dog on you,” Julian countered. “She-Ra has a crush on Honoria, Daniel’sdog.”
“Well, that’s just great, and I hope they’re really,reallyhappy together, but get her out of my restaurant,” Jamie said, exasperated. “There’s like, a billion health code violations happening rightnow!”
Julian bit his lip. “Sorry, Jamie.” He tried to take the cat from Daniel, but she protested.Vocally.
It was so amusing, my eyes lifted involuntarily to Silas's face, and I found him watchingme.
