“A sometimes house,” she said.
“Yeah,” he whispered. “I’d love for you to go with me, sometimes, to that sometimes house. But I understand you have the store.”
Mae swallowed.
“I have employees now.”
“Yeah?” His eyes twinkled.
“Yeah. I mean, I’m definitely not ready to leave this place to Karizma and Zekequiteyet, and Karizma will have her baby, but?—”
“Wait, Zeke who used to work at the bank?”
“Yeah. I guess he’s bored with retirement. He’s only here a day or two a week. But his wife sends me thank you emails like, all the time.”
Dell’s smile deepened. “Zeke’s a good guy.”
“Yeah. Dell, I would love to visit the UP with you.”
His thumbs caressed her cheeks, eyes growing thoughtful.
“Can you help me get out of Greyfin Bay more in general? Not just when I need to visit Georgia, and…probably not back to Portland, at least not a lot. I might not ever be fully okay, going back there, but I’m going to work on it. I also can’t guarantee I won’t ever throw a mug at your head again, and I am so deeply sorry about that. But…”
Dell swallowed. Mae tracked the movement in his throat, forced herself to not lean forward and kiss it.
“Going to other places. Like maybe one day we could drive to the California border and back, just for the hell of it. Things like that. So I know I’m not hiding here. If that makes sense.”
“Yeah,” Mae whispered, eyes somehow refilling with tears. She was going to be so dehydrated. “Yeah, Dell. To all of it.”
He smiled at her again. His eyes were calm. She tried, again, to take a full breath.
“Georgia’s really okay?”
And Mae knew she was when Dell rolled his eyes.
“Yeah. For now anyway. Other than her threatening me with bodily harm daily if I didn’t get out of her house and back to you.”
Mae bit her lip. “I think I like this mom of yours.”
“Yeah.” Dell moved forward, shuffling Mae fully against the counter. Slotting their bodies fully against each other. “I actually would’ve been here earlier, if snowstorms didn’t keep getting in my way.”
Mae stared at Dell’s mouth.
“Welcome back to the home of forever rain,” she said.
“I have never been happier to be here.”
And when he leaned in this time, she didn’t stop him.
The feel of his lips, the scratch of his beard, the touch of his tongue. His belly against hers, his sweatshirt underneath her fingertips.
I missed you, she kissed him.
Thank you for coming home,she kissed him.
Welcome to our store,she kissed him.
And he kissed her back: an affirmation. An ember.
