She watched him surreptitiously as he turned over a big wooden crate and sat on it. The thing didn’t look like it could take his weight, but after an initial screech of protest, it held. He was close enough to feel intimate, but far enough so she wasn’t hemmed in.
He tapped a bottle of Coors Light against her cup in a toast. Their eyes met only to skitter away.
In between curious glances at him, Uma continued her perusal of the place. It was utterly manly, though not Joey’s sterile version of masculinity: stark, cold, and modern. No, this space was a hodgepodge of things, utilitarian but nonetheless decorative. The curved iron candleholder beside them held a quirky metal shade. The quilt wrapped around her was made up of bits and pieces that had undoubtedly been around the block a few times. No Pottery Barn faux-tiques here.
It was hard to keep her eyes off the man and his odd brand of magnetism. What was it about him? It was impossible to define. She would have called it charisma if he’d been more charming, had smiled or laughed. If he hadn’t had a wool blanket covering half his face.
“Where’s Jessie?” she asked instead of wasting time trying to understand his allure.
“Jessie?”
“She mind you being out here in the middle of the night?”
“Uh, I think she’s okay with it.”
“Wow. That’s nice of her.”
“What’re youtalkin’about?” He screwed up his face. It was the most expressive thing she’d seen him do.
“I wouldn’t want my husband out in a shack in the woods with some strange woman in the middle of the night.”
“You wouldn’t?”
“No. I’d want him right in bed next to me, where he belonged.”
“Hmm.” He nodded, his pursed lips barely peeking out from his beard. “Well, I got a bed right here. If a wife wanted to sleep with me, she’d know where to find me.”
“You stay here?” Uma couldn’t even look at the bed. The idea of it lurking so close behind them, messy and exposed without its quilt, made her flush.
“Yup.”
“What about the house?”
“What about it?”
“You rent it out or something?”
“Nobody stays in my house. I work late. This is easy.”
Umahmphedand turned away from the bed they’d both ended up staring at before realizing what he’d said. “If no one stays in your house, then where’s Jessie?”
“At her house’d be my guess, although I can’t vouch for that. She’s a big girl.”
Oh.She cringed. “She’s not your wife, is she?”
“Nope. Sister.”
“What about the tricycle in the driveway?”
“Saved it from the landfill. Fixed it up for Jessie’s boy, Gabe. Rides a real bike now, so I’m savin’ it for…” He trailed off, then picked up a small, black metal ring from the table beside him, slowly spinning it in his hand. It gave Uma something to look at besides his face. “Nobody comes here. Ever. Besides Squeak and the girls outside, you’re the only one.”
“The girls outside?”
“Cats.”
“Ah. Are they all girls?”
“Nah. Couple of males. But the ladies cause all the trouble.” He suppressed a yawn, then threw her a look that on anyone else would have been pouty. “I gotta bone to pick with you.”
