Page 25 of Viking
“Beer?”he asked as we moved toward the living room.
“Yes, please.”The evening had cooled, but the day’s tension still clung to my shoulders.A beer sounded perfect.
Viking retrieved two bottles from the refrigerator, popped the caps with practiced ease, and joined me on the couch.Unlike my small loveseat at home, his couch was oversized leather, deep enough that my feet barely touched the floor.We sat with a cushion between us, but the space felt intimate nonetheless.
“She had fun today,” Viking said, nodding toward Athena’s room.“Saw her smiling with Savior’s kid.”
“I know.I couldn’t believe it.”I took a sip of beer, savoring the cold bitterness.“That’s the first time she’s been around another child since I got her.I’m not sure if she had friends before this or not.”
“Kids are resilient.”
“That’s what Leah said.”I traced the label on my bottle with my thumb.“I hope it’s true.”
“It is.I’ve seen it.”He shifted, turning slightly to face me.“They aren’t my stories to tell, but some of the kids here aren’t the biological kids of their parents.They’ve overcome far worse than losing a parent.Abuse.Neglect.And much worse.But they came here, found people willing to put in the time and effort to help them, and now you’d never know about the darkness they battled.”
I studied his profile, the strong line of his jaw half-hidden by his beard, the intensity in his eyes as he spoke.“I didn’t realize the kids here had been through so much.”
He shrugged, clearly uncomfortable with elaborating.“Point is, Athena’s got you.She’ll be okay.”
“I hope so.”I sighed, drawing my legs up under me on the couch.“I keep thinking about what Kris would want for her.If he’d approve of how I’m handling things.”
“He trusted you with her,” Viking said simply.“That says everything.”
“He trusted you too,” I pointed out.“With both of us.”
Viking’s gaze met mine, for longer than was comfortable.“Yeah, well.Kris always did have more faith in me than I deserved.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“No?”He smiled slightly, a crooked lift of lips.“You used to follow us around like a puppy.Thought we hung the moon and stars.”
Heat crept into my cheeks.“I was a kid with a crush.Sue me.”
“It was cute.”And those words, combined with what I’d just admitted, told me enough.He’d known all this time I had feelings for him back then.My cheeks flushed even more.
His voice softened.“You with your red pigtails and that Christmas sweater your grandma made you wear for photos.You were an adorable kid.”
“Oh God,” I groaned, covering my face.“Don’t remind me of that sweater.It had actual jingle bells sewn onto the reindeer noses.”
His eyes crinkled at the corners, amusement warming his features.“I’ve always had a soft spot for Kris’s little sister with the Christmas name.”
My heart stuttered at the admission.Was he flirting, or just being kind?Reminiscing about the past, or hinting at something in the present?I was out of practice with this sort of thing -- dating had taken a backseat to my education and career, and now to Athena.Not that teaching preschool was something looked at in awe in most cases, but it was a lot of work.I still had lesson plans to make, had to keep track of how the children were doing developmentally, and if I wanted to ever be something more, then I’d known I’d need to look at grad school in the near future.
We’d shifted closer during our conversation, our knees now touching where they rested on the couch cushion between us.Neither of us moved away from the contact.The beer buzzed pleasantly in my system, relaxing me even more.
“Tell me something,” Viking said, setting his empty bottle on the coffee table.“If none of this had happened -- if Kris was still alive, if you weren’t in danger -- what would you be doing right now?What were your plans before life turned upside down?”
I considered the question, surprised by how distant my old life already felt.“I was saving for a house.Something with a yard, not just my little rental.I’d been talking to the school about taking on a lead teacher position in the fall.”I shrugged.“Nothing exciting.Just… building a life.”
“Sounds pretty good to me,” Viking said softly.
“What about you?”I asked.“Any grand plans beyond the Reapers?”
He was quiet for a moment, his eyes distant.“Been thinking about opening my own shop.Custom bikes, restorations.Something that’s mine, not just club business.”
“You’d be good at that,” I said, remembering the careful precision of his hands on the coffee maker, and I remembered him helping my brother work on cars a few times.
“Maybe someday.”His gaze returned to mine, intensity replacing the nostalgia.“When this is over, when you’re safe…”
