out his hand. “I’ll see you tomorrow sometime. I’ll tell Preacher to cook up something you like.”
“That would be great.”
“And, Denny? If the idea of leaving this little town gets you down, just stop and think about why you’re leaving. It’s worth it, son, if you found the woman you love. You’re lucky. You found her young. Got a lot of years to look forward to.”
“Yeah,” he said with a smile. “Thanks, Jack.”
Denny turned and left the bar.
Jack poured himself another shot, though it was early for him to do that. He lifted his glass to the closed bar door and said, “No. Thank you.”
There was a soft and gentle snow falling when Denny walked back to his apartment. The town Christmas tree was going to look fantastic with the lights twinkling behind a fresh layer of lacy snow. Last year, they had to knock the snow off the branches to make sure they retrieved all the unit patches when they were ready to take the tree down. Mel counted and cataloged them afterward; to miss one felt almost personal.
He kicked the snow off his boots on the top step, then took them off before stepping into the room.
Becca was sitting up in the bed, leaning back against the pillows, one knee drawn up and circled with her arms. He leaned against the closed door, still holding his boots. She was so beautiful. Her face was shiny from being scrubbed free of makeup before bed—she was squeaky clean and would smell of soap and lotion and taste minty fresh from her toothpaste. Though they’d been intimate when they were together years ago and had managed a night together here and there, they’d never actually lived together before. He was surprised by how much he loved sharing these little rituals with her; their routine brought him such a feeling of comfort and stability.
He couldn’t figure out how he got so lucky, to have her love him. It was even harder to figure out how he’d been insane enough to let her get away once.
He put his boots down on the towel just inside the door and took off his jacket, hung it on the peg and headed for the bathroom. “Be right with you, honey.”
He washed his face, brushed his teeth and ran hot water over his hands to warm them. He got down to his boxers and T-shirt and left his folded jeans and shirt on top of his trunk. Then he sat cross-legged on the bed, facing her. “How about if we pack up tomorrow and head for San Diego Tuesday morning?” he asked.
“That would be wonderful, Denny. Thank you.”
“I’ll go out to Jilly Farms first thing in the morning to tell her I’m leaving.”
Becca frowned. “You haven’t told her yet? You told me last week you’d take me home by Christmas.”
“You had your own obligations around town and to be honest, I had to figure a few things out about leaving. There’s a lot of stuff to do in the greenhouses when the temperature drops like this. And Jack’s…well, the bar has been so busy with people driving up here to get a look at that tree, I wondered how he was going to get by without my help. But Jack’s the greatest. He totally understands. He said if he needs help he can always call on some of his friends, like Brie’s husband, Mike. He even joked that his friends are a lot cheaper than I am.”
“What if Jillian says she just can’t manage without your help?”
“She’s got Colin and Luke Riordan if she needs something in a hurry,” he said. “I got as much done out there as I could after we decided to head for San Diego. The only big worries for her right now are snow related. The passages from the house and sheds to the gardens have to be plowed and those greenhouses can’t withstand snow on the roofs—they could collapse. But just like with Jack at the bar, if she needs an extra hand or two, there are friends around.”
“You know, I could always catch a flight,” she said. “I mean, if you’re needed here. I know you have commitments…”
He put his hand against her cheek. “Do I look crazy? You’re my primary commitment.”
“I wouldn’t hold you to it, Denny.”
He leaned toward her to place a gentle kiss on her lips. “You’d better hold me to it. I’m counting on that. Now I have a question for you. I know you have