Sam sighed. “No promises about the awake thing. But, I'll scoop out as many leaves as possible before then,” he murmured as he got up.
“The net’s in the shed,” I called after him. He flashed me a peace sign before disappearing out the sliding door that lead to the backyard.
“Henny and Finny are on snack run duty,” Lincoln instructed.
“Actually,” Henrik interrupted with a raised hand. “I have a thing.”
Lincoln’s smile fell. “A thing?”
Henrik gave Lincoln a wink. “Yeah. A thing.”
Lincoln wasn’t charmed in the slightest. “Okay. How long is your thing?”
Henrik shrugged. “Twenty-three or thirty-four.”
“What is that? Minutes? Hours? Miles? Brunch orders?”
“Bunch orders?” I asked under my breath.
“It’s one of their many things,” Finn whispered. His voice made my heart flutter. I hadn’t realized how close he was standing. “Don’t ask, you don’t want to know.”
“Maybe forty-seven.” Henrik shrugged.
Lincoln gave him a disbelieving look. “Fine. Whatever. Just don’t be late. This is supposed to be a bonding opportunity for everyone.”
“I will be home in time for bonding,” Henrik promised. He smiled at Finn and me before exiting the room.
“Alright, that leaves you two for snacks…” Lincoln twisted his mouth to the side when his gaze fell on Finn and me. “I would go too, but I have to see a guy about a rooster and another guy about some brownies. So, you good?”
Translation, did Finn want to spend that amount of time with me? The closest grocery store was a twenty-five-minute drive with decent traffic.
Finn nodded. “Yeah. I can do that. Is that okay with you?”
They both looked at me. Lincoln with praying hands and Finn with a tight jaw. I suppose I could push off my stream for an hour or so. It would be healthy for me to participate in an offline activity. And maybe work on breaking apart the ice with Finn.
“Give me a second to grab a jacket?” I asked Finn.
“Of course," he said with a—I dare say—almost smile? I grinned up at him because I was getting closer to that moment. I could feel it in my bones.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Finn
Naomiwouldn’tletmetouch the shopping cart until she wiped it clean. She was a stickler for disinfectant. I watched her hurry around the cart, scrubbing the steel with a wet wipe. The air smelt of alcohol and lime by the time she was finished. Her wipes were homemade and she seemed excited about how well they cleaned. I loved the pleased smile on her lips when she finished. She looked so satisfied.
“Sorry about that. I only get like this when I’m grocery shopping.” She glanced in my direction, looking a little sheepish. “I go a little overboard but…well, this entire process makes me uncomfortable. So many surfaces and so little wipes, you know?”
“Why didn’t you say before? I could’ve come alone.” I grabbed the cart’s handlebars and started toward the grocery store’s entrance. The place was crowded today. It’d probably take us an hour to get out of here with how long the checkout lines were. On a typical day, that would’ve annoyed the shit out of me. Today, it felt like a small win. Longer lines meant more time with Naomi. It gave me more chances to see if our kiss was a step in the right or wrong direction.
She’d been avoiding me for the past week. I think. I couldn’t be sure because I’d been doing the same. The longer I held off, the longer I had to make sure my confession to her was perfect. It gave me too much time to ruminate on every decision I’d made up to this point.
“No one should have to go to this store alone. It’s chaos incarnate.” Naomi stayed close to my side. She grabbed hold of the cart too, placing one hand next to mine. I glanced down, enjoying the closeness. I don’t think her helping me steer was a conscious decision. Naomi seemed too taken with fruit displays and signs for clearance items to notice her grip on the steel bar.
“Ooh, should we get some gluten-free options?” She pointed down one aisle. “Any of your teammates have intolerances?”
I shrugged. “Probably. I don’t know.”
“Let’s do it. It can’t hurt.” She guided me down the aisle. As we walked, she rambled about her favorite gluten-free and dairy-free snacks. I listened, staying quiet as she talked. No matter what Naomi talked about, it’d be a shame to interrupt. She could give a five-hour lecture on the rise of lactose intolerances, and I’d happily give her my full attention. Listening to her talk on stream didn’t hold a candle to hearing her in person.
