Then she was gone, down the steps, and running to the white Ford Probe where the angry man who thought Wes was too loud waited.
Wes lifted a finger to where his mother had left her sticky strawberry gloss on his lips. Gram grabbed his finger and wiped the sweet shimmer away with her fingers before rubbing them roughly across his lips to remove the last of Mama’s kiss. Wes heard a weird, gasping sound.
“Are you sure we are doing the right thing?” Gram asked Poppy nervously.
“Take him inside and clean him up. He’s got snot running down his face.”
Only then did he realize the scary sound was coming from him.
* * *
Wes finished pouringcoffee into his favorite mug to give her a chance to realize he was in the house. He still couldn’t believe Melody hadn’t let her new roommate know he was going to be there! He realized the second she registered his presence because she froze in the middle of pulling her earbuds out.
“Cold outside?” It was a dumb question. Her cheeks were pink with the cold, and she wore a headband that doubled as earmuffs—but other than dumb small talk, he wasn’t sure how to put her at ease. People were not his strong suit.
“Yeah.” She unzipped her jacket to reveal a bright pink shirt. His eyes fell to his coffee in order to avoid watching the material stretch tight across her chest as she shrugged out of the jacket. She already thought he might be a creep—the last thing he needed was for her to think he was staring.
“I run, too.”
Wow! Good one, Wes.
He picked up the coffee pot to cover his embarrassment only to find his cup was still full. Cara’s lips twitched when he set the carafe back in the machine. Apparently, his awkwardness had done what his lack of conversational skill could not.
“Do you want some coffee? I made a whole pot.”
“Thanks, that sounds great.” Cara threw her jacket on the back of the couch and joined him in the small kitchen. Reaching into the cabinet, he pulled out one of Melody’s white coffee mugs.
“Sugar? I’m pretty sure she has that, but if you want cream, you’re out of luck.”
“Black is fine.” She smiled but took the cup to the other side of the kitchen counter, putting a physical barrier between them. Wrapping both hands around the mug, she took a sip, and moaned. “This is perfect!”
“I know this whole thing is awkward and—”
“What’s that?” Cara interrupted, squinting at the mug in his hand. He turned it to face him.
“Captain Picard.” His voice was neutral. However, instead of the snarky comment he usually got about being a nerd, she stayed quiet, her brow furrowed. “From Star Trek.”
“Oh,” Cara said, as if she understood, but it was obvious from her expression she didn’t have a clue what he was talking about.
“The TV show?” Still, no sign of recognition. “You’ve never seen Star Trek?”
“I’ve heard of it... sci-fi, right? About aliens… the guy with the pointy ears?”
Wes gaped at her. How was it possible that someone had never heard of Star Trek? Had she grown up in a cult somewhere that didn’t believe in television?
Wes took a sip of coffee to prevent himself from saying something that would wreck whatever tentative truce was happening. But… seriously? Star Trek! “Yeah, but Captain Picard is from a newer version.”
She shrugged. “How long have you and Melody been together?”
“I’ve known her pretty much my whole life—since I was fourteen. We grew up together in Athens.”
“Wow! So, when did the two of you become a couple?”
“We aren’t exactly dating,” he said carefully. This is where it got tricky, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to explain his and Melody’s complicated relationship to a stranger.
“There’s no shame in friends with benefits. I think everyone’s done it at some point.”
Wes didn’t miss the way her eyes briefly scanned his body. “Um, not exactly that either.”
