I gave him a sheepish smile. “Sorry. I was kind of in my own head there.”
Roger grinned back. “Well, sorry about that—but happy birthday!”
“Thanks,” I said, feeling a little blush creeping up my neck.
“Don’t have too much fun,” he told me, still smiling. “Still a workday tomorrow.”
I waved him off, then finished up a few last pieces of paperwork that would go into the file that Lacy was taking over. I’d convinced her to at least let me complete the tests and reports on the dog and badger, arguing that I’d started those and should at least be able to finish them.
It felt funny, putting that stack of papers in her little in-box bin, knowing it wasn’t over and that anything new relevant to the case wouldn’t come across my lab table. The only other time I hadn’t finished a case was the one that had landed me in the hospital—and out of a job. I didn’t like the trajectory that suggested for me not finishing cases. And yes, I knew that’s not how things worked, but that superstitious part of me that had made it through all of my scientific training still didn’t like it.
I forced myself to walk away, outside, and get into my car to head back to Elliot’s house. Part of me wanted to go back to my apartment—which I’d been back to over the weekend to do laundry and make sure nothing in the fridge was going horribly off—so that I could wallow in self-pity over Elliot not knowing my birthday in peace. Especially because I probably wasn’t going to get any more gracious about it than I currently was—and that wasn’t much.
But I couldn’t leave Elliot alone, not until this case was resolved. And his text had asked about dinner, which meantthat he was at least making food—and that would be better than anything I’d be able to justify getting for myself, birthday or not.
I had the opportunity while driving over to work myself into a good sulk, which I knew meant I was likely to be not just grumpy, but downright rude about the fact that he hadn’t so much as mumbled ahappy birthdaythis morning.
He’d at least left the porch light on for me, so I could see as I made my way from the driveway past the winterized roses and up to the front door. I opened it, and the smell of Thai food hit me almost immediately—spices, coconut, curry, and peanut—and I inhaled deeply. I hadn’t known there evenwasa Thai restaurant anywhere in Shawano. I’d thought I knew every possible restaurant in this small town.
In spite of my sour mood, I was smiling as I kicked off my shoes and set my satchel in its customary place near the door. I love Thai food, and it had been ages since I’d had any, much less the good stuff, which this smelled like it was. Even if Elliot had forgotten my birthday, he had still gotten me Thai food, and that was probably enough that I was likely to forgive him a lot sooner. Not that I really needed to forgive him, exactly. I knew I wasn’t being completely reasonable, but that didn’t change how I felt.
And then I padded into the kitchen and stopped.
Elliot was there, grinning at me. On the kitchen island were three boxes—each one wrapped in bright paper with bows on them. There was also a vase with a bunch of bright flowers that he definitely didn’t get out of the garden, which was dead and dormant for the winter season.
My surprise must have been evident on my face, because his lopsided grin got wider. “You thought I forgot, didn’t you?”
I nodded mutely.
He walked around the island, putting both hands on my waist, grinning up at me. “I willneverforget you,” he told me, the intensity in his voice surprising. His mouth quirked. “Youtold me it was Saint Nicholas Day,” he said softly. “Back when we first met.”
I nodded, still unable to figure out what to say, especially because now it was even more obvious—to me, anyway—that being at all upset that he’d forgotten was beyond stupid since I didn’t know when his birthday was.
“November fourth,” he said, reaching out to rest one palm on my bearded cheek.
“What?”
“Mine,” he replied. “Because I realized this afternoon that I never did tell you.”
“Oh.” I felt my neck flush. “I missed it,” I said, possibly stupidly, since I knew exactly when he’d showed up on my doorstep with flowers to make me breakfast, twelve days after his birthday. And that had been twenty days ago.
Twenty days really wasn’t very long in relationship terms at all, especially when it felt like we’d been together for months.
“Missing my birthday is not a problem,” Elliot replied. “I deserve it, anyway, for being a self-centered asshole.”
I frowned, and he put a finger on the lips I opened to object.
“Not talking about me,” he said, the crooked smile returning to his lips. “It’syourbirthday. I got Thai food, since I seem to remember that’s your favorite.”
I nodded enthusiastically. “Where’s the Thai place in Shawano?” I asked. If it was good, I wanted more.
Elliot barked out a laugh. “Green Bay,” he told me.
I stared at him. “You drove toGreen Bayto get me Thai food?”
He shrugged. “You’re worth it,” he told me, and I felt the flush creeping higher. It made him laugh. “You’re adorable when you get flustered, you know that?” That did not help.
“I am not,” I grumbled, but that earned me another laugh, followed by a kiss.
