Page 90 of 1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Forty-Seven

“You’re leaving Sunday?”

“Yeah. I’ll have to pack up my stuff early morning. I need time to get re-settled and into work on Monday.”

She hooked her leg over his ankle, rubbing her calf over his hair-roughened skin. “Are you looking forward to getting back to your kingdom?”

He chuckled, absently stroking her hair. “Sure. I think I’m still off about the Mac thing. I need to talk to him.”

“I’m sure you’ll work it out.”

He turned his head and held her gaze. “You knew the whole time, didn’t you? That he’d hate it.”

She pressed her lips together. “I did tell you.”

“Yeah, you did. I guess I thought the bigger vision of Vintage was what he wanted..”

“There’s nothing wrong with trying to help family, Jameson. I just think you got tangled up with your own dreams without realizing it.”

He didn’t speak for a while, and his soothing motions lulled her into relaxation. “Maybe you’re right, flower girl. I do know since I met you, everything I believed is suddenly in question.”

“I won’t apologize for that, restaurant boy.”

“Don’t want you to.”

“So, we agree to take this long distance and see what happens?”

He cupped her chin and pressed his forehead to hers. “Yes. Because I—” he cut himself off, swallowing his next words. She searched his gaze for the truth but the raw flicker of emotion had been firmly banked. “I care about you.”

She took what he gave her and pushed down her own confession. “I care about you, too.”

Then he kissed her and they were silent for a long time.

Two days later, he’d be gone.

* * * *

Jameson got dressed and left Devon sleeping. Bear perked up and trotted after him, squeezing into the small kitchen while he made coffee. “Don’t shake your head, beast. You’ll get hair in my mug.”

Bear pulled back his drooly lips and grinned.

He laughed, patting him on his giant head that had crashed through Mac’s screen door last week. Guess he’d believed it was open, so Jameson would take the blame on that one. He fed him breakfast and fresh water, which was gobbled up in seconds. “Ready?”

Bear wagged his tail and bounded to the door, wriggling his butt. Jameson clipped on his leash and they headed out.

They walked in companiable silence, content with their morning routine. Jameson liked his time with Bear now. It was as if he was able to connect with another part of himself with the dog that he’d never known existed. But it was time to have the talk so he stopped at a bench to sit and Bear obediently sat beside him.

“I’m leaving Sunday to go back to New York, beast. And you’re going to a new place, too, on Monday. You may get nervous and you may not like it at first. Change is hard, believe me. But I know the people at the shelter—Judith and Devon—they know what’s best. You need space and can’t be cooped up in a New York loft with me gone all the time. And Devon’s apartment is the same, it’s not fair to you.”

Jameson studied the dog’s face. Bear cocked his head, seeming to listen.

“I really didn’t like you at first. I’m not a dog person. But you won me over. You’re a good dog, Bear. And I’m really going to miss you, more than you know.”

Those big, soulful brown eyes stared into his, and Jameson imagined there was understanding there.

And love.

His throat tightened. “That’s it. Wanna take a dump in that weed spot you like?”

Bear jumped up, ready to go.

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