Strayed by A. M. Wilson

Author:A. M. Wilson [Wilson, A. M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-04-23T16:00:00+00:00

14

Corjan

Fresh white powder crunches beneath my tires as I pull into my driveway an hour later. We had a decent snowfall last night, so I took the dogs to the Sanctuary to run around. Neither of them would have made it five feet on a walk this morning, and I was grateful for a reason to leave the house after the events in the shower.

The dogs tired themselves out, and I stopped at the deli on the way home to pick up bagels. I don’t know why I did it, but here I am with two leashes, my keys, a cardboard tray for coffees, and a white paper bag in my hands, standing on my own doorstep not knowing what the future has in store. I haven’t felt this kind of uncertainty in a very long time.

A sweat breaks out on my brow, and my stomach twinges again. I brush it off as nerves and shove my key into the lock. The door swings wide. The dogs prance in with happy yips and rush off to their water bowls.

From the entry, I can just make out the back of Bree’s head at the kitchen table.

I nearly drop the coffees when my stomach cramps again.

“Hey,” I call out. I leave my winter boots by the door and deposit the stuff I brought on the kitchen counter before heading down the hallway to the closet where I keep a small stash of medicine. “There’s breakfast. Bagels and coffee.”

I dig out some antacids and crush the chalky tablets between my teeth with a grimace. Bree hasn’t moved when I reenter the kitchen.

“I see you had a different option in mind,” I say.

She looks guiltily at me from behind the amber beer bottle tilted to her full lips.

I understand a moment later when my eyes land on the packet and pen in the middle of my table.

Nausea flickers to life, proving the antacids did fuck all to calm my stomach. Without looking at her, I move to the sink to wash my hands, then gather the food and take a seat on the opposite end from her.

“If you don’t mind, I’m going to have something to eat.” My hands shake imperceptibly as I snap open the white paper sack.

“Actually, I do mind a little. I’d like to take care of this so I can get going.”

My gaze moves outside to the patio window and snow-covered deck. The cushions I left out last night now sport a thick layer of white powder. I set an asiago-cheese bagel on a napkin and peel open a serving of cream cheese.

“Snowed a lot last night.”

“And?” she replies.

I nudge the bag in her direction. “You might want to wait until the roads are plowed before you leave.”

She finds my eyes. I wonder if she knows how pretty she is sitting all prim and proper in my small kitchen.

“I do remember how to drive in the snow, Corjan.”

“In that little car? It’s not safe. You should wait.”

She shakes her head but reaches into the paper bag.

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