Page 80 of Something Good
“Is that okay? You always liked being outdoors and the weather is beautiful today. Plus, this way, we can bring Goldie.” Temperatures were in the low sixties this morning, but with the sun out, it would likely warm up quickly.
“This is perfect.” I was rewarded with a smile that lit up his face. I wanted to spend the rest of my life making him smile just like that.
The rest of my life…
For the first time, I could picture a future that included someone else. At least, as long as that person was Will. With the last go around with him, I’d been sure that anything beyond those summer months wasn’t realistic, and with anyone else… Well, I simply hadn’t allowed there to be anyone else.
My whole life, I’d been conditioned to avoid planning for the future because you could never count on anything staying the same. Even now, with more stability in my life, I still didn’t contemplate anything more than about six months out, and thatwas only because it was necessary when I took on commissions for sculptures. What a jolt it was to realize that not only could I see a future with Will, but Iwantedone.
We found the trailhead and set out at a moderate pace, with Goldie taking the lead. Despite the perfect weather, it was still early enough that we had the trail to ourselves.
I watched Goldie zig-zag her way back and forth across the trail as she tried to track every scent she came across. I hadn’t had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with dogs, but I had to admit, this one was pretty great. I was definitely becoming attached.
“How long have you had Goldie?”
“I got her about four years ago when I started having panic attacks again. Switching meds helped, but my doctor also suggested getting a pet. It just so happened that I had a friend looking to rehome their puppy right around the same time, so I took her. It was love at first sight.”
“Is she a therapy dog?”
“She’s not been trained or anything. But she definitely helps.” I’d noticed how in tune with Will she seemed to be. She didn’t like to leave his side when she could sense he was agitated or upset.
“Is the panic thing still an issue?” I hated the thought of him struggling. Jimmy still battled his anxiety from time to time, though it was much better than it had been when he was in high school. Still, Will had been under a lot of stress in the last several months. It wouldn’t surprise me if any of those big life changes had been triggering for him.
“The last attack was three years ago, I think. And that one was really random. Came out of nowhere and was triggered by something pretty minor. That was the last time we adjusted my meds, and despite my ex’s poor life choices, I haven’t had any attacks since.”
The trail narrowed, forcing us to proceed single file for a bit. Once the lane opened back up, I stepped next to him and took his hand, tangling his fingers with mine.
“What about Jimmy?” Will asked. “Did he ever get his anxiety under control?”
I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “He’s doing alright these days. Unfortunately, things got worse for him before they got better. Your stepdad was actually the person who initially got him some help. In Jimmy’s senior year, Mr. Johnson connected us with a therapist who provided counseling services to low-income families. Jimmy later found a different therapist in college who got him on the right meds.”
“I’m sorry it got worse for him, but I’m glad he’s doing better now. What else is he up to these days?”
“He’s a school librarian. With his big brain, I tried to get him to go into a more lucrative field, but he insisted on the library thing.”
He chuckled, tugging on Goldie’s leash to get her back on the path. “Seems right up his alley, from what I remember. I’m glad he’s doing well.”
“Yeah, he is, for the most part. If I could just get him to see that the guy he’s dating is a total asshole…” I blew out a frustrated breath. No matter how much I tried to let Jimmy live his own life, it killed me that he’d chosen to date a dick like that. He was too smart—toogood—to be with someone who treated him like anything less than a king.
“I’m betting you think every guy Jimmy dates isn’t good enough for him.”
“If you ask Jimmy, he’d say the same thing. And there might be some truth to that. But this guy…thisdoucheis truly an asshole. He jerks Sammy around, plays mind games, breaks up with him, and then wants to get back together. I don’t know. There’s just something about him that makes me want to punchhim in the face.” I could feel my blood pressure rising and had to deliberately unclench my fist.
“You’ve always been overprotective of him.”
“I can’t help it. Somebody has to look out for him.”
“Who looks out for you?”
We stopped in the middle of the trail and turned to face each other. Goldie tugged on her leash, but Will stood his ground, eyeing me with a serious look.
I shifted, uncomfortable under his scrutiny. “I look out for myself. Just like I always have.”
He trailed his thumb across my cheekbone, cupping my face in his palm. “You deserve to have someone else look after you for a change.”
“You applying for the position?” I meant it as a bit of flirty banter, trying to lighten the mood, but Will’s expression remained serious.
“Maybe.”
