“The owner of that house called,” she said. “I can’t move in until at least January fourth, because they have to dig up all the pipes in the front yard to find the leak.”
“Oh no.” Adam arrived in front of her, her open door still separating them. He reached for her, and she moved sideways. He closed her door and brought her flush againsthis chest. “I don’t think it’s a sign that you shouldn’t move out.”
“No?” She buried her face against the fuzziness of his coat. “You don’t think so?” She sniffled, feeling weak and ridiculous.
“Not at all,” he said. “Sometimes bad things happen, and it’s completely outside of our control. You should just be glad it’s not your house that has to have the front yard dug up.”
She chuckled, though she wasn’t feeling very happy.
“Why did you drive up here?” he asked.
“I don’t know.” She leaned back and looked at him. “I just started driving, and this is where I ended up.”
He smiled at her and leaned down, barely touching the tip of his nose to hers. “I’m really glad my meeting ran late, then. I was pretty irritated about it.”
“I can only imagine,” she whispered, breathing in the scent of his cologne and the crisp cottonness of his clothing.
“I don’t feel like going shopping today,” she said. “Maybe we can drive down the northern highway and get some brisket and then just come back here and watch movies.”
“Is that what you do when you’re upset?” he asked. “Brisket and movies?”
Joey grinned at him. “Yes—or a coffee, a bean bag, and a book.”
“You’re going to love what I got for you then.” He took her hand and led her into the garage, and then up the few steps into the house. He had a proper mudroomoff his garage, and he removed his coat and hung it on a hook, then took hers from her and did the same.
“You got something for me?” she asked.
Adam was always buying her thoughtful gifts, and some of her hopelessness faded away.
“Yep, come see.”
He led her through his expansive kitchen, and past the big dining room table, and through the living room. He started down the hall, and Joey’s eyebrows raised.
He led her into the first bedroom on the left and said, “Ta da,” as he gestured toward an enormous pink bean bag that had been stuffed into the corner of the room.
Joey blinked at it, not quite believing her eyes.
“This room has such great light,” he said. “From the big front windows, and I ordered a bookcase, but it’s not here yet. I thought we could put it together on Christmas Day, and this could be your book nook.”
She turned away from the most glorious thing anyone had ever gotten her and looked at him. “You got me a pink bean bag?”
“Yes,” he said. “And did you see the TV tray?”
He took a couple more steps into the room and indicated the solid wood tray that barely rose over the edge of the bean bag. “I thought it would hold your snacks and a drink.”
Embarrassingly, Joey began to cry, and when Adam turned back to her, the pure, pure joy on his face melted into a frown.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I thought this would be nice.”
“It’s amazing,” Joey said, and she took the few steps tohim and grabbed on to him in a hard, tight hug. “I love it. Thank you.”
He stroked her hair and simply held her, and when Joey didn’t feel like she might fall apart, she let go of him and looked up. She wasn’t sure why he’d decided to make a book nook for her in his house. She didn’t live here, and as she searched his face, she felt herself falling more and more in love with him.
He leaned down and touched his mouth to hers in a sweet, chaste, surely-meant-to-be-comforting kiss. She allowed that for a moment, and then quickly took things deeper, hoping to let him know of her quickening feelings.
They broke apart, and Adam exhaled heavily. “I know you can’t move in here with me,” he said. “But I wanted you to know that that’s where I want you.”
Joey pulled away and searched his face again. He gave her a small smile that was about as timid as Adam ever got.
