Page 59 of Roads Behind Us
Bax smirked. “Thanks,” he said, and he sank back down into his chair. “The physical therapist says it’s good for me to do stuff for myself, but I gotta watch out for how I do it. Apparently, I’ve gotten pretty good at usin’ other muscles to protect the broken bone, but they aren’t the muscles I should be usin’.”
Huh. If that wasn’t a perfect metaphor for love after loss, I didn’t know what was.
“You can flip the steaks when they’re ready.”
“Deal,” he said, and he smiled easily. “Um, I didn’t have time today to clean out the extra bedroom. That’ll take me a while. So you’re gonna have to sleep… you know, with me again.”
Showing judge-like restraint as I dropped the first steak onto the rack, I shrugged and said, “I’m fine with that.” But I couldn’t wait to get back up to Bax’s bedroom.
“Rye will probably stay at Aubrey’s house tonight. I could sleep on the couch if you?—”
Without turning to face him, I asked, “Didn’t you like spendin’ the night with me?”
“I did,” he said. “Did you… like it too?”
“Yeah.” I dropped another steak on the grill. It sizzled loudly when meat met hot metal. “So I’ll stay with you again tonight,” I said, but then joked, “but don’t get used to havin’ me in your bed, Bax Lee, ’cause I still haven’t decided if I like you yet.”
Chapter Twenty
Bax
“Our house is done!”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Bea rushed to say when Devo jumped up and down next to the grill like a little kid. “I didn’t say ‘done.’ I said ‘almost done.’”
Abey and Devo arrived shortly after Bea, and they dragged more lawn chairs from the garage to the back yard.
Athena and Shaylene lay on a blanket by the edge of the tree line, bundled up in fleece hoodies, gossiping and looking up at the stars starting to pop in the early evening sky. The way Athena’s hands painted pictures in the air, I was sure they were talking about boys. Or girls. But definitely about the dance she’d been begging me to let her go to with this shady Logan character.
I’d tried to start a fire in the firepit, but Bea was too scared I’d fall in, so she did it herself. It raged now, throwing off heat and sparks and lighting up our little gathering. She’d run into the house to find my slippers so my feet wouldn’t freeze.
How sweet was that?
“Bea,” Devo said, “I distinctly remember the word ‘drywall.’”
Bea laughed. “I did say ‘drywall.’”
“That means practically done.” Devo squealed, and she wrapped her arms around my sister’s waist and squeezed.
“Thank you,” Abey told Bea, slinging her arm over Devo’s shoulder. “Really. We can’t wait to get in there.”
“I haven’t done much,” Bea said. “But you’re welcome.”
“Babe,” Devo said, looking up at Abey with pitiful puppy dog eyes. “I need the credit card. I’ve been makin’ those lists on my phone, and now I gotta order all the stuff! We need curtains and rugs and cleanin’ supplies. Oh, we could pick up that couch you liked and store it at the rental.”
“The rental is smaller than a garage. It won’t fit in there.”
“You’re right. Okay, well, we could store it at the community center.”
“Or, and just hear me out, but why don’t we wait till the house is actually ready and buy the couch then?”
Devo tsked, her excitement waning just a little. “Fine. Aren’t you excited at all?”
“’Course I am,” Abey said. “I can’t wait to live with you in our house on my family’s land. C’mere.” She pulled Devo closer. Devo pushed up on her toes, and they kissed.
Bea looked at the grass, her cheeks pinking softly.
“How do you like your steak?” I asked her.
