chemistry over the phone, imagine how explosive it’s going to be when you see him again.”
I sighed. “Off the charts, I hope.”
Frankie still had no idea that the guy was Trapper, that he was one of Derek’s clients, or that I’d met him at their party. Derek must have considered him a friend, or Trapper wouldn’t have been at their house that night. Still, I wanted to go into this without their opinions weighing on me. Most of the dates I’d been on after Cody had started off that way, and it was all I thought about the whole time I was out with them. I didn’t want that with Trapper. It was fun to keep him a mystery since he was still almost a complete mystery to me.
“How can it not be off the charts?” Frankie asked.
I winked. “Good point.”
“I haven’t seen you smile this hard since Cody. It’s nice to see you so happy.” She paused. “I don’t mean to bring him up again, but should we talk about it? About…him?”
The best way for me to get past Cody was to do less comparing, not more, I believed. Trapper’s style and dominating personality seemed so different from Cody’s anyway.
Cody was so…
“Cody, the water is turning cold,” I said, starting to shiver from inside the bath.
“I forgot we were in the water.”
“How could you forget? We’re in the tub, silly.”
His arms were crossed over my chest, his legs resting over mine. I leaned forward, so I could get on my knees. Then I turned around and faced him. Water splashed over the sides.
“I guess we are in the tub.”
“Where did you think you were?”
He shook his head, but I knew an answer was coming. “When I’m with you, the scenery and what we’re doing all blends together. Whether we’re in the tub or shower, at the table or in our bed—it doesn’t matter. You make it all disappear. You bring me to a place…it’s home, Brea. You are my home.”
I took a breath, blinking several times, as I stared at Frankie’s face. Talking about Cody wouldn’t make their differences any more or less true. If anything, it might convince me that I wasn’t ready to take a chance emotionally. And I was. I was…
“Not talking about him is the way I want to go.”
She smiled warmly. “As long as you’re okay, then I’m okay.”
“What does your schedule look like for the rest of the day?”
She checked her computer. “I have a closing, but if you plan on kidnapping me, I can have one of the girls go instead.”
“I’ve done all the talking lately,” I told her. “It’s your turn. Let’s do it over wine.”
“Done. I’ll meet you downstairs in five.”
I slid my key into the lock on the back door of my parents’ house and stepped inside, blowing on my fingers to warm them. I dropped my bag and jacket at the kitchen table and headed straight for the fridge. My parents always stocked the best food.
“Baby girl,” Mom yelled, “is that you?”
“It’s me. I’m just getting something to eat.”
“There’s a piece of lasagna on the second shelf that I wrapped up just for you.”
I smiled as I took out the lasagna and a fork from the drawer. There were chocolate cupcakes on the counter. I grabbed two before joining her in the living room.
“Don’t come too close.” She sounded extremely nasally and stopped me as I was about to bend down and kiss her. “There’s something festering up there.” She pointed at her sinuses. “And it’s green.”
“Gross, Mom.”
She pulled her blanket a bit higher until it was tucked underneath her chin. “Sit over there. I would hate for you to catch it.”
I dropped into the chair and dug into the lasagna. Even cold, the cheese was still gooey, and the meat was seasoned perfectly. “This is so good.” I shoved another bite into my mouth.
“Now, I know why you haven’t called since the party.”
I looked up as I chewed. “Huh?”
“You’ve been too busy with a new man, haven’t you?”
“How did you know that?”
“You took two
I sighed. “Off the charts, I hope.”
Frankie still had no idea that the guy was Trapper, that he was one of Derek’s clients, or that I’d met him at their party. Derek must have considered him a friend, or Trapper wouldn’t have been at their house that night. Still, I wanted to go into this without their opinions weighing on me. Most of the dates I’d been on after Cody had started off that way, and it was all I thought about the whole time I was out with them. I didn’t want that with Trapper. It was fun to keep him a mystery since he was still almost a complete mystery to me.
“How can it not be off the charts?” Frankie asked.
I winked. “Good point.”
“I haven’t seen you smile this hard since Cody. It’s nice to see you so happy.” She paused. “I don’t mean to bring him up again, but should we talk about it? About…him?”
The best way for me to get past Cody was to do less comparing, not more, I believed. Trapper’s style and dominating personality seemed so different from Cody’s anyway.
Cody was so…
“Cody, the water is turning cold,” I said, starting to shiver from inside the bath.
“I forgot we were in the water.”
“How could you forget? We’re in the tub, silly.”
His arms were crossed over my chest, his legs resting over mine. I leaned forward, so I could get on my knees. Then I turned around and faced him. Water splashed over the sides.
“I guess we are in the tub.”
“Where did you think you were?”
He shook his head, but I knew an answer was coming. “When I’m with you, the scenery and what we’re doing all blends together. Whether we’re in the tub or shower, at the table or in our bed—it doesn’t matter. You make it all disappear. You bring me to a place…it’s home, Brea. You are my home.”
I took a breath, blinking several times, as I stared at Frankie’s face. Talking about Cody wouldn’t make their differences any more or less true. If anything, it might convince me that I wasn’t ready to take a chance emotionally. And I was. I was…
“Not talking about him is the way I want to go.”
She smiled warmly. “As long as you’re okay, then I’m okay.”
“What does your schedule look like for the rest of the day?”
She checked her computer. “I have a closing, but if you plan on kidnapping me, I can have one of the girls go instead.”
“I’ve done all the talking lately,” I told her. “It’s your turn. Let’s do it over wine.”
“Done. I’ll meet you downstairs in five.”
I slid my key into the lock on the back door of my parents’ house and stepped inside, blowing on my fingers to warm them. I dropped my bag and jacket at the kitchen table and headed straight for the fridge. My parents always stocked the best food.
“Baby girl,” Mom yelled, “is that you?”
“It’s me. I’m just getting something to eat.”
“There’s a piece of lasagna on the second shelf that I wrapped up just for you.”
I smiled as I took out the lasagna and a fork from the drawer. There were chocolate cupcakes on the counter. I grabbed two before joining her in the living room.
“Don’t come too close.” She sounded extremely nasally and stopped me as I was about to bend down and kiss her. “There’s something festering up there.” She pointed at her sinuses. “And it’s green.”
“Gross, Mom.”
She pulled her blanket a bit higher until it was tucked underneath her chin. “Sit over there. I would hate for you to catch it.”
I dropped into the chair and dug into the lasagna. Even cold, the cheese was still gooey, and the meat was seasoned perfectly. “This is so good.” I shoved another bite into my mouth.
“Now, I know why you haven’t called since the party.”
I looked up as I chewed. “Huh?”
“You’ve been too busy with a new man, haven’t you?”
“How did you know that?”
“You took two
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