Sharon’s note: Welcome to the last episode! I like sweet, goofy romances. When it reads like erotica-light (or sometimes, not-so-light) and that isn’t what I got the book for, it annoys me a lot. Sometimes I want to read about love that’s about the emotional connection and actual courtship rather than how the romantic interest affects the blood flow of certain body parts of the main character. Warning: Sometimes love is silly, cute and awkward.
“Thanks for the ride,” I said as Sam pulled the car out of the hospital parking lot.
“No problem.” He spared a glance from the road to shoot me a smile. “How’s your head?”
I automatically touched the bump on the back of my skull that was still tender. “It’s fine. The doctor said everything looks good. Mostly I just managed to scare the crud out of me and Baskerville.”
“I’ve told your dad a hundred times, that dog needs to go on a diet.” He smiled, shaking his head with a silent chuckle.
“Have you ever tried saying no to him?” I raised an eyebrow. “You’ll just be sitting there with your lunch and he’ll be staring at you with those big eyes. It would take a heart of stone to resist. Besides, Bask is twelve years old. I’m not sure how much a better diet will extend his life.”
“You never know. Once you’re a werewolf, the word impossible loses meaning. Maybe he could live to see a hundred.”
That. . . was something I hadn’t thought much about. What else was possible when werewolves existed, and one of them wanted to be your boyfriend. I was fixating on that, wasn’t I? A world of possibilities, and all I could think about was a guy who said that we were magically perfect for each other. Fine, I just had to deal with a dragon in front of me. Were dragons a thing?
“So, Dad’s coming back on Sunday. After that, I’m supposed to go home,” I said, staring out of the window.
“Oh.” The disappointment in Sam’s voice was heartbreaking. “And you live like four hours away, right? Maybe I could come visit you.”
“Yeah.” I took a deep breath. Being in the hospital gave you lots of long waiting times to think, and I had put it towards making a decision. “Most of my job is done remotely, and I need to go home to straighten some stuff out, but I’m going to be moving into town. Dad is getting older, and while I’m really happy he isn’t alone, his wife is the same age. I’d feel more comfortable if I was close by, and . . . I wouldn’t mind, maybe, if we started seeing each other, you know, a little more seriously.”
I stared hard at the passing scenery, willing the burning in my cheeks to stop. Sam cleared his throat, and I glanced at him. He was blushing too, and visibly fighting a huge, dopey grin.
“I, um, I like that idea. Hey, let me know if you need help finding a place or moving stuff or-” He cleared his throat again. “Just let me know if I can help.”
“Well, I definitely don’t feel like cooking tonight. Maybe you could bring over some pizza and we could watch a movie.” I held up a finger. “Just watching a movie mind you.”
He flexed his hands on the steering wheel and chuckled nervously. “I’d like that.”
Gray Matters: The Works of Sharon and James Gray 