Page 23 of A Christmas Mystery

“Now my truck is going to smell like beer forever.” I sigh, hating the idea of it. Chris was killed by a drunk driver. I wasn’t around during the accident and have no idea if beer was involved, but I still haven’t drunk beer since.

“We’re close enough to my place to walk. You can shower and change there so the smell doesn’t get into your car.”

I look at him, relieved by the suggestion but wondering if he thinks I’m overreacting. After all, it’s just beer. Not the end of the world. “You don’t mind?”

“Of course not. Why would I? We’ll head over to my place, and when you’re ready, I’ll walk you back to your truck.”

“That’s a lot of wasted time for you.”

“I’ve got no plans for the rest of the day.” He meets my eyes, and I can see he’s serious. He doesn’t think I’m being silly, and he doesn’t mind taking the time.

“Okay. Thanks. I haven’t been able to deal with the smell of beer since Chris died.”

“I get it. I don’t mind. Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

Five

IT’S ALMOST FOUR INthe afternoon when we get to Theo’s place. I’m tired from a weird day and slightly nauseated from smelling beer for so long. It’s a relief to step into his bathroom and pull off my dress.

Even my boots smell like beer. And I can’t just throw those into the laundry.

Reminding myself it’s not really that big a deal—things like this happen—I get into the shower and stay under the spray for longer than normal.

I even wash my hair in case it smells too. Theo uses bath soap, but it’s not fancy. It smells pleasant. Exactly the way you expect soap to smell. And his shampoo is good quality but also basic. Made to tame thick hair.

I smile when I read the bottle. I always suspected he wasn’t fond of his thick, wavy hair. He used to cut it really short, and now it looks like he’s always fighting to keep it smooth.

His shampoo will work fine on my hair. It smells like him.

Feeling a lot better after I’m done with the shower, I dry off and pull on the old gray sweatshirt and black sweatpants he gave me to put on. I’m tall enough that the clothes aren’t ridiculously long for me, but they’re definitely too big. I feel kind of like a little girl in adult clothes, but it’s better than smelling like beer.

I braid my hair quickly into one thick, wet plait and then come out into the living room, where Theo is sitting on a stool at his kitchen counter bar.

His face changes when he sees me. He doesn’t smile, but his expression softens almost imperceptibly. “You feel better?”

“Yeah. Thanks. Sorry for the freak-out.”

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