“Why did you want to leave?” He gave my shoulder a squeeze.
I swiped his hand and kissed it, and he took a step toward me rather than getting in the car. “I could tell you were ready to go.” I shrugged.
Micah leaned in and brushed his lips over mine in a long, sweet kiss that had my stomach feeling warm. Happiness bounced around in my chest.
“Thank you,” he said.
“You don’t need to thank me for taking care of you.” I gestured at his seat, and he sank down into the car. I closed the door and went around to my side, and the second I was behind the wheel I turned on the heat. I was just starting to make my way along the slippery streets when his phone rang.
He let the annoying chirping go for a while, and I glanced at him as he stared at his phone like it might bite him.
“What are you doing?”
“My ex is calling.” He glanced at me, face stark like he’d seen a ghost. “She never calls.”
“Maybe it’s an emergency?”
He bit his lip, and I wished I wasn’t driving so I could give him a hug.
The phone started to ring again, and he answered the call but didn’t put it to his ear.
“Hello?” A tinny woman’s voice was loud enough for me to hear, and I couldn’t take the suspense. I reached over and snatched the phone out of his hand.
“You’re driving!” Micah said, but I shook my head at him and glared at the road.
“It’s fine.”
“Who is this?” the woman on the other end asked, her surprised tone shrill.
“My name is Yukio. Who are you?”
“Candy,” she said, voice mellowing. “My father-in-law said Micah was dating a man! I call Micah’s dad every year to wish him Merry Christmas and invite him to dinner, since Micah doesn’t cook much and his father is getting older. I thought he was starting to get dementia or something, but here we are. He doesn’t hang out with a lot of people, Micah, I mean. Are you the boyfriend, then?”
“That mean old bastard didn’t just say Micah was dating a man. He said something a lot nastier than that. And he’s your father-in-law? Aren’t you divorced from Micah?” I frowned at the road and slowed down as the snowflakes flew by faster.
“It’s habit,” she said softly. “Of course, we’re divorced. I’m also remarried. Can I talk to Micah?”
“Only if you’re nice.” I couldn’t help that I sounded unpleasant.
She laughed. “Okay, I like you. I will be.”
Micah took the phone from me, and as soon as it hit his ear he began nodding, even though Candy couldn’t see him. I was starting to get irritated because his face scrunched up into a frown until a “congratulations” that was so loud I could hear it came out of the phone.
Micah smiled. “Yes, thanks. I am happy.”
After another minute he said goodbye and ended the call.
He let out a long sigh and stared between the phone and passenger window. I locked the controls so he couldn’t toss the phone out because it seemed like he was considering it. “She told me she was happy for me. I’m convinced she was drinking. She’s never nice to me.”
I chuckled. “Take your wins. Does she call often?”
He shook his head. “No. I think she was just curious. I try to stay on good terms with her for Alex’s sake.”
As I continued driving in silence, I contemplated his ex. He’d had a whole life before he met me. I’d thought if I’d ever talked to her I would be jealous because she’d had Micah first. She’d had a kid with him, but the way he’d looked at that phone and how he hadn’t wanted to speak to her.... I felt nothing except happy I was here to support him when he needed me. I tickled the side of his cheek.
“Drive! Hands on the wheel!” He pointed ahead of us.
I grinned. It was bad out, but I’d learned how to handle the snow last year, so I wasn’t worried. Not long later I pulled the Boxter into his driveway unscathed, and we got out together. I held his hand on the way to the door and glanced up at the sky with a grin.
