“It’s fine. I don’t mind.” Marcus gave her a pointed look, one that only made her eyes narrow. “That’s why I’m here.”
She shook her head, obviously preparing an argument when Nora spoke up. “I suppose the both of you could go together. Save on gas and split up so you get everything picked up faster.”
Marcus would have laughed if he didn’t think Wynter would punish him for it later. The way her eyes bugged out at her grandmother’s suggestion was worth witnessing the interaction.
“Grams, I don’t think?—”
“I think it’s a wonderful idea.” Marcus cut off Wynter’s argument with a wink.
“Wonderful. The tea I like is at Leaf and Blossom.”
“Grams!” Wynter said with exasperation. “That’s in the city.”
Marcus frowned, unfamiliar with the name of the store.
Wynter looked to him for support with pleading in her eyes. “Tell her that you can’t drive all the way to Colorado Springs for tea. I’m sure I can order it online or we can go into town and?—”
“It’s the only brand of peppermint tea that doesn’t taste bitter,” Nora argued.
“They taste the same, Grams. Marcus doesn’t need to drive all that way for?—”
“I’m happy to do it,” Marcus assured them both.
Wynter shot him a flat look.
“You don’t have to come if you don’t want to,” he offered. “I don’t mind making the trip on my own.”
“I won’t make you do that,” Wynter grumbled. “Just… give me five minutes, okay?”
About ten minutes later, they were on the road.
Wynter tapped her fingernails on the armrest; her eyes remained locked on her window. “Silver Bells” played quietly on the radio, but it did nothing to fill the suffocating silence. He’d told her that they were still friends, but friends talked. About everything. About nothing.
He shifted in his seat, but he couldn’t get comfortable.
“You remember that time I gave you a dragonfly?”
She snorted. “You brought it to school in a jar without any holes, and when you realized it couldn’t breathe, you took off the lid. It escaped in Mrs. Arndt’s math class and chaos ensued.”
“In my defense, I didn’t know Mrs. Arndt had a phobia of bugs.”
Wynter gave him the side-eye. “In your defense? That’s not really an excuse, Marcus. You shouldn’t bring a bug to school in the first place.”
“But it was a red dragonfly. I’d never seen one before.”
A smile pulled at her lips despite what appeared to be her best efforts at biting it back. “Honestly, I don’t even know how you managed to catch it without it biting you.”
Marcus chuckled. “What can I say? I was gentle.”
Wynter shook her head with a laugh. “That insect’s last day on earth was probably traumatic and all because you’d never seen a red one before?”
He grinned, peeking at her. “I seem to recall that you’d been impressed by its color as well. What did you say again? Oh, yeah. That it reminded you of Christmas.”
Her smile softened and she settled into her seat, seemingly more relaxed. “It was a pretty color.” A little laugh escaped her. “And Mrs. Arndt’s reaction was hilarious. I just wish we had been able to catch it after it escaped.”
“Me too.”
Their eyes met once more. During the rest of the drive, they continued reminiscing. By the time they arrived in Colorado Springs, he’d made her laugh at least half a dozen times. And it wasn’t her polite, quiet laugh, either. He’d managed to get her throwing her head back and truly enjoying herself.
