“Yeah, that worked out pretty well, huh? Folks could get used to seeing us together without getting nosy about the details.” He looked rather pleased with himself, as if he’d arranged that in advance.
She stepped inside her living room and looked over her shoulder. “Are you coming in?” she asked when he seemed to hesitate.
He took a couple steps forward, his smile faint. “Sorry. I’m a little slow this evening.”
“You’re tired.” She studied his face, seeing dim shadows beneath his eyes, slightly deeper than usual lines around the corners of his mouth. To what lengths had he gone in order to get back in time for the party? “Go home, Scott. Get some sleep. I know you have that project manager meeting in the morning. Are you sure you don’t need me to be there?”
“No, I’ll text you if we have any questions for you. I’m sure you have things to do.”
She nodded. “I do have shopping to finish and errands to run before Dana’s party. Um, you’re sure you still want to—”
“I’m going to the party with you,” he said flatly, brooking no argument. “I keep my word.”
She offered to drive the next evening, but he insisted that would be out of her way. “The party starts at seven, right? So I’ll be here around six thirty.”
“No rush,” she assured him with a wrinkle of her nose. “It’s not as if I care if we’re the first ones there.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “I’m not having your sister blame me for making you late. I’ll be here on time.”
He continued to stand in the center of the room, one hand squeezing the back of his neck. She got the distinct impression that he was torn between staying and leaving. But just as she hated sending him away, she knew it was best tonight.
“Go get some rest,” she repeated quietly. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He reached out to pull her into his arms. “I am tired,” he admitted. “I’m afraid once I get horizontal I’ll be out for a while, and I do have that early meeting. So maybe it’s best if I head home.”
Nestling her cheek into his shoulder, she gave him a hug, savoring the feel of him before she had to let him go. “We’ll see each other tomorrow.”
He kissed her lingeringly, then took a step back. “Maybe we should start thinking about having only one place to go to when we’re not at the office.”
Was he really talking about moving in together? They’d been moving fast to this point, but that was kicking the relationship into hyperdrive!
He laughed wryly in response to whatever he saw on her face. “You don’t have to respond to that tonight. Just leaving you with something to think about.”
“As if you haven’t given me enough to think about lately,” she muttered with a shake of her head. “Go get some sleep, Scott.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She moved to lock the door behind him. “Scott?”
He turned just on the other side of the doorway to look at her. “Yes?”
“I’m glad you’re back. I missed you.”
This time he was the one who seemed caught unprepared. After a moment, he said simply, “Good night, Tess.”
He turned and walked away before she closed the door.
He’d been in an odd mood this evening, she thought as she secured the locks. Maybe it was simply that he was exhausted.
It would have been nice if he’d said he missed her, too.
* * *
Tess’s phone rang late the next morning just as she was loading a few bags of groceries into the backseat of her car. Slamming the door, she lifted the phone to her ear as she slid into the driver’s seat. “Hi, Jenny,” she said, having checked the caller ID screen before answering.
“I’m just calling to let you know that Scott’s sister-in-law came into the shop this morning looking for a party dress. She ended up buying two outfits and some accessories, even a couple of Christmas presents. She said to tell you thanks for sending her to me, so thank you from both of us.”
“You’re both welcome.”