Page 111 of Nice Guys Don't Kiss Like That At Christmas
“You didn’t let anyone down,” I say firmly.“The donors did.”
“Doesn’t feel that way.”His laugh is hollow.“And that’s now how they’re going to spin it.They’re probably going to say the costs were too prohibitive.People don’t know.They shouldn’t have to know everything, either.I built my entire future around this program.And now?I don’t even know what I’m moving for anymore.”
I reach for his hand, and this time, he doesn’t pull away.“You’re still going to be an incredible teacher.And I bet there are parts of your program you can salvage.”
He looks down at our joined hands, his expression vulnerable in a way I’ve rarely seen.“Maybe.”
Something cold slithers through me as the timing registers.The program Adam’s passionate about, gutted right as we’ve started...whatever this is.The suspicious part of my brain, the part that spent three years married to Chuck, immediately starts connecting invisible dots.
“This seems...convenient,” I say, the words escaping before I can reconsider them.“The timing, I mean.”
Adam’s brow furrows.“What do you mean?”
“Chuck has connections everywhere.His father, too.And big pockets.The kind that can influence a bunch of people—” I stop myself, hearing how it sounds out loud.“Never mind.That’s ridiculous.”
Adam studies me for a long moment.“You think Chuck might have something to do with this?”
I feel heat rush to my cheeks.“I know it sounds paranoid.It’s just...Chuck had this way of making sure I never got too comfortable.Too confident.”I meet Adam’s gaze.“Anytime things started going well for me, catastrophe struck.Like clockwork.”
Blanche huffs dramatically from her dog bed in the corner, apparently expressing her opinion on Chuck’s character.I really should take my emotional cues from my Great Dane more often.
Adam is quiet for a moment, looking down at the pickle still clutched in his hand.Then he sets the laptop aside and turns to face me fully.
“Let’s check,” he says simply.
He reopens his laptop, typing with renewed purpose.After a few minutes of searching, he turns the screen toward me.“Look, it’s clearly about these donors.Their fight over naming rights has been brewing for months.”
The tension drains from my shoulders.“So not Chuck’s evil master plan?”My attempt at humor falls flat, embarrassment warming my cheeks at how quickly I’d jumped to conspiracy theories.
“Not unless he’s secretly the heir to a pet food fortune with a grudge against rural veterinary education.”
I groan, flopping back against the pillows.“I can’t believe that was my first thought.What does that say about me?”
Adam’s expression softens as he sets the laptop aside, still absently holding my pickle.“It says you were with someone who programmed you to see his influence everywhere.”His fingers trace my collarbone, leaving goosebumps in their wake.“Doesn’t make you paranoid, Foster.Makes you a survivor.”
The word “survivor” from his lips feels different than when others say it.Not pitying or congratulatory.Just matter-of-fact.Like he sees all of me—the strength and the scars—and finds both equally compelling.
“A survivor with questionable judgment,” I mumble.
Adam’s eyes narrow slightly.“Current judgment included?”
My gaze trails down his chest to where his sweatpants ride low on his hips.“Current judgment is...pending thorough evaluation.”
He looks down at the pickle in his hand and gives it a gentle squeeze.“Thank you for this, by the way.”
“For what?A deformed crochet project?”
“For listening to me.”His voice drops lower.“For being here.”
“You’re not the only one recoveringDon’t-Ask-For-Helpperson,” I say quietly.“Chuck trained me to keep everything inside too.To act like nothing affected me.”
He pauses, looking down at the pickle like it might offer him answers.
He looks at me then.“Turns out growth’s more… seasonal than I thought.Not linear.Just showing up, sometimes better, sometimes messier.”
I nod, my throat tightening.“Like grief.Like healing.Like trusting someone again after someone else made that feel like a stupid idea.”
His fingers brush mine.“We’re not stupid.Just learning.And maybe a little tired.”
