Luke nods enthusiastically, still looking shell-shocked. "They are. Great rocks. I mean… kids. Rock collection. Yes."
Jessica rolls her eyes, but I can see she's fighting a smile. "Why don't you all come in? I can make coffee."
"Actually," I interject quickly, "Darren and I were just going to?—"
"Talk," Darren finishes for me. "We have some things to discuss."
Jessica's eyebrows shoot up, and I know I'll be getting a detailed interrogation later. "Of course," she says, her tone too innocent to be believable. "Don't let us keep you."
Luke looks like he wants to protest, clearly hoping for more time with his hockey idol, but Jessica's pointed look silences him.
"It was really nice meeting all of you," Darren says, and I can tell he means it. "Maybe next time we can talk more."
Next time.
The casual implication that there will be a next time doesn't escape me as we say our goodbyes. The kids hug me fiercely, Taylor making Darren promise to look for more magic rocks on our way.
As we walk away, Jessica catches my arm, pulling me back slightly. "Call me later," she whispers urgently. "I want details. All of them."
"There's nothing to tell," I insist, but the heat in my cheeks betrays me.
“Sure there isn’t.” She glances at Darren, who's waiting patiently a few feet away, then back to me. “Great, now I have to worry about my husband running off with your new musclebound guy.”
I elbow her, unable to suppress a laugh. "Shut up."
She grins, releasing my arm. "Go. But call me."
I rejoin Darren, acutely aware of Jessica watching us from the doorway. We walk in silence for a moment, the afternoon sun making everything feel hazy and comfortable.
"Your sister seems nice," Darren says finally. "And her husband is..."
"A complete fanboy?" I supply.
He laughs. "I was going to say enthusiastic, but yeah."
"I warned you."
"You did." He glances at me, softness in his expression. "Thanks for introducing me. I can tell that's not something you do lightly."
Warmth spreads across my face again and I force myself to look away. "No, it isn't."
We reach the corner where we need to turn toward my apartment, and I hesitate. This is the moment where I should say goodbye, thank him for walking with us, and go back to my life of sweaters and solitude.
Instead, I hear myself say, "Do you want to come to my place? To talk, I mean. I could make coffee."
The smile that breaks across his face is answer enough.
Chapter
Twenty-One
LEXIE
My apartment looks even smaller with Darren in it. He fills the space in a way that should be intimidating but somehow isn't, his presence warm rather than overwhelming. He stands in the middle of my living room, taking in the stacks of inventory and shipping supplies with interest.
"Sorry about the mess," I say, moving a pile of sweaters from the couch to make room for him to sit. "Business has been booming lately."
"Don't apologize," he says, picking up one of my designs, a deep green cardigan with subtle cable detailing. "These are amazing. You made all of these?"
