Chapter Ten

“Oh my God, these people are amazing,” Sammi whispered, as she leaned in closer to Keegan.

“Right?” Keegan whispered back as “Carol of the Bells” increased in volume. “When do they take a breath?”

Sammi rolled her lips in and bit down on them to keep from laughing.

“Seriously. This song has no pauses. Are they even breathing?” Keegan’s eyes were wide. “Someone’s gonna drop from lack of oxygen.”

They stood off to the side a bit as the Northwood Holiday Choir sang to the residents of Forest Hills Assisted Living, and holy shit, Sammi was entranced. She knew her grandmother went to rehearsals and that she loved being part of the caroling, but her membership was fairly new, and Sammi had never actually heard them perform. They were fabulous. Fabulous. They moved smoothly from “Carol of the Bells” into “Silent Night,” and Sammi wasn’t the only one in awe. The residents that had gathered in the common room to listen were clearly also enraptured, some of them with eyes closed, others who swayed back and forth in their seats. The room lent to the atmosphere, with a fire crackling in the fireplace and a tall Christmas tree in the corner, decorated in white lights and silver garland. A menorah sat on a table by the window. Various candles and decorations were sprinkled around the room.

Sammi and Keegan had brought four dogs this time, two on the larger side and two smaller ones, as Forest Hills had a pretty large population of residents. Evan took photos of them as they all watched, the dogs shockingly well-behaved, at least for the time being, sitting at their feet as the choir sang.

When the performance was over and the applause had died down, an employee from Forest Hills thanked the choir and then told the residents about Junebug Farms and why Sammi and Keegan were there, along with Evan and Grace. Turned out, the majority of the residents were excited to meet the dogs.

Sammi set the terrier mix she’d brought in the lap of one woman who asked politely if she could hold her. “Absolutely. This is Sugar,” she said, and the terrier turned in a circle and settled right down on the woman’s lap. “Yeah, she clearly hates you.” The woman laughed in delight and petted Sugar’s head gently. “Can I leave her with you for a minute?”

“You can leave her here all night if you want,” the woman said, grinning.

Sammi took the other dog she had with her, a chocolate Lab mix named Chip, and walked around the room with him. He was an old boy but held his head up proudly as people reached out to stroke him. An older man in a wheelchair talked to him.

“Hey, boy. Hi there. How are you?”

Chip seemed to really like him and leaned into his legs.

The man looked up at Sammi. “My Delilah was at Junebug, you know.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Can’t have pets here, sadly, so I had to give her up.”

Sammi’s heart squeezed. “Oh no, I’m so sorry.”

“No, no. Don’t be. She got adopted by a wonderful woman. A teacher. She brings my Delilah by every week to see me.”

Sammi pressed a hand to her chest, surprised and grateful the story didn’t go in the direction she expected. “She does? Oh wow, that’s amazing.”

“It really is. Does my heart good to see her and know she’s being taken care of.”

“I bet it does. That’s perfect.” As the man doted on Chip, Sammi gazed around the room. The choir members were chatting with various residents, and the staff had created a little snack area with coffee, Christmas cookies, and eggnog. Keegan was across the room with her two dogs, talking with a couple women. One of them said something funny, and Keegan threw her head back and laughed loudly. Sammi’s belly fluttered.

“See something you like, do you?” Her grandmother’s voice was quietly teasing behind her, and she turned to meet her smiling gaze.

“You’re a barrel of laughs, Grams.”

“Just call ’em like I see ’em.”

“Also,” Sammi said, not purposely trying to change the subject, but happy to, just the same, “you guys are incredible. I had no idea the choir was so good. Wow.”

Her grandma’s cheeks tinted a soft pink. “Thank you, sweetheart. I’m really enjoying being a part of that group. Nice people. And all ages, which is also nice. I don’t feel like I’m stuck in a group of elderly folks.”

“Not that there’s anything wrong with that,” Sammi said with a grin.

“Not that there’s anything wrong with that.” Her grandma laughed.

The afternoon was lovely, the residents so happy to give the dogs some love. They also shared their Christmas cookies, which four of the residents had baked themselves, and holy deliciousness, they were good.

She and Keegan bade good-bye to Grams, who was going to hang out for just a bit longer, since some of the choir members wanted to sing another song or two, and loaded up the van.

On the ride back to Junebug, all five of them talked about the visit.

“That choir,” Trent said from the driver’s seat. “Good God.”

“Right?” Grace agreed. “They were unbelievable.”

“I think I ate my weight in Christmas cookies,” Sammi said with a grimace, and Keegan laughed.

“How could you not? They were so good.” There was a beat, then Keegan said, “Hey, Trent, I have a question.”

“Shoot.”

“Why is Junebug sending us with dogs to places that can’t have dogs?”

Trent opened his mouth to answer at the same time Grace held up her hand and rubbed her fingers and thumb together. He nodded. “Exactly. We hope they might donate. You’d be surprised the level of donations we get from the elderly community.”

Keegan nodded. “I see. I had no idea.”

“Well, that was a fun afternoon. And only one accident.” Sammi glanced over her shoulder at the crates in the back. “It’s okay, Sugar. We all get a little excited sometimes.”

Junebug wasn’t terribly busy when they got back, which was surprising for a Saturday, but then Sammi heard the woman behind the desk telling Grace that it had been a zoo earlier. That was great news.

They took the dogs back to the dog wing. Lisa had gone home for the night, but there was another woman there who smiled and helped them put the dogs back into their kennels. Sammi, of course, stopped to give Beckett some love. While he was clearly happy to see her, he was also much more low key than he usually was, and it squeezed Sammi’s heart.

She and Keegan left the dog wing together. In the lobby, Sammi put a hand on Keegan’s arm. “Hey, what are you doing for dinner?”

Keegan leaned an elbow on the front desk as she said, “Well, I was planning on a very exciting evening of frozen mac and cheese and a true crime documentary. Why?”

“My grandma’s making her famous veggie lasagna for dinner. Wanna join?”

“You know what? That sounds better than dinner alone. I’d love to.”

“Great!”

Keegan pulled out her phone and held it up. “I need to make a quick call. Can I meet you there? What time?”

Sammi nodded. “Absolutely. Come as soon as you’re done. Just park across the street in my driveway. You know which house is my grandma’s?” Keegan nodded, and Sammi rapped her knuckles on the desk. “Awesome. See you shortly.” She pointed at Keegan as she backed toward the door. “Drive carefully.”

Once outside, she exhaled in relief. She had no idea where that invitation had come from or how she’d managed to extend it without making a fool of herself, but she’d done it. She started her car and got out to brush off the thin dusting of snow that had covered it since they’d been gone. Then she zipped one row back and cleared off Keegan’s, too. Back in her own car, she plugged in her phone, put the car in gear, and told Siri to call her grandmother. When she answered, Sammi couldn’t keep the smile from her face.

“Hey, Grams. You home? Done dazzling the residents of Forest Hills?”

“Just got here, yup.”

“I’m bringing company for dinner. That’s okay, right?”

* * *

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Sammi’s mom’s brow was furrowed with concern.

“What do you mean?” Sammi was helping her set the table for four, laying out forks and the fancy dishes Grandma always used on weekends.

“You know exactly what I mean, Samantha.” Her mom’s voice wasn’t exactly stern, but it was definitely serious. “You like this girl as more than a friend. She’s hurt you once, and now she has a girlfriend. What are you doing?”

Sammi tightened her jaw, not wanting to snap at her mom and also not wanting to respond to that statement at all. That very, very accurate statement. She also didn’t want to answer the question, because the answer to the question was that she had no freaking idea. What was she doing? Not a clue. All she did know was that any chance she got where she could spend time with Keegan, she was probably going to jump at. Bad decision or not.

Her grandmother came out of the kitchen then, oven mitts on her hands, a huge, bubbling pan of lasagna between them.

“Oh my God, that smells amazing,” Sammi said, just as the doorbell rang. “Got it.” She hurried to the door and, hand on the knob, she took a deep breath in through her nose and let it out slowly. Then she pulled it open.

She’d seen Keegan hundreds of times over the course of their friendship, so how was it that she always felt like she was seeing her for the first time? Her auburn hair was down, and it had started to snow out, so flakes were melting on it. She wore a black wool peacoat and boots and carried a bottle of wine in her gloved hands.

“Hi,” she said, and her blue eyes danced. “Long time, no see.”

“Right?” Sammi said and stepped aside. “Come in. Starting to snow, I see.”

“Just a little.” Keegan came in and handed the bottle to Sammi while she toed off her boots and unbuttoned her coat.

Sammi hung it up for her, handed her back the wine, and said, “Come in. You’re right on time.”

“God, it smells incredible in here,” Keegan said as they rounded the corner into the dining room.

Greetings went all around, and her grandma gave Keegan a big hug. “Nice to see you again.”

“Thank you so much for having me.” Keegan handed over the wine. “The girl at the wine store said this would pair well with lasagna, so I hope she was right.”

Before long, they were all seated at the table and enjoying dinner together.

“Oh my God,” Keegan said, through a mouthful of lasagna. “This is so good.”

Sammi’s grandma beamed. “Aren’t you sweet.”

“No, seriously. This is fantastic.” She scooped another forkful into her mouth.

What was wrong with Sammi? There had to be something because she was enjoying watching Keegan eat way too much. Way too much. She glanced up and caught her mother’s eye, one eyebrow arched in disapproval.

“So, Keegan, are you from here in Northwood?” her mother asked.

Keegan nodded as she chewed her mouthful of food. “Yup. Born and raised. I love it here.”

“Yeah? Me, too. What’s your favorite place downtown?” Her mother was all about the questions tonight.

“Oh, that’s easy. The gazebo in McInerny Park.”

Sammi’s head whipped around. “Seriously? I love that place.”

“Right?” Keegan said. “It’s the best place to just sit and hang, especially in the evening when it’s dark and the park is empty.”

“So peaceful,” Sammi agreed. A beat went by before the subject was changed.

“How did things go today?” her grandma asked, thank God. “I was busy singing and then chatting with the choir. How did the dogs do?”

“I’d say they were hits,” Sammi said. “Except for when Sugar peed on the floor.”

“There was a lot going on,” her grandmother said. “I’m sure the poor thing was nervous.”

“Your choir was amazing, Mrs. Sorenson. Like, astonishingly good,” Keegan said. “Right?” She turned to Sammi.

A nod. “They were incredible. I can’t believe I’ve never heard you sing with them before. And the residents were so nice. Oh! I forgot to tell you, one of the men there said he had to give his dog up when he moved into Forest Hills, but that a teacher adopted her and brings her to visit him all the time.”

“That’s so sweet,” Keegan said.

“I wondered if you knew the teacher, but I forgot to ask what her name was.” She frowned.

“I mean, I do know every teacher at every school in Northwood,” Keegan said, a teasing lilt in her tone.

“Valid,” Sammi said with a laugh.

Her grandmother stood up to refill wineglasses all around. When she got to Keegan, she asked, “So, how’s…I’m sorry, what was her name again? Julia?”

“Jules,” Keegan said, holding her glass out. “She’s gone.” It was a simple statement, very matter-of-fact. Then, “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” as Sammi’s grandma nearly overflowed Keegan’s glass.

“She’s gotta drive, Grams,” Sammi said, not sure what to do with the weird nervous feeling suddenly rolling around in her stomach.

“Sorry about that,” her grandma said with a laugh. She returned to her own seat, picked up her fork, and asked, “Gone as in…out of town?”

Sammi looked down at her plate and closed her eyes, and much as she wanted to send an irritated glare across the table at her grandmother, she also wanted to hear the answer.

“Oh no. Gone from my life. It wasn’t working out.” Keegan didn’t seem embarrassed or sad or, honestly, any emotion at all around this news, and Sammi had to try hard to contain her happiness.

“That’s too bad,” Sammi’s mother said. “Breakups are hard. I’m sorry.”

Keegan shook her head. “Don’t be. We hadn’t dated long.” She laughed softly. “Trust me, I’m not heartbroken about it.”

Sammi raised her glass. “To not being heartbroken.”

“Hear, hear,” her grandma said, and they all clinked glasses in the center of the table.

“So, what’s next on the shelter dog project?” Sammi’s mother asked, finally wading into the conversation.

Sammi and Keegan looked at each other blankly for a beat. Two. Then they both burst out laughing. “I have no idea,” Keegan said.

Sammi held up a finger. “Hang on.” She pulled out her phone and scrolled to her email to find the schedule. “Oh, crap, it’s tomorrow.”

“It is? What are we doing?”

Sammi set the phone down and looked at Keegan with a huge grin. “Apparently, we’re sledding.”

* * *

The sled gods were smiling on all the kids who hoped to go sledding on Sunday. Barker’s Creek Park—aptly named for any dog-related activities—had an enormous hill that was hugely popular for sledding, and it had been snowing for several hours by the time Keegan woke up Sunday morning.

She gazed out her kitchen window as she sipped her morning coffee. They’d accumulated several inches overnight, and the snow was still falling in big, fat, fluffy flakes. Her check of her weather app said it was twenty-nine degrees headed to a high of thirty-five, kind of perfect for sledding.

She planned to walk to Barker’s Creek Park. It was literally ten minutes from her apartment building. She’d talked to Sammi about it last night, and Sammi was going to walk as well, though it would be a longer trek for her. Trent would meet them there with Grace, Evan, and whatever dogs had been chosen for this event.

Thinking of Sammi made her mind drift back to last night and that fabulous, strange, momentarily awkward but mostly awesome dinner with Sammi and her family. Mia had definitely been fishing for information, that was obvious. And Sammi was mortified by it, which was also obvious, and Keegan was glad about that because it hopefully meant that Sammi hadn’t put her grandmother up to it. All that being said, though, Keegan found herself surprisingly relieved to have the news about Jules’s departure from her life out on the table.

Jules hadn’t even tried to convince her otherwise, which really said all she needed to know, didn’t it?

“Good riddance,” she whispered as she searched her closet for something to wear. Cocoa was lounging on the bed, watching her as if ready to render an opinion. She couldn’t remember the last time she went sledding—had she still been a teenager?—so she did her best to dress in layers. Thermal underwear, bottoms and top, wool socks, fleece-lined pants, and a sweatshirt. Then at the front door, she added a ski jacket, boots, a knit hat, and some mittens that she hoped were waterproof. Once the temperature climbed above freezing, the snow would become wetter.

She bid her cats good-bye and headed toward the park. The air was brisk, but not freezing cold. While playing in the snow wouldn’t be her first choice of a weekend activity in December, she was feeling the tiniest bit excited about it.

By the time she got to the hill, the snow had stopped, and the clouds were moving out so peeks of sunshine could stream in. Trent had already arrived. She could see the Junebug Farms van parked among the other cars. She could also see dozens of kids and parents and sleds. The place was hopping, that was for sure. It brought a smile to her face.

Grace saw her first. “Hey there,” she said as she held out an arm toward the hill. “What a day for this, huh?”

“It’s gorgeous. I can’t believe the sun’s coming out. I thought it was gonna snow all day.” She peeked into the van to see two very furry dogs in crates, waiting to come out and play. “Hi, guys,” she said to them, and the one that looked to be some kind of Aussie mix began to wag its butt, as its tail was just a little nub. The other one watched her with its one blue eye and one brown eye, its pointy ears and gray coloring telling her it might have some husky in it.

“This is Sheba,” Trent said of the husky, then pointed at the Aussie. “And this is Marco.”

“Are you guys ready to play in the snow? Yeah?” She gave them each pets, and Trent got them out and leashed up.

Keegan checked her phone several times, wondering where Sammi was, but finally saw her cresting the hill to her left. The way her heart picked up speed? Yeah, she tried hard not to notice. She failed. “You made it,” she said as Sammi got closer.

“I did.” Slightly out of breath, Sammi inhaled deeply. “Longer walk than I expected. Hi.”

Sammi looked super cute in her winter gear. Her ski jacket was red and black, and her black knit hat matched her black mittens. It was a sleek look, but also playful. It suited her well. Her cheeks were rosy from her walk, and her eyes were bright.

Trent came up to them with a leash in each hand and a dog at the end of each leash. Both dogs wore deep green vests with gold letters that read ADOPT ME. “Ladies, your playmates for the day.” Grace and Evan joined him.

“So,” Grace said, “I think what we’ll do is have you both wander around the park with the dogs first. Just get people seeing them, especially the kids. We’ll get some stills and some video. Then, if you guys want to sled, we can get some of that as well.”

“Sounds good,” Keegan said, taking Sheba’s leash. Sammi took Marco, and they headed down the side of the hill so they could walk around the park a bit and let the dogs sniff.

It was fun to watch Sammi interact with the kids who came up to her and Marco. Sheba was a bit intimidating, and maybe a bit intimidated, so they stood off to the side a bit and let folks come up to them if they wanted to pet her. But Marco was all about the kids. His entire back end wagged nonstop whenever he got any attention, and Sammi was just as cute. She squatted down to be eye level with the littler kids. She remained slightly aloof around the older kids, who were clearly sucked in by the mystery woman with the cool dog.

The sun was great, and the sky was a breathtaking blue, but it didn’t warm up much, and after an hour, Keegan’s fingertips were nearly numb. Sheba didn’t seem bothered at all and, at one point, lay right down in the snow to watch the people sledding.

“Hey,” Grace said as she came up behind her. “How do you guys feel about taking a run or two down the hill. Without the dogs,” she added with a grin.

What she really wanted was to go home, make some hot cocoa, and pile on the couch in her sweats. But she nodded instead and indicated Sammi several yards away. “I’m in if she’s in.”

She watched as Grace crossed to where Sammi and Marco were chatting with a young boy and his parents. Adoption potential, maybe? She crossed her very cold fingers inside her mittens as she watched Sammi nod, then turn and look her way with a big smile.

Not long after that, the dogs were back in their crates in the warm van, and Keegan sat her butt on a blue plastic toboggan.

“Perfect,” Evan was saying. “The sled and the sky are almost exactly the same color. I love it. Okay, Sammi, you sit here. Spread your legs, Keegan.”

Did her face turn red? Because she felt it heat up at the double entendre of his words and hoped nobody else noticed. Though if Sammi’s not-very-hidden grin was any indication, she had noticed. She plopped herself in front of Keegan and tucked her legs onto the plastic as best she could. It was tight, her back pressed all up against Keegan’s front. Despite the cold, she could still smell the raspberry scent of Sammi’s hair where it peeked out from under her hat.

“Bring your legs in,” Sammi said, yanking Keegan out of her daydream.

“What?”

Sammi patted her thighs with her mittened hands. “These. Bring ’em in or you’re gonna wreck us.”

“Oh! Oh, right.” And she moved her legs so they were inside the toboggan, and pressed up against Sammi’s, and Keegan realized in that moment that pretty much every part of their bodies were touching. Legs, torsos, arms, even their heads were close enough to press together.

Sammi grabbed both Keegan’s hands and wrapped them around her torso. “Hold on to me. I don’t want to go flying off.”

Keegan tightened her grip.

“Ready?” Grace asked as Evan was snapping away.

“Hang on,” he said, then hurried about halfway down the hill. When he seemed to find a spot he liked, he waved back to Grace.

Sammi patted her on the leg. “Ready?”

“Ready,” Keegan said, then felt Grace’s hands on her back.

“Go!”

They slid over the crest of the hill and tipped down, picking up speed alarmingly fast. The snow had been packed solid from everybody sledding on it all day, and now it was almost ice. The toboggan shot downward, past Evan, who had his phone up, taking great video, she hoped. A whoop of delight came from Sammi, who threw her arms up in the air as if they were on a roller coaster as she leaned back into Keegan.

She tightened her grip on Sammi until the hill leveled off and they began to slow, finally cruising to a stop. Sammi still lay against her, breathing heavily, her breaths puffs of vapor in the cold air, a huge smile on her face.

“That was amazing.”

“That was terrifying,” Keegan said with a laugh.

Sammi turned so she could see her face. “It was? Does that mean you won’t do it one more time?” Her expression was…sad wasn’t the right word. Concerned? Hopeful? Both things? Sammi wanted to do another run, that was clear. And what Keegan wanted was to make her happy.

Without stopping to examine that, she said simply, “I can do one more run.”

“Yes!” Sammi moved her arm in a fist pump, then turned and planted a loud, smacking kiss on Keegan’s cheek. “Come on, let’s go!”

Keegan was hauled to her feet, and they began the trek back up the hill. She couldn’t help the smile on her face.

* * *

“You doing okay?” Keegan asked Sammi as they walked.

“I’m fucking freezing,” Sammi replied with a laugh. “That last wipeout got me good.”

Keegan chuckled along with her. “You had to do one more run.”

“I did.” Sammi shook her head with a smile as she recalled insisting on one last run down the hill. Keegan had bowed out, so Sammi went alone. On her stomach. She had to zig and zag to avoid a couple of kids and ended up tipping herself right out of the toboggan toward the bottom of the hill where the snow was no longer smooth and icy.

“I pretty much filled my jacket with snow,” she said with an exaggerated shiver.

“I know. I was there.” Keegan laughed softly again. “We’re almost home. Hang in there.”

Ten minutes later, they were in Keegan’s apartment, and then she was in Keegan’s bedroom with some of Keegan’s sweats, Keegan ordering her out of her clothes so she could toss them in the dryer.

“I’ll get changed and make us some hot chocolate.”

What a day, Sammi thought, replaying all their fun in her head. The dogs, the sledding, the shots Evan had captured. Several people had stopped them to ask for details about both Marco and Sheba, and she was pretty sure they’d both be adopted by Christmas. Trent said several more folks stopped by the van to get information about donating. It was a successful day, she’d say. And now, she was standing in Keegan’s bedroom about to put on some of her clothes.

She took a moment to look around. Being in somebody’s bedroom was a privilege, as it was often a sanctuary. The walls were white—as was the whole apartment because Keegan rented, she didn’t own—but there was lots of sunny yellow to brighten things up. Her bed was a queen, her comforter white with a bright yellow abstract design. Lots of pillows. In fact, it was so inviting, Sammi had to make a conscious effort not to dive onto it and burrow into those pillows. She had one large dresser, the surface very clean except for a small jewelry box and two framed photos. One was of three people that must have been her family—two older folks who were likely Keegan’s parents, and Shannon, who was so much a younger version of Keegan. The other was of her cats, lounging in a ray of sunlight. There was a small desk tucked in a corner, also very neat. The nightstands held matching lamps, and a stack of books and a glass of water rested on one.

Keegan sleeps on the left, Sammi thought with a smile. Shaking herself into action, she stripped out of her very wet clothes and stepped into Keegan’s. The sweatpants were gray and a tiny bit long on her, and the hoodie was navy blue and very worn in, super soft. Everything smelled clean and fresh and like Keegan, and Sammi took a moment to stand there with her head inside the sweatshirt and just inhale.

All right. Pull yourself together.

She gathered her things and headed out to the kitchen. “Hi,” she said, as Keegan pulled mugs from a cabinet. “Where’s the dryer?”

Keegan had taken clothes with her when she left Sammi in her room and now looked as comfortable as Sammi felt in black joggers and an oversized red sweatshirt, the neckline worn and ragged. Keegan turned to look at her, then blinked several times and had to clear her throat. “Oh, right here. Gimme.” She took Sammi’s wet clothes from her hands and opened a discreet folding door in the hall that hid a stacking washer and dryer.

“Oh, sneaky.”

“It was a requirement in an apartment for me. I love my mom, but I was not about to schlep my laundry to her house every weekend like a college kid. And Laundromats skeeve me out.”

Sammi laughed. “Understood.”

Back in the kitchen, the water was boiling, so Keegan poured it into the mugs with the hot chocolate, and then handed one to Sammi. She pulled out whipped cream and marshmallows and spoons.

“Wow. You have all the trimmings,” Sammi commented with an approving nod, picking up her spoon to stir.

“My mom always put either whipped cream or marshmallows in my hot chocolate when I was a kid, and now it feels naked without them.”

“Naked hot chocolate. Interesting.” Oh yes, keep hitting her with random sexual innuendos. That’s not awkward at all. Sammi sighed internally, annoyed at herself. She reached for the marshmallows and stuffed three into her mug.

“You don’t mess around.”

“Not when it comes to marshmallows. No.”

“Wanna sit?”

They moved to the living room and sat on the couch at opposite ends. There was a cat on the back of the couch, and another lying in front of the heat vent down by the floor. Sammi watched as Keegan sat, legs folded under her, so she was facing Sammi, mug in hand. “I thought today went well.”

Sammi nodded. “Me, too. Lots of questions from lots of people.”

“I wonder if Jessica is happy with the way things have gone. Do you think we’re raising money?”

“It’s kind of hard to tell, isn’t it?” Sammi ventured a sip of her hot chocolate, the marshmallows buffering her lips from the too hot liquid. “I bet my grandma would know.”

“You mean your grandma the matchmaker?” Keegan’s voice held a hint of playfulness, but Sammi still felt herself blanch.

“Oh God, I’m so sorry about that. She thinks she’s being subtle when she’s really not.” Ugh. She’d suspected Keegan knew exactly what her grandma was doing, but to have her say it out loud was just mortifying.

But Keegan laughed softly and waved a dismissive hand and didn’t seem upset by it at all. “Don’t be. I think it’s cute.” Then she sipped her hot chocolate, and her eyes stayed on Sammi over the rim the whole time. She had a trace of marshmallow on her top lip, which she swiped off with her tongue, and everything in Sammi headed south. “She really wants us together,” Keegan said softly, and the tone of her voice seemed almost amused.

Sammi struggled for words for a beat before saying again, “Sorry about that.” What else could she say?

Again, Keegan smiled and didn’t seem to be bothered at all. “I think it’s sweet.”

“You do?”

Keegan nodded and sipped again. Then she completely changed the subject. “So. Only ten days until Christmas. What do we have left in our queenly duties?”

Sammi didn’t have to look at her phone. She’d checked earlier. “Just two things left.” She’d been both relieved and disappointed when she’d seen that. “We’re bringing gifts to the kids in the pediatric unit of the hospital who have to stay there over Christmas. Next Saturday. The parade is at eleven, then we go to the hospital.”

“Oh, the kids will be so happy to see the dogs.”

“I think Jessica is getting a couple of them cleared to be there.” She frowned. “I think it’ll be a mixed bag. It’s so sad that they have to be there over Christmas.”

Keegan leaned forward and patted her knee. “We’ll cheer them up. That’ll be our job. Presents and dogs. What’s not to love? You should bring Beckett.”

“I’m not sure he’s one who’s getting cleared, but maybe.”

“Fingers crossed.”

They were quiet for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts about kids in hospitals over Christmas. When Sammi pulled herself out of her own head, Keegan was looking at her, head tipped to the side. “What?”

“I like you here in my space.”

Well, that was a surprise. “Yeah?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“I like being in your space.”

Their gazes held. “What if I pop some popcorn and refill our hot chocolate and we curl up under a blanket and watch a Christmas movie?” Keegan grimaced. “Does that sound boring?”

“Are you kidding? That sounds absolutely perfect.” And it did.

It didn’t take long with them working together. Keegan popped a big bowl of popcorn, complete with melted butter, while Sammi refilled their mugs. Her clothes had dried, so she removed them from the dryer and folded them into a neat pile, then laid them on a chair by the door, in no hurry to give up wearing Keegan’s clothes. Soon they were back in the living room.

Keegan pulled a big, fluffy green blanket off the back of the couch, then sat down in the middle and patted the spot next to her. “Sit, so we both have blanket.”

Sammi swallowed but did as she was told, and soon she was warm and toasty, covered in the soft blanket, her thigh pressed against Keegan’s, a bowl of popcorn balanced directly between them. Keegan put her feet up on the coffee table and crossed her legs at the ankle, so Sammi did the same. It was blissful comfort, and she never wanted to move.

“What should we watch?” Keegan asked.

“I don’t care,” Sammi said, and it was the most honest thing she’d said all day. Keegan could put on WWE wrestling or a monster truck rally, and she’d be fine with that, as long as she could stay right where she was until the end of time.

“Understood,” Keegan said, and it seemed like she actually did. She pushed buttons on the remote until a Hallmark movie popped up.

It was perfect. If Sammi had to describe a more perfect winter afternoon, she wouldn’t have been able to. The movie, the popcorn, the company. Especially the company. She didn’t really pay attention to the movie. She didn’t have to. Somebody returned to their tiny hometown from the big city, fell in love with the person they dated in high school, and decided not to go back to the big city. Sure, there were some other details thrown in there—a factory being shut down or a Christmas concert in danger of being canceled or something like that—but the ending was the same as every other movie like it. A happily ever after, usually complete with either softly falling snow or a giant Christmas tree lighting in the center of town. Sammi didn’t care. She loved every one of those movies, some more than others, but every one of them, and it made for the most blissful setting of the evening.

As if reading her mind, Keegan gave a soft, dreamy sigh. “I know people mock these movies, but I don’t care. They serve a purpose. They make me happy. And they make me excited about Christmas.”

“Hundred percent,” Sammi said, and when she turned to look at Keegan, she realized just how close their faces were. They’d hunkered down under the blanket. Their thighs touched. Their shoulders touched. And their faces were so close. Very close. Dangerously close. Too close. All she needed to do was lean the tiniest bit, and their lips would meet. Just the slightest lean—

And then Keegan leaned.

Their lips met.

It was soft. Tender. Sweet.

“Oh,” Keegan said as they parted, and she brought her fingertips to her lips. She appeared more surprised than horrified. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.

“I’m not,” Sammi said. A soft smile later, she slid out from under the blanket. “I think I should probably go.” She moved to the chair where her clothes were piled, then toward the door where her boots and coat were.

“Okay,” Keegan said quietly.

“You sure?” Sammi asked. Keegan blinked at her, and words seemed to escape her. “Oh, you’re not sure. Good. That’s good.” She quickly ordered an Uber on her phone, then stepped into her boots and slipped on her coat. The whole time, Keegan stayed on the couch, blinking and looking a little bit confused.

Sammi was okay with that.

Finally, as she was zipping up her coat, Keegan pushed to her feet and walked toward her. She cleared her throat before saying, “I’m really glad you came.”

“You know what, Keegan? This was the best day I’ve had in a really long time. Thank you for that.” She reached out and gave her a quick hug, forced herself not to linger, not to inhale deeply and take in Keegan’s scent, not to tighten her hold and wish to hold her forever. Just a quick hug, and then she let go. “I’ll get these clothes back to you soon.” As if on cue, her phone notified her of the arrival of her Uber. She held it up and tipped it back and forth as proof. “Talk to you later, yeah?”

Without waiting for a response, she pushed out the door and hurried down to the lobby, smiling. She didn’t look back. Leaving Keegan with her clearly complicated feelings was the absolute right move. She was sure of it.