Anything we didn’t think you’d need right now we put in the closet of the spare room. That’s all still in boxes and labeled if you need it. Dinner is in the fridge. Just needs to be warmed up. Take a bath and crash. I’ll see you tomorrow.
S-
I padded across the hall and swung open the closet in there to find boxes neatly stacked and labeled. Tears pricked my eyes. I quickly moved back in my room and grabbed some leggings out of one drawer, a tank out of another.
Entering the bathroom, I glanced over at the claw-foot tub. I hadn’t appreciated it enough on my first trip in here, my brain clouded with the overwhelming nature of everything around me. I glanced at Ranger, who was still following me around like I had a treat in my pocket.
“Holy shit, pup. Your dad did good.”
Ranger wagged his tail back and forth, apparently in agreement.
I started the bath and grabbed my phone. My first text was to Emma.
Me:Shit, lady, thanks a million.
Then, I texted Sully.
Me:At your house. Thank you.
I looked over the five words and felt like they might be inadequate, but what else could I say? I went ahead and hit the arrow to send it.
Immediately, my phone buzzed. I glanced down with a little excitement, but saw that it was Emma. Still, I opened the text and laughed out loud.
Emma:We got your back, Mags. And no worries, I packed and unpacked the vibrator and all the romance books. Best friend at your service. You settled? Cried out over the last day yet?
I quickly typed out a reply.
Me:You know me well. Getting ready to take a bath and crash. Your bro left me dinner.
She sent me back a message in seconds.
Emma:And how are you feeling about said bro?
I thought about it for a moment as another text arrived. Glancing down, I saw that it was from Sully. My heart rate accelerated as I opened it.
Sully:No problem. And just a FYI, it’s now your house too. Rest up.
Damn, that man. I decided not to text him back because right now I just wanted to send him a message that said I’d be in his bed waiting for him. Not the way to begin the first night as roommates. Well, I suppose it was one way to begin it, but not the way I planned on. Instead, I texted Emma back.
Me:Feelings regarding your bro = conflicted. I’ll say this, he’s pretty awesome and I wish we could be more.
Heart thumping in my chest, I sent it and turned off the bath. Stripping down, I sighed. I couldn’t remember when someone had thought of me the way my friends had. This was exactly what I needed. I slid into the warm water and looked to my left. Ranger stood there, staring at me, his nose to my nose.
“I hope you don’t plan on jumping in here, pup. I mean, I’m all for loving you, but my bath is a solitary experience.”
Ranger whined at me but slid to the floor with a thump, lying right where I’d need to step out in a minute. Hmm, maybe dogs understood us more than I knew?
I laid my head back on the edge and looked up at the ceiling. Closing my eyes, I thought over the ten weeks that stretched ahead until school would resume. I could laze around, I could still find time to travel, or I supposed I could do both. However, it seemed I’d be upchucking on average of one to two times a day for the foreseeable future, and the end of the first trimester was weeks away.
Thinking more about it, staying closer to home sounded good. Resolve filled me up as I soaked surrounded by the peace of the country. I could absolutely do this. I could stay home this summer, take care of the little bean as he grew, and be friends with Sully. Surely as my belly got bigger, I would be uninterested in sex anyway. It would be easy. And goodness knows, he wouldn’t be attracted to me anyway, much less when I was sporting a bowling ball on my front. I nodded a few times and then looked over at Ranger.
“I’ve totally got this, Ranger. No sex, just friends, and you and I can hang out all summer. No sweat.”
Ranger glanced up with a quizzical look, then laid his head back down on his paws. He didn’t seem to have any faith in me.
I put my head back on the edge and closed my eyes. Well, whether the dog believed me or not, I had this. Just friends. No problem.
* * *
