She hip-checked me. “I thought you wanted Christmas to be perfect.”
Brenna still didn’t get that we could sit in an empty house, no decorations, eating four-day-old spaghetti, and it would have been perfect for me. Being withheris what mattered. I would do anything to make the holiday what she wanted.
“Let’s load it up!” I waved my hand in a circle above my head.
Brenna cheered, briefly throwing her arms around my neck before darting off to find an employee. It took three people to strap the tree to the car, hopefully securing it tight enough totravel home. Brenna and I would have one hell of a time getting it into our house.
She eyed the tree jutting out over the windshield. “Was this a bad idea?”
I shifted the car into gear. “Don’t tell me you’ve given up on our mission for a perfect holiday already?”
She bit her lip. “How are we going to decorate this thing? We don’t have money to throw around right now.”
“It’s good I didn’t listen tosomeonewho told me to clear out all the boxes in the basement.” I winked at her. “I kept the Christmas stuff hidden for just this occasion, along with a few other things you might be interested in.”
She snorted. “To decorate the big ass tree I demanded?”
“Demandis such a strong word.”
Brenna shook her head, lip ensnared in her teeth. “Who evenareyou? Two months ago, there was a permanent scowl on your face.” She, poorly, imitated my expression, brows bunched together, eyes comically squinted into slits, lips pinched into a pout.
I sputtered. “I have never made that face in my life.”
“You’re right, it’s more like this,” she said, contorting her face into something that resembled constipation.
“Bren, are you trying to get me to crash the car?”
“Of course not.” She shifted in her seat until she faced forward again, but I could hear a smile in her voice.
We drove slowly along back roads for a few minutes, the faint sound of Christmas music playing in the background.
“Nathan.” Her serious voice.
“Yeah?”
“What’s going to happen after we get an offer?”
This was the question neither of us voiced these last few weeks. I spent most of the time hoping no one would want to buyour house so we could exist here a bit longer. Stay together for as long as we needed to figure out what this last month meant.
I wasn’t in a rush to get back for the upcoming baseball season, not with my shoulder bothering me. I still hadn’t heard whether the Blitz were inviting me to spring training for a shot at the major league team, or if they’d keep me with my current team, the Triple-A Sharks. I didn’t yet know if they’d bring me back at all. The end of the season hadn’t been my strongest, not with my arm troubles. If I hadn’t been sharing a bed with Brenna, the thought would’ve kept me awake at night.
“I don’t know, Bren,” I answered honestly.
“Shouldn’t we figure it out?”
“Yeah, we should. But not today. Unless you want to miss out on what I have planned next.”
She perked up. “There’s anext?”
“This would be a terrible date if there weren’t.”
“No,” she said quietly, reaching for my hand. “That’s not true.”
I clasped her hand in my palm, so fucking grateful for this day with her. I’d stretch out this date as long as possible, for our entire lives if I could.
34
BRENNA
