I looked at the hopeful raise of his eyebrows, his face glowing in the moonlight reflecting off his tee. But I couldn’t give him the words he wanted.
Dipping my chin in a quick nod, I shut the door behind me.
Maybe we could have something amazing.
Or, maybe, my heart would break all over again—and this time, I wouldn’t be coming back from it.
Chapter twenty-two
Will
Ithought Maureen might pull another disappearing act after our middle of the night conversation, but she popped her head into my room soon after Marley and James left for work.
“Need anything?” she asked.
“Thanks, but no. I think I’m good to get up and start moving around more today. I showered and dressed before everyone got up.”
She gave me a once-over, registering my jeans and UW sweatshirt.
“Do you need me to do any laundry for you? Since I know you didn’t plan on staying this long.”
“I can do it. I’ll give it a shot this afternoon.”
“Do you want tea or maybe something to eat?”
I smiled at her hovering. “Maureen, the only thing I want from you is your company, if you can spare it.”
After a moment’s hesitation, she glanced quickly at the folding chair before sitting gingerly on the mattress, not quite touching me. A sketch pad rested on my knees. “Working on something?” she asked.
“Another portrait of Oscar.” I opened the book and showed her the half-done pencil drawing.
Maureen made anawsound. “He’s pretty cute, especially when he shows his bottom teeth like that.”
“True.” I flipped to another page, where I’d done ten quick sketches of the little tree in my room. There was also a full-size drawing of Marley and James’s snow globe cake.
“Did you give them an engagement present yet? Because if you haven’t, this would be a good one.”
I’d gifted them a fancy blender but I put a reminder in my phone to have the drawing framed for them as well.
Maureen watched me make the note. “You’re a good friend.”
“I’m trying.”
She sat up straighter. “Speaking of friends, I have something I wouldn’t mind getting your opinion on?”
“Sure.”
I knew what I wanted from Maureen, but I’d gotten the impression she wasn’t ready to go there yet. I figured these overtures were her way of testing the waters. To see how we fit. At least I hoped so.
She left the room and returned a moment later with her laptop, sitting back down on the bed next to me, brushing my arm against her own.
“This is a piece I completed over the past few days, between worrying about your head.” She lightly tapped her knuckles against my skull. “It’s my first Francesca video post-Kolya’s andthe first in Coleman Creek. I’m hoping to do more if this one works. It’s of Katy Baumbeck.”
“The woman with the toddlers?”
Maureen snort-laughed. “Yes. And the fact you remember her that way is kind of why I made it. She gave me her approval to post, but now I’m second-guessing myself. It’s super different from everything else I’ve done.”
“Well, now you have to show me,” I said. “I’m sure it’s great.”
