“No problem.” My gray sweatpants almost matched hers. I scratched the back of my neck. “I, uh, don’t have anything planned.”
She lifted the tote she brought. “Sparkling apple juice and Oreos.”
“I can’t think of a better way to celebrate a new start.” I took the tote from her. “Make yourself comfortable.”
In the kitchen, I retrieved a couple of glasses and napkins. I didn’t have champagne flutes, but this would work for sparkling juice.
She was sitting on her normal side of the couch, and a beat of nostalgia went through me. Like usual, I kept all my feelings to myself. That was a lot to put on Clover when she was getting back on her feet.
I handed her a glass, and she held it up until I sat.
“To new beginnings,” she said, lifting it higher.
“Hear, hear.” I clinked my cup to hers.
She folded her legs under her as she drank.
“Good stuff,” I said as I swallowed. I barely noticed the sweet liquid. Her cheeks were still pink from coming in from the cold, and it made her radiant. Her halo of hair would be soft if I ran my hands through it.
“I don’t know if I can go back to champagne. I really like this stuff.”
“I never drank much of it either.”
She wiggled to face me, and my attention stuck on her chest. Her tits were bigger too. I skated my gaze away. “Are you ready for your trip?”
“Yes.” I hadn’t packed a damn thing. “The weather forecast looks good.”
“I’m sure Denver is pretty nice. You gonna go anywhere fun while you’re there?”
“Just a work trip for me. What would you do if you could go?”
“Oh, that’s easy.” She grabbed an Oreo and held it up with a flourish. “Hello? Look for rocks.” She punctuated the air with her cookie. “I heard jasper is hard to find, but it only makes me want to look more. And that area is known for fossils.”
“Now you’re into archaeology?”
“When fossils are in rocks, I am.” She chomped into her cookie. I grabbed one to keep from staring at her. What would it be like to go to Denver with her? To have her next to me on the plane? To watch her wonder as she got a glimpse of the city?
I turned the TV on. “Do you want to watch the ball drop an hour early?”
“Let’s celebrate twice.”
Taking our normal spots on either side of the couch, we watched New Year’s celebrations all over the world, eating cookies and polishing off the juice. She’d yawn and blink when she thought I wasn’t looking, and I’d smirk at her. I was tired too, and it was nice to be sleepy with someone next to me. With Clover.
A minute before midnight, she stood up and gestured for me to do the same.
She grabbed my hand, and dammit, I held on tight. I hadn’t touched her in too damn long.
She squeezed and let out a little squeal. “We’re getting close.”
I gripped her fingers in mine. “Ten.”
“Nine.”
“Eight!”
“Seven.” I stroked my thumb along her soft skin.
“Six,” she said a little quieter, aiming that big gaze right toward me.
