My heart does that stupid fluttering thing again. “I do. And…yes. That would be nice. Thank you.”
Why not?I think to myself. It’s just a walk. What harm could it do?
We start walking, Peanut and Butter trotting happily ahead of us. For a while, we walk in silence. It’s not uncomfortable exactly, but I’m hyperaware of him beside me. Of how tall he is. How his arm occasionally brushes against mine when the sidewalk narrows.
“How long have you been living on the island?” he asks.
I glance up at him, a little surprised by the question. “About a year and a half now.”
He nods, his eyes scanning the neighborhood around us. “Do you like it here?”
“I like it well enough,” I say, and it’s the truth. “I mean, I moved to Draig Island because of the job offer. The pay is amazing.” I laugh a little self-consciously. “I’m just a nurse. I wouldn’t make nearly as much on the Mainland, but I do very well here. Salaries are particularly high working at the Vaccination Center.” I shrug. “I wouldn’t make quite as much working at the hospital in town. I mean, the Vaccination Center can be a bit boring sometimes. Still, I’m going to stick with it for a while longer and take on all the extra work I can.”
Grim is quiet for a moment, and I wonder if I said too much. But then he asks, “Do you need the money? Or do you have a plan? A dream you’re working toward?”
The question catches me off guard. It’s…thoughtful and quite personal. Not what I expected from him.
“I do, actually.” I adjust Peanut’s leash as he tries to chase a bird. “Eventually, I want to move back to the Mainland. I want to be able to buy a home there, with a yard for the boys, and start my life properly. It’s something I would have really struggled to achieve if I’d stayed on the Mainland. My family and friends are all there. This is just…” I trail off, searching for the right word. “This is just a stepping stone, you know?”
Even as I say the words, something twinges inside me. A strange sadness I wasn’t expecting.
Because the truth is, I’ve settled in quite nicely here. I like my little house with its white picket fence.
“Having a nice home is important.” He nods a few times.
“And you? I get the feeling that the Vaccination Center is just a stepping stone for you, too?”
He shrugs, his eyes lifting in thought. “I guess it is. I was a little lost. I didn’t know what I wanted to do anymore. I had a solid plan for my future, but sometimes things change. People change. Suddenly, my dream wasn’t my dream anymore. A friend got me the job at the center to give me something to do until I…found myself again.” He gives a humorless laugh. “I sound like a complete pussy. Forget I said any of that.”
I will not. He just opened up to me…a little. I wish I could ask him more about it, but I know I wouldn’t get any more out of him, so I don’t.
“We’re here,” I say, pointing to my house as we turn the corner onto my street. “This is me.”
I stop at the gate, and Peanut and Butter immediately start pulling me toward the front door, ready for their lunch.
“Relax, you two,” I tell them, and they settle. I know it won’t last.
This is it. Time to go inside and get back to work. Back to reality.
But I don’t want to. I’m having a good time.
I could tell Grim I’ve changed my mind about the coffee. That the files can wait. That I’d rather spend time with him.
The words are right there, sitting on the tip of my tongue.
But I don’t say them.
Grim drops down to his haunches in front of my dogs, and they go absolutely crazy, jumping all over him and licking his face. He scratches them behind their ears.
“Bye, Ball,” he says to Peanut. “Bye, Breaker,” he says to Butter.
Despite everything, I laugh.
Then he stands, and suddenly he’s towering over me again. “Have a good weekend, Wren.”
The way he says my name sends a shiver down my spine. He’s so darned cute.
“You too, Grim,” I manage.
