Asher looks like he’s about to start drooling, the pizza boxes clutched in a death grip. “Let’s eat in the common room,” he grunts, turning away. “There’s a game on.” Marco and Ryan are quick on his heels, but Gracie heads in my direction.
“Hey, stranger.” She comes straight into my arms, looping hers around my waist in a tight hug. I bury my nose in her hair, letting everything drain away at the comforting feel of her.
“Rumpel,” I say softly. “Missed you today.”
Gracie makes a low noise before she pulls back, nose scrunched up like she’s fighting off a sneeze. Before I canpull her back into me, Theo appears behind us, exiting the gym.
“Hey, Gracie,” she greets, coming to stand at my side, bumping her shoulder against mine. Gracie watches the movement, her brows twitching, but her eyes lift to Theo when she says, “Cherise was asking after you the other day. She read that book you recommended, and wanted to know what she should read next.”
Gracie’s expression softens at the mention of Theo’s wife. “Analise has been slacking on book recommendations,” she says lightly, and I groan, making her smile. If there’s one thing I can live without knowing, it’s my sister’s taste in books. “But I know this great new and pre-loved bookstore in Boston that sells blind dates with a book.”
“Blind dates with a book?” I ask with amusement. “What does that even mean?”
“Cherise won’t care,” Theo interjects. “Anything that involves a book in her hands makes her happy.” She scrunches her nose up. “Won’t use an e-reader, though.” She heads off toward the common room, muttering something that sounds like, “Waste of a Christmas present.”
Once she’s gone, I drag Gracie closer to me, leaning down to plant a lingering kiss on her mouth. She doesn’t hesitate, sinking into me as her lips part against the onslaught, our tongues tangling as her hands slide up my shoulders and around my neck.
She pulls back, eyes dazed, giving me a crooked smile. “Don’t start something you can’t finish.”
I’m confused until I realize my hand has snuck down to grab a palmful of her ass through her thick leggings. I don’t let go, not straight away, kneading her as my lips tip up wickedly.
“I can finish,” I say. “Probably faster than I should be bragging about.”
Her eyes flare before she throws her head back in alaugh. I can’t help myself, cutting the beautiful sound off as I dip down to steal another kiss.
“Come on,” she says breathlessly. “We better go eat. Asher can probably eat at least three of those pizzas on his own, and I’ve seen Ryan put away a burger. The guy is basically a garbage disposal with teeth.”
“Let me just take this off.” I shrug out of my jacket, walking away to hang it up. “I’m glad you were able to come by tonight. How was your day at the shop?”
She blows out a loud breath. “It was nonstop today, and I have no idea why. Usually, December dies down a little bit, at least until Christmas. But Maryann is back next week, and has already promised me and Bridget that she’s changing the schedule to give us extra days off for the rest of the month.”
When I reach her side again, I use my thumbs to rub the dark smudges under her eyes. I can’t remember the last time I looked at her and those marks weren’t there, and worry flows through me.
“I’m glad,” I murmur. “You deserve the time off.”
“Me?” she asks disbelievingly. “Says the guy who’s picking up extra shifts here, there, and everywhere.” She tilts her head, expression open. There’s nothing accusatory there, but the hit still lands when she says, “I feel like I barely see you.”
“I know. This whole month has just been…” I shake my head, hooking an arm around her neck and pulling her into my body. “There is something I wanted to tell you.”
She hums against my chest, pressing her cheek right where my heart is beating just a little too hard. “What’s up?”
I slick my tongue over my top teeth, glad her eyes aren’t on me. “I’ve got an appointment on Wednesday with a counselor. Over in Ashland.” She stiffens in my arms, trying to pull back, but I don’t let her. “There was anaccident a couple of weeks ago, and the chief wants me to talk to someone about it.”
There’s a stilted pause. “What accident?”
My shoulders go tight, even though I anticipated the question. “Not tonight, baby. Okay? Maybe after this counseling session, but…I can’t go there. Not yet.”
Gracie’s hands find the hem of my shirt, sliding up and pressing her palms into the bare skin of my back. Her fingers are freezing, and I gasp, arching away from the touch, but she just follows the movement. I glance down to catch the quirk of her mouth, but it’s gone as fast as it comes.
“Okay,” she murmurs hesitantly. “But you know I’m here for you, right? I didn’t even know…” The brightness of her expression has faded into something tentative, and my gut sours.
“I know,” I say, and I do. I can’t lean on her, though. She’ll take on everything I’m feeling—the rage, the helplessness…theguilt. Gracie is dealing with so much, and I don’t want her to be thinking about me when I just want her to have the kind of Christmas she always missed out on growing up.
I’m saved from saying anything else when my stomach rumbles loudly, and a startled laugh bursts out of her. “It sounds like your body is about to start eating itself.”
“Only a slight exaggeration,” I deadpan, nudging her with my hip. “Come on. Let’s go have some pizza.”
In the common room, Theo and Ryan are sitting at the small games table with two pizza boxes, while Asher and Marco have commandeered an armchair each, leaving the couch for us. They’ve all got their eyes fixed on the television, riveted by the ice hockey game currently happening. The other three pizza boxes are splayed out over the coffee table, one empty save for a couple of crusts.
