Page 82 of Free Fall

“You have notifs turned on for KPop groups?” Dan asks.

“Yes?Youhave notifs turned on for Ice & Rock’s account,” I point out.

He lifts his hands in surrender. “I was just curious.”

I kiss his cheek in apology for my defensiveness. “Anyway, I’m going to do it. Take on the house and the cats. The real question is what to do when she comes back. I can’t move out of Martin and Leenie’s place and then ask to move back in. Though maybe they’ll appreciate me more once I’m gone. No more free babysitting and helping out when the plumbing company overschedules Martin.”

“Can you really fix plumbing?” Dan asks, once again not staying on topic and instead darting off down some side rabbit hole.

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”

“I don’t know.” He twines his hands into my hair again. He loves playing with it, and I like how it feels when he does. “I just don’t see you as the kind of guy who likes being on his knees.”

“Excuse me? I get on my knees for you all the time.”

He kisses the side of my face. “You know what I mean.”

“You don’t think I can do dirty work or something? That it?”

“No, I…” Dan tilts his head, pondering a moment and then says, “I guess it’s because I’ve never seen you in that mode. Like how you’ve never seen me up on a big wall. I’m sure you have a hard time picturing me there.”

I wince. “I can picture it far too well.”

I’ve spent way too much time imagining Dan up on a wall, no ropes, fingers slipping…ugh. It makes me nauseated. I’ve made a point of never taking him up on his offers to do any day climbs. I’ve agreed to other night climbs, though, so long as it’s no more than we did before. But I can tell he really wants me to go up a bigger wall with him. See him in his element. Show off for me.

But I don’t know if I want to see that. He can show off for me plenty here in the van—show off his body, his passion, his strength, his intelligence, his focus. I can experience it all without having to see him do something that terrifies me.

“Anyway,” I try again. “I’m excited about the housesitting. Muggs loved me. He was purring in my lap for half the conversation.”

“That demon took a chunk out of my hand once.” Dan shows me a scar at the fleshiest part of his palm. “It got infected, and I couldn’t climb for two weeks.”

“What did you do to him?”

Dan huffs. “I sat down? I don’t know? Cats just hate me. Like Jeremiah.”

“Jeremiah’s not a cat. He’s more like a puppy.”

“He’s an adorable little brat,” Dan says. “I want him to like me, but I stole his favorite Sejin away, and he can’t forgive me for that.” He smiles up at me and touches my hair again. “I can’t blame him.”

“Peggy Jo’s the one taking me away from Jeremiah. You just borrow me.” I smile and then remember. “Have you seen her backyard view? It’s so beautiful. Mountains on mountains, and that shimmery ribbon of creek down below. I could sit there all day drinking coffee and staring at it.”

“When will you move in?”

“Sunday.”

“She’s leaving so soon?”

“Her daughter is feeling anxious, and Peggy Jo wants to be with her to help prepare the apartment for the baby.”

“She’ll be a good grandmother.”

I study Dan for a long moment and finally ask the question that’s been niggling at the back of my mind for a few weeks now. “Danny?”

He doesn’t react to me using the cutesy version of his name. “Mm?”

“What are we doing?”

“We’re resting while it rains.”