I knew I was crazy. Talking to a dead person. But I wanted some kind of sign that he approved of this house.
The wind blew and a few leaves fell from the one tree in the small yard. The autumn air reminded me of him just as much as the detergent on his sweatshirt. And somehow that breeze felt like a response. Almost as if he was here with us.
I hugged myself tighter. “I’m going to keep living, Miller,” I said and looked back up at the stars. “I promise.” I’d create a home for me and Jacob here. With the yellow kitchen. We were going to be okay. We had to be.
The back door opened and Tanner walked out. “Everything is unpacked.”
“What? How? It’s only been a couple minutes.”
“Are you sure? I think it was longer than that.”
I laughed. I was pretty sure. But honestly, I could stare at the stars for hours thinking about Miller. I shivered when the wind blew again.
“Come on in, it’s getting cold,” Tanner said.
I walked back into the house and down the hall.
Tanner had started a fire in the fireplace. And even that reminded me of the lake house. But it was the fact that he’d put the pictures on the mantel in the exact right order that really felt like home. I walked over to it and put my hands out, warming them from the cold. I stared at the picture of Miller kissing me on our wedding night. How many times had Miller and I made love right in front of a roaring fire?
Tanner cleared his throat. “Do you want some wine?”
I turned around. He was sitting on the couch pouring us each a glass.
“Oh…um…” Now that it was just the two of us, a roaring fire, and wine, this suddenly felt like it was supposed to be some kind of date.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Tanner said with a laugh. “It’s just wine.”
I nodded and took the glass. “I wasn’t looking at you in any way.” I took a sip of the wine.
“You looked very alarmed, Brooklyn.”
“Did I?” I sat down next to him.
“You did. Believe me - I know the look a girl gives when she isn’t into it. I’ve seen it thousands of times.”
“Wow, I’m so sorry. Don’t give up on love, though. I’m sure there’s a girl out there for you.”
“Oh,” said Tanner with a laugh. “I’ve rarely had that look directed at me. My clients, on the other hand…” He shook his head. “Poor guys. If only they had the confidence to wear tuxedos like mine.”
“Like yours?”
“I don’t believe in the boring black and navy. I tend to go more bold.”
I laughed. “So…a white tux?”
“No. More like neon stripes. And all sorts of patterns.”
“That is quite bold.” I took another sip of wine.
“You gotta have fun every once in a while. Or life gets stale.”
I laughed again. “Like a loaf of bread?”
“Exactly like a loaf of bread. Well…I think. I wouldn’t know. I always order my bread by the slice.”
Is that a thing mega rich people do?“Gotcha.”
We were both quiet as we stared at the fire. I’d never felt so comfortable in silence with a stranger before. I wondered if he was thinking about the love that he’d lost as he stared at the flames.
