and your grandmother.” And in a perfect world, there wouldn’t be war, and a teenage girl wouldn’t be asking him about weapons. The world wasn’t perfect and never would be, but knowing that didn’t make him less uncomfortable.
“I wish you’d been there, too,” she said, and thank God that seemed to end the conversation because she had nothing else to offer, and neither did he.
Sela looked over at him and smiled, a soft smile that went all the way through him.
Chapter Twenty
Ben carried Carol back to her bed, over her protests, then he and Sela said goodnight to the others. She put on her coat and gloves and they walked out to their vehicles. “I’ll follow you home,” he said.
She gave a start of surprise, but then since yesterday afternoon he’d been doing things that surprised her. She started to say she’d be okay, then realized that though she didn’t know who had tried to steal the gasoline, they certainly knew who she was, and might have vengeance on their minds. She might not be okay, going home alone. Think strategically, she reminded herself.
The short distance to her house took only a minute. Ben pulled into the driveway behind her; as they walked up to the porch, a speck of white drifted in front of her face, then another. She stopped and looked up at the delicate flakes floating down from the darkness. “It’s snowing,” she said with mild surprise. With everything that had happened during the past couple of days, she hadn’t thought of the possibility of snow.
Snow in November wasn’t unusual, just a signal that though it was technically still autumn, winter didn’t necessarily agree. There would still be good days, mild and sunny, even in January and February, but by and large people should be getting ready. In normal times that meant wrapping the outside faucets to protect against freezing. This year, things were both more simple and more complicated.
Still . . . the first snow of the season was always a little magical, no matter how light. This wasn’t a storm, it was a silent downward spiral of flakes, peaceful in the still night. She stood there for a moment, her face upturned, a smile curving her lips. She wasn’t a nature fanatic but she did enjoy the seasons, and this moment in particular. Without thinking she reached for his hand; it wasn’t until the pause before he carefully folded his fingers around hers that she realized anew how wary he still was with people.
But he was holding her hand, the heat of his palm burning through her gloves. Though he might not feel the same as she did about the first snow, he was willing to stand there with her while she enjoyed it.
“Isn’t this great?” she asked, and felt the glance he arrowed down at her.
“You like the snow?”
“I like the first snow,” she said, smiling. “It’s new and special, and listen to how quiet everything is. But if it’s still here tomorrow morning, it’ll be a pain in the rear end.”
She couldn’t be sure, in the darkness, but the flashlight cast enough light that she thought he might be smiling a little. However small a smile she could get from him, she’d take it.
“That’s true. If we hadn’t given out the gasoline today, everyone would be walking and there wouldn’t be a problem. But if people get out on the road tomorrow—”
“Ouch.” She winced, thinking that her timing sucked. In normal times the roads would be plowed and treated with salt brine, but “normal” had changed, and no snowplows would be running.
“It is what it is. Everyone here has driven on snow before.”
He hadn’t pulled his hand away, but she thought she’d held on to him long enough and let her hand drop; it was better to break the contact herself than to push him out of his comfort zone.
He opened the screen door and they went up on the porch, his hand on the small of her back, then he held the flashlight while she unlocked the door. Seizing her courage, she asked, “Would you like to come in?” All he could do was tell her no, and though she would be disappointed she wouldn’t die from it. After the way he’d kissed her she knew he was attracted to her, and at the same time she also knew he’d likely had his fill of people today.
“Yes.”
She was a little startled and a lot happy. They would talk and likely make out