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“You should have bought the Subaru. It fits an entire skeleton in its cargo,andyou can hose off the mats afterward.”
He shuddered. Probably at the thought of hosing out his very expensive trunk of his very expensive car. “I’m not driving a Subaru.”
“Idrive a Subaru.”
“Exactly.”
“I thoughtthatwas extravagant.”
“Since when did you become a hippie?”
“Right after you became Frasier Crane. I’m a goth. Not a hippie. Get your countercultures straight.” I shoved a mittened finger at him.
“After you take off those awful mittens.” He snorted, his breath forming a cloud. “And I’m not a Frasier. I’m a Niles.”
“They’re warm.”
“They’re pilling.” His mouth contorted into a horrified sneer.
I giggled. “You really are a Niles.” We were quiet for a while, then I burst out laughing. Chris followed, albeit less of a guffaw and more of a pleasantly jolly chuckle that highlighted his crooked smile and vampiric eyeteeth.
He looked pointedly at me. “You think your mood has nothing to do with the fact that it’s three days until Christmas and you’re the pastor’s wife, expected at church? I’ve never known you to be less than cold-hardy. You’re always the one ready to crawl into disgusting places to search through God knows what to find the smallest bone fragment.”
“He’s a priest, not a pastor,” I frowned and breathed into my hands.
“My point, exactly. Look, if you’re not going to use the hand warmer, I want it back. My other pocket’s cold.”
“I forgot already.”
“You miss your husband.”
“So?”
He was looking at me funny. Or maybe it was that his nose was practically frostbitten, and his glasses had frost crystals accumulating on them.
“I’ve just never seen you like this before.”
“Like what?”
He didn’t say anything for a minute. “Happy.” He nodded, smiling at me.
“You just called me grumpy.”
“You’re grumpy because you’re used to being happy now. It’s nice, Decca.”
“I’m sensing a ‘but.’”
“No. Ah... no.”
“Talk, Chris.”
His jaw muscles flexed. “I want you to interview for the job. You owe it to yourself to go there. See the FAC with fresh eyes. Director’s eyes. See yourself there and then...” He sighed.
“Then what?”
“Then turn it down. If you still don’t want it.”
“I already know I don’t want it.” I handed him his pocket warmer back and stepped away. They had to be ready for us by now. “With any luck, there won’t be any teeth left in the skull and you can head back before the storm.”
