I rub my finger along the base of one of my rings. “The city can also be lonely.”
He nods. “Lots of things can be lonely.”
I lean my elbow on the door. “Do you get tired of traveling?”
“I like seeing new places, and I love what I do. But, yeah, living out of a motel room wears thin.”
“The holiday season must make it worse.”
“I guess. Usually I’m able to be home for a week or two around Christmas, but this year is different.”
Knox is a bulwark kind of guy. The kind of man that could tempt a woman to lean on him probably more than she should. So when a man like him shows vulnerability, it’s something to witness. I, on the other hand, default to showing too much too often, so almost instantly, I’m second-guessing myself for opening up.
But then…why not? Isn’t honesty a good thing? I think Knox and I both know we’re flirting around the edges of something real here. The possibilities are exhilarating.
“Are you reconsidering the job?”
I look out at the breathtaking snowscape. I bet it’s nowhere near this gorgeous in the middle of the city. I rest my cheek on my knuckles. “I don’t know what I’m thinking.”
The bridge over the freeway, connecting Chandor with the neighborhood where I live, has been sanded, but Knox remains cautious. Once we’re on my street, he curls his fingers aroundmine. “Pray about it, I guess. You’ll know what to do.” His thumb moves back, forth, and all around on the top of my hand.
Such statements can be trite, but Knox delivers them with his heart in his eyes, making me feel both esteemed and encouraged. “Thanks.” I tighten my grip and keep holding. I’m not letting go until I have no other choice. “You know,” I add, “it’s going to be interesting to see what Mom has to say when we get to the house.”
“Sounds like she took things well last night.”
“Yeah, but that was totally out of character. Besides, she’s slept since then.”
Knox chuckles, but his knuckles whiten. “To tell you the truth, I’m more concerned about your sister’s reaction.”
“Yeah, I’m sorry about her. She’s been weird lately, and I have no idea why. But no need to worry today. She has mysteriously gone out of town.”
“Mysteriously?”
“Yeah, she got that call last Sunday and her whole mood changed. Then she announced she was going to Colorado to ski with friends. I’ve never even heard of any of the names she mentioned, and she didn’t want to answer questions. So yeah, she’s been totally weird lately.”
“You think there’s a guy involved?”
I grin. “Totally, and if I were being a good sister, I’d be hounding her with annoying messages and phone calls, but as it is, I’ve been kind of distracted myself.”
My comment looks to sit well with Knox, judging by the turned up corner of his mouth. “Good to know I’m not dating a spammer. I’ve been receiving tons of annoying calls lately from an unknown number. No messages, and not appreciated when I’m already snowed under.”
Dating? I love the sound of that.
The truck hesitates before the four-wheel generated traction kicks in and gets the vehicle over the hump and into our driveway. Stopping flush with the sidewalk that wraps the front of the house, connecting the drive and the front door, Knox takes the truck out of gear. The humorous smile has been replaced with a thoughtful expression. “So. Everly, there’s something I’ve been meaning to mention—”
The garage door begins to rise. Mom stands in the opening, beaming. The velvety forest green robe she breaks out every Christmas season is knotted at her waist. Her feet are in black watch plaid slippers that are fleece lined.
She waves like we’re returning from our honeymoon and wants to hear all about—
Unfortunate analogy. My cheeks sizzle.
She motions for me to roll down the window, and when I do, she orders Knox inside for pancakes and bacon. If he was planning on dropping and running, Mom has deftly taken that option off the table.
Chapter 23
Knox
Bunch of losers.
