memorial service at the funeral home chapel. Her mother felt strongly about inviting some friends and other relatives, so she and her father gave in and started making calls.
Claire studied her mother while she was on the phone to some acquaintance or another. For the most part they’d patched up their relationship since Claire had become an adult, so they were on much better terms than they had been while she was growing up. Since the divorce her mother had been so preoccupied with her new husband and babies, she’d only kept in touch with Claire through phone calls and the occasional visit, which Claire had hated initially because it felt like her half-siblings had stolen her mother from her. The woman hadn’t been there for Danny since the day she’d walked out of their lives, and part of Claire resented her for being here now. She tried to reason with herself that no matter how things had deteriorated between them over the years, Danny had been her first child. It didn’t help. Her mother showing up and taking over today didn’t magically erase everything she’d put them all through.
Toward dinnertime everything caught up with her and Claire started to fade. Her mother was going on about what kind of flowers to order for the service and what sort of sandwiches to have at the reception, and Claire couldn’t care less. “Whatever you want, mom. Let’s just get this done so we can go home and get some sleep. Tomorrow’s gonna be a tough day.” She was dreading it already. It was all too fresh, she wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Danny forever.
She was sitting on her father’s front room couch with Gage when she gave up trying to stifle her yawns. Without a word he draped a heavy arm around her shoulders and tugged her close. She sighed at the feel of those warm, solid muscles bracing her. Within seconds of resting her head on his shoulder, she was asleep. The next thing she knew, he was urging her upright.
“What time is it?” she blurted, glancing around. Her mother and stepfather were gone, so it was just her, Gage and her father. The TV was on, an action flick they’d all seen before.
“Just after eight,” Gage answered. “Let’s get you home.” He pulled her to her feet and she didn’t protest. Once in the truck, instead of taking her home he drove to her favorite takeout place and paid for their dinner. They ate together at her kitchen table in an easy silence. When everything was cleaned up and there were no more arrangements to be taken care of she wasn’t sure what to do with herself, but she knew she didn’t want to be alone yet.
“Want to watch a movie or something?” she asked him.
He shook his head. “You’re dead on your feet. Go on to bed.”
A taut silence stretched out between them and she didn’t know how to fill it. Did she invite him to her bed again? Because she knew she’d never be able to keep her hands off him, exhausted or not, and there was always the chance he’d reject her outright if she touched him.
She cleared her throat. “Do you—”
“I’ll take the couch.”
She hid a flinch at the finality in his tone. “Sure. I’ll grab you some blankets.” Going to the linen closet upstairs gave her a minute alone to think. She couldn’t read him. Had no idea what was going on in his head. Very unlike Gage, who’d always been so open with her.
If she’d lost him for good, it was her own damn fault, she thought angrily. A different kind of grief seeped into her, leaving her cold and empty.
Carrying a pillow and some blankets, she made her way downstairs to find that he’d already pulled the back cushions off the couch. It was long enough to fit his tall frame if he curled up a bit, and without the back cushions he’d have plenty of room. She wished she had an extra bed to offer him but she’d turned the guestroom into an office when she’d moved in. She didn’t bother offering him her room because she knew he’d turn her down flat and get
Claire studied her mother while she was on the phone to some acquaintance or another. For the most part they’d patched up their relationship since Claire had become an adult, so they were on much better terms than they had been while she was growing up. Since the divorce her mother had been so preoccupied with her new husband and babies, she’d only kept in touch with Claire through phone calls and the occasional visit, which Claire had hated initially because it felt like her half-siblings had stolen her mother from her. The woman hadn’t been there for Danny since the day she’d walked out of their lives, and part of Claire resented her for being here now. She tried to reason with herself that no matter how things had deteriorated between them over the years, Danny had been her first child. It didn’t help. Her mother showing up and taking over today didn’t magically erase everything she’d put them all through.
Toward dinnertime everything caught up with her and Claire started to fade. Her mother was going on about what kind of flowers to order for the service and what sort of sandwiches to have at the reception, and Claire couldn’t care less. “Whatever you want, mom. Let’s just get this done so we can go home and get some sleep. Tomorrow’s gonna be a tough day.” She was dreading it already. It was all too fresh, she wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Danny forever.
She was sitting on her father’s front room couch with Gage when she gave up trying to stifle her yawns. Without a word he draped a heavy arm around her shoulders and tugged her close. She sighed at the feel of those warm, solid muscles bracing her. Within seconds of resting her head on his shoulder, she was asleep. The next thing she knew, he was urging her upright.
“What time is it?” she blurted, glancing around. Her mother and stepfather were gone, so it was just her, Gage and her father. The TV was on, an action flick they’d all seen before.
“Just after eight,” Gage answered. “Let’s get you home.” He pulled her to her feet and she didn’t protest. Once in the truck, instead of taking her home he drove to her favorite takeout place and paid for their dinner. They ate together at her kitchen table in an easy silence. When everything was cleaned up and there were no more arrangements to be taken care of she wasn’t sure what to do with herself, but she knew she didn’t want to be alone yet.
“Want to watch a movie or something?” she asked him.
He shook his head. “You’re dead on your feet. Go on to bed.”
A taut silence stretched out between them and she didn’t know how to fill it. Did she invite him to her bed again? Because she knew she’d never be able to keep her hands off him, exhausted or not, and there was always the chance he’d reject her outright if she touched him.
She cleared her throat. “Do you—”
“I’ll take the couch.”
She hid a flinch at the finality in his tone. “Sure. I’ll grab you some blankets.” Going to the linen closet upstairs gave her a minute alone to think. She couldn’t read him. Had no idea what was going on in his head. Very unlike Gage, who’d always been so open with her.
If she’d lost him for good, it was her own damn fault, she thought angrily. A different kind of grief seeped into her, leaving her cold and empty.
Carrying a pillow and some blankets, she made her way downstairs to find that he’d already pulled the back cushions off the couch. It was long enough to fit his tall frame if he curled up a bit, and without the back cushions he’d have plenty of room. She wished she had an extra bed to offer him but she’d turned the guestroom into an office when she’d moved in. She didn’t bother offering him her room because she knew he’d turn her down flat and get
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