Page 145 of Show Me

His arm brushes mine this time. “Coffee’s done.”

“I can get it.”

“I’ve got it.” He pours it anyway, sets the mug in front of me like it’s part of whatever this together thing is.

I wrap my hands around the mug, grounding myself in the heat. “You don’t have to do all this.”

He doesn’t look at me. “I know.”

His answer holds the same certainty as his other response. Before, it felt like I was an obligation. Helping because he felt like I was a damsel in distress. Now, it feels different. It feels like he wants to be here. Like he belongs here. With me.

He scoots out a chair, grabbing his socks and frowning. There’s only one sock. I bite my lips together to keep from laughing. “Missing something?”

“Yeah.” His mouth is pressed into a firm line. “It appears that I’m missing a sock.”

“He’s upgraded.” I point to Squirt’s dog bed where Xavier’s white sock dangles from his snout like a trophy.

“Damn thief.” He shakes his head as he retrieves the sock, making quick work of putting both his socks and boots on. “It’s a good thing he can’t carry around boots.”

I hum as I taste the eggs. They’re warm and surprisingly good—a man of many talents. Heat swirls through me. Don’t think about what else he’s good at.

He grabs his jacket off the chair. “I’ll feed the pigs.”

“I can do it.”

“I’ve got it.” Again. Not a question. He heads for the back door, pulling it open, cold air rushing in before it shuts behind him.

I set the fork down, staring at the plate in front of me. Xavier doesn’t do relationships. He doesn’t stay. But he’s staying. He’s doing the things that a boyfriend does. I push my chair back and step toward the window, pulling the curtain aside enough to see outside. He’s already at the pen, Samson watching him like he’s deciding whether to allow it.

Xavier leans over the fence, checking the latch, then grabs the feed bucket without hesitation. Samson grunts, stepping forward. The piglets follow like they expect him to be the one feeding them. Because now it feels like this is what he does.

I let the curtain fall back into place, stepping away from the window. The coffee’s still warm in my hands. The plate is still half full. Everything is exactly where it should be.

Chapter Seventy-Seven

Xavier

Several Days Later

The TV’s on. Something loud, something with intermittent laughter, something neither of us is paying attention to. It fills the space anyway.

Ruby sits at the kitchen table, laptop open, a notebook beside her. Highlighter cap between her teeth as she stares at the screen. Everything feels different now. Not the studying. The way it doesn't feel like she's pushing me out of her life anymore.

I shift on the couch, stretching my legs out. She mutters something under her breath. Then backspaces half a paragraph. I grin. “There she is.”

Her eyes flick up. “What?”

“You only threaten innocent electronics when you're annoyed.”

“I wasn't threatening it.”

“You were.”

She rolls her eyes and goes back to typing. The smile lingers anyway. “How’s it going?”

“Good. I’m writing about the skeletal system.”

“The what?”