“I drove all the way for thenight.”
“You’re going back tomorrow?”
“Yeah. I need to be home by Sunday.”
“Wow. Thanks.” I burrowed my head into his shoulder, fighting the urge to cry. No estate sale after all, and I didn’t care. “I cannot tell you how happy this makes me.”
“You could try.” The smile had disappeared from his voice.
“Thank you, Scott.” I shifted so that we were facing each other squarely. No distance or barriers or odd angles between us. “You’ve made my week. My semester, actually.”
“Then I’m glad I did it.”
It was true. I was really happy to see him, and that wasn’t a slam against college. I loved Newman and all of my classes and friends. But I missed my parents, Lacey, Kimberley.
And Scott.
He had come to me. I got the message. I needed to send one back. “You’ll be gone in less than twenty-four hours. Let’s get started.”
We went to an all-night waffle house, talked nonstop, and never ran out of things to say. Since he saw Lacey and Kimberley around the community college campus, he was able to catch me up on Magnolia Grove news. He’d dropped by the shop to check on my mom. The landscaping business was good. He’d installed another small sustainable project.
I told him a little about me. Professors and assignments. New friends.
We both avoided the subject of dating. I’d gone out with Cal and one other guy. They had both been nice, nothing more. I didn’t want to know if Scott was dating. He was here with me tonight. That’s all I needed to know.
By two AM, he couldn’t hide his yawns.
“What time did you get up yesterday?”
“At dawn.”
“Worked all day and drove here.”
“Yes.”
“My suite has a sofa in the living area. Want to stay there?”
“Won’t your suitemates mind?”
I shook my head. “All gone for the weekend.”
“Let’s go then.”
Scott crashed on the sofa while I took a shower. By the time I was done, he was out of it. I slipped into my bedroom and relived my happy night as sleep claimed me.
A knock at my bedroom door woke me around nine.
“You up?” Scott called in a voice that was entirely too cheery for someone who’d had less than six hours of sleep.
“I’m up now.”
“How quickly can you get dressed?”
“Um...” I bolted out of bed. “I’ll be out in ten.”
“Riiight.”
“I will!”
