Page 238 of Fury

“I brought you something.” He went to the front door, opening it, reaching down, then closing it. He propped a small paper sack on the floor.

“What’s that?”

“Grout for those tiles you got the other day.”

“You went to Steve and Gail’s?”

“Yep. I realized you didn’t get any grout when you bought the tiles, and I went and picked some up.”

“I didn’t buy any because I already have some.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“You haven’t been in my garage yet?”

“Not yet.”

I finished my drink. “I have soil and mulch in there and some old pots and rakes and a shovel.”

“You really like to garden, huh?”

“I like my surroundings to be inspiring and colorful, and if you put the time and effort into a garden, the results are pretty damned fantastic. Gail taught me that.” I held up the bottle of whiskey. “More?”

“Please.”

I filled his glass again. “Did you see Zoë?”

“I did. And she was real excited that I was going to help you tile up.”

“She wants me to have a boyfriend.”

“She told me. She couldn’t stop giggling when she saw me. Said we were perfect for each other with all the tattoos we both got.”

I let out a laugh. “Zoë doesn’t have a filter.”

“I realized. I like it.”

I settled back onto the sofa, curling my legs under me. “Me too.”

“She’d brought out some new mugs, red ones, and she told me how much she loved red.”

“It was yellow last month. She made a whole line of dessert plates and ashtrays in every tone of yellow.”

“Well, now it’s the red. I asked her to make me two red bowls and I’d come back for them next time. Bowls for your cereal.”

I let out a laugh, taking his hand in mine. “I like that there’s a next time.”

“I’ll bet your whole life has been built on next times with her,” he murmured.

I pressed my lips together, stifling the small moan that brewed there.

“Like me with you,” he said, his voice low. “I always counted on there being a next time.”

I put my glass down and straddled his lap, facing him. “Those nights we spent together, being with you like this. I like it. It makes me smile inside. Makes me feel lighter, positive in a deeper way than I’ve ever allowed myself for a long time. It makes me feel that there’s good ahead, not just good enough.”

His one hand rose up my back. “Good enough ain’t enough anymore.”

“There’s hope for us? We’re not only the rubble of what our explosions left behind?”

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