Not going to think about her little car trying to navigate these roads in the winter. Not thinking about her sliding off the road and into a ditch. Nope. “Krause. Don’t argue. I’m asking for a simple text.”
Her wry smile appears, as if she’s discovered a treasure trove of leverage. “Are you aworrier, Callahan?”
She says the word like it’s a bright red label she’s slapped on my chest. She’s not wrong, but we’re not getting into this right now. I would love to verbally spar with her some more, but my anxiety’s cranking up and making it hard for me to think.
I level her with a hard look. “Just text me, please.”
She relaxes, but her smile widens like I just handed her a secret. I suppose I did. Of all the things I’ve revealed tonight, this is the one she wants to spend her energy on?
“Okay. Sheesh. I will text you when I get home.” She pulls open the front door. “If you wanted a goodnight text so badly, all you had to do was say so.”
With that, she walks out, snapping the door shut behind her. I watch out the window until her taillights disappear down the drive.
Refusing to pace, I sit on the couch, my phone on the cushion beside me. If I thought I was lost before, having her here in my space has sealed my fate. I hope the stormy petrichor of her perfume lingers for days.
Fifteen minutes of heroically keeping my stray thoughts in line later, my phonefinally buzzes.
Wren: I made it!
Shepherd: Glad to hear it
Wren: That road is kind of spooky in the dark
Shepherd: Not helping
Wren: But I’m fine!
Wren: Even tucked myself safely into bed already
That’s not helping, either.
Wren: Thanks for inviting me tonight
Shepherd: Thanks for staying
Wren: Goodnight, Callahan
Shepherd: Goodnight, Krause
TEXT THREAD
Isabel: Did anyone else get to the part with the cowboy hat yet?
Rosetta: If you start dropping spoilers, I will leave the chat
Isabel: It’s not a spoiler
Isabel: I just don’t understand it
Fran: If she wears the cowboy’s hat, she belongs to the cowboy
Fran: I can’t say more, or Rosetta will leave the chat
Barb: Do you think that works with other types of hats?
Ada: What do you say to a movie night?
Ada: We can borrow my son’s in-home theater while he’s out of town
