“Idowant you there. I’ll feel better if you’re there. I mean, if youwant to come.” She put her hand on his arm. “Just come, Tom. It’ll only be weird at the start.”
He laughed out a breath. Less hollow than before. Much less cold. “Okay.” He laughed again, shaking his head. “Yeah, all right.”
“You’re coming?”
“Yeah. Yeah. I’ll come. You know...” He squinted at her. “Unless you change your mind. Just tell me if you wake up tomorrow morning and can’t believe you invited me.”
“That’s not going to happen—that’s like inverted Scrooge. Don’tyouchangeyourmind. Don’t have second thoughts.”
“Well...” Tom stood up.
“Are you getting out of my hair?”
He glanced back at her. Their eyes met.
“That’s what you say every time you leave,” Cherry said.
Tom’s eyebrows twitched down, but he didn’t say anything—just went to get his coat from the kitchen.
Cherry got up, too.
Stevie hauled herself up off the dining room floor to follow them. When they got to the foyer, the dog started walking up the stairs. Tom watched her go.
“She puts herself to bed these days,” Cherry explained.
“You’re letting her sleep with you?”
Cherry shrugged. “All her bad habits are your problem now. I’m going to start letting her eat bacon directly off my plate.”
Tom snorted. “Great, thanks.”
She smiled up at him.
“Are we driving together tomorrow?” he asked.
“In for an inch.”
“I’ll come early and walk Stevie.”
“Eleven?”
“Sounds good.” He opened the door and looked back at her, over his arm. “Good night, Cherry.”
“Good night, Tom.”
Chapter 50
Yesterday, 9:15 PM
Russ Sutton
Merry Christmas, Cherry.
Russ Sutton
I think about you. A lot. Often. And I’d love a chance to talk to you again.
Russ Sutton
