Page 20 of When Annika Met Thom

It wouldn’t have been crazy. He was a lot bigger than her and exuded masculine power. Those condoms hinted that he knew what to do with that testosterone.

She rolled to her back and looked at the ceiling, giving herself a minute to consider the possibilities of being pounced upon. It was harmless daydreaming. Leo didn’t pounce. Never had. Leo was never overwhelmed by passion or impetuous. Annika often felt that their amorous intervals had been scheduled in advance and even—though it felt disloyal to even think it—that they’d been dutiful unions. She was never swept off her feet or swept away by desire or any of those sensations she read about in books. Wasn’t it reasonable to want to feel that kind of need, at least once?

She thought again about running her hands over Thom, then her tongue, and the idea had definite appeal. It didn’t work when she thought of Leo, though.

Hmm.

The thing was that she wasn’t afraid of Thom. His dog adored and trusted him. Annika realized she did, too. Already. Which was pretty much nuts, but impossible to dismiss. She could sleep here safely.

That riddle wasn’t what was keeping her eyes open, though.

It wasn’t even the box of condoms and the questions that prompted.

No, it was thoughts of Leo that were keeping her awake.

More likeconcerns.

Suspicions. Doubts.

Why wasn’t he here?

Annika got up and went into the bedroom, knowing she was prying but unable to help herself. Thom would never know. She had siblings: she knew how to snoop without leaving evidence of her crime.

The small closet in the bedroom yielded what should have been predictable results by now but Annika stood and stared for long moments. The shirts hung there could only be Thom’s, given their size. The T-shirts, sweatshirts and second pair of jeans were his, as well. She closed the door precisely as it had been.

The only things in the apartment that belonged to Leo were a few towels and a set of old sheets. That couldn’t be a good sign.

Just how long had he planned to be in Scranton?

Was it possible that he wasn’t telling her all of the truth?

Annika had known Leo for more than twenty years. She knew he wasn’t always quick to confess to a detail that might not be well received.

And that was what was worrying her. What didn’t she know?

She went back into the main room and took a sleepy Percival out of his cage, needing a snuggle. He curled against her, giving her some ferret kisses, which were just what she needed. The streetlights shone, only illuminating the perimeter of the park. What if Leo was being more than a little evasive? What if he was avoiding her because there was something big he didn’t want to tell her? She allowed herself to connect the obvious dots.

What if he was in love with someone else?

As much as she wanted to declare that to be impossible, it had been months since Christmas. There was Margritte’s story, too. Surely, he would have told her if that was the case, though.

But maybe not. Annika stood at the window, cuddling the ferret, and allowed herself to think the unthinkable: what if Leo was lying to her?

What if he wasn’t coming back?

What if their shared future, the one she’d anticipated for years, wasn’t going to happen at all? It was hard to believe it had all been a lie. She’d counted on them getting married one day for as long as she could remember. They were two of a kind.

But she had to admit that it wasn’t completely out of the question that Leo didn’t agree.

Or that he’d changed his mind. Just the possibility made her heart flutter with uncertainty and her balance feel off. Annika solved other people’s problems. She found solutions to conundrums at work. And she was able to do that because the big questions in her own life were settled.

What if they weren’t?

And why did she feel this strange and unwelcome sense of relief? That made no sense at all, but she couldn’t completely dismiss it.

She frowned, impatient with herself. She was just tired. She’d know in twenty-four hours. Annika told herself that her doubts would be proven wrong.

But she stood at the window and worried just the same.

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