He heard her words and nodded, letting her hand go.
He felt the loss immediately.
It didn't escape his notice that his instinct was always to reach for her and hold her close.
She didn't move yet, except to lower her hand to her side. "If," she bit into the fleshy corner of her bottom lip, "if Katie wasn't going to be alone..." She shook her head. "Sorry. That's... crazy."
Nick closed the distance with one ground-eating step and took her hand again, but with his left instead of his dominant hand.
With his right, he pulled out his phone and opened an App, turning it toward her.
Ruth leaned in to see the screen, but he also explained because there wasn't a lot of light in the house to begin with.
"Our security system is already on. I have security cameras inside. And sound monitors. If Katie woke up or called out, I'd know it in an instant."
Ruth nodded at his words, and as she straightened up, she met his gaze with her own.
"So," she smiled just a hint, "that means that you want to come over for a drink?"
He nodded, but knew that the only streetlight close enough to provide any real light was two houses down. So he'd have to talk to make himself understood. "Yeah, I'm coming over fora drink."
He hadn't expected his voice to deepen right then.
He also didn't anticipate the way his enunciation and tone would make his words seem like a different kind of invitation.
And he certainly didn't imagine that she'd give his hand a slow, warm squeeze.
"Come on over." She took a step toward her house, and he felt her hand tug on his.
What else could he do but follow?
It was different, he told himself, going for a drink at Ruth's house.
The restaurant was busy. The three of them had to lean in to hear each other speak at times.
As fun as it was, it was hard to really relax and get to know each other.
At least on his end.
Katie and Ruth had talked up a storm, and he found himself straining to hear some part of their conversation.
Still, he didn't feel left out as much as he might have.
Off and on, Katie or Ruth would look at him, their glances telling.
Their expressions were entertaining and by the end of the dinner, he'd found himself feeling good.
Warm.
Happy.
Complete.
The sensations made him feel... alive.
Awake.
They walked down the side of Ruth's house and entered the kitchen door that he'd gone in before, casting a look over his shoulder at the gate between their homes.
