GINA WILKINS – A Reunion and a Ring (страница 9)

Realizing impatiently that she’d allowed her thoughts to wander again, she glanced at her watch. “Should we eat something before we go back out? Are you hungry?”

Gavin shook his head. “That next round of rain’s not going to hold off much longer. I’ll try to get some more clearing done while I can.”

She stood and moved toward the cupboards. “I spotted packages of peanut-butter crackers in here. At least eat some of those to protect your stomach from the meds.” She opened a door and motioned toward a top shelf, just above her head. “It was always your favorite snack.”

He moved behind her to reach the carton. The action brought them very close together. All he’d have had to do was lower his arm to wrap it around her shoulders. She’d have moved aside, but the counter was in the way. Any move she made would only brush her against him. Instead, she froze in place, almost holding her breath until he stepped back, the carton in his hand.

“You remember my fondness for these, do you?”

Able to breathe again now that there was a bit more distance between them, she laughed softly, grateful it came out relatively steady. “How could I forget? You stashed them in your car, in your backpack, in your dorm room, in my dorm room. Your friends used to joke that you should buy stock in a cracker company. I’m just a little surprised you haven’t gotten tired of them by now.”

His mouth quirked into a faint smile as he shrugged. “I don’t eat them as much as I used to, but they’re still a pretty good snack.”

She watched him rip into a cellophane packet, her smile feeling more natural as an amusing memory occurred to her. “Remember when your sister’s little white poodle tore into a whole carton while we were outside watching July Fourth fireworks at your parents’ house? We came back inside to find paper and cellophane and crumbs everywhere and the poor dog had peanut butter smeared all over her face. Holly got hysterical thinking her pet was going to die, but fortunately the dog got more in her fur than her belly.”

Gavin chuckled wryly. “Mom insisted on rushing the dog to an emergency animal clinic, just in case. We were going to have homemade ice cream after watching the fireworks, but it had all melted by the time the crisis was over. You know, that dog lived to be fifteen. Just died a couple years ago.”

“What was its name again? I can’t remember.”

Gavin made a face. “BiBi. I can’t forget because it ran off from Mom’s house one day when she was dog-sitting while Holly was out of town, just before Christmas. Mom called me in tears. I had to drive slowly around her neighborhood in my cruiser, calling the stupid name from my open window. ‘Here, BiBi. C’mere, BiBi.’ I felt like an idiot. It was sleeting. Took me an hour to find the half-frozen mutt, and then it had the nerve to pee on me when I picked it up.”

She couldn’t help laughing. He’d have hated every minute of that episode—but for his mother and sister, he’d have done it with only token grumbles. “That is too funny.”

“Glad you think so,” he muttered, though his lips twitched.

For a moment, she was swept back again to the early days of their romance, which had been filled with laughter. Her smile faded as she returned abruptly to the present. Leaning casually against the counter, Gavin gazed down at her, his eyes gleaming in the shadowy light. She felt the hairs on her arms rise, as if the air between them charged suddenly with static. She really needed to stop those mental flashbacks before they got entirely out of control.

Did Gavin sense the change, as well? His eyes narrowed, and even the hint of amusement vanished, leaving his face carved again into hard, inscrutable lines.

He grabbed a couple more packets of crackers and turned away. “I’m going back out. Rest awhile, if you want. I can handle things out there.”

She released a long, unsteady breath when the front door closed behind him. Wow, that had turned quickly. She’d just been reminded all too vividly of how quickly the laughter in their youthful relationship had dissolved into tears. She was annoyed to realize the memories could still sting, even after all these years, even after she’d long since assured herself she was over it.

She was tempted to stay safely inside while he continued the cleanup. Because that made her feel cowardly, she lifted her chin and refused to give in to the impulse. She reached for her borrowed work gloves and headed for the door. The sooner the road was cleared, the sooner this blast from the past would be over.

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