Page 107 of Something Like Winter

“Nostalgia,” Allison repeated. “Maybe it could work, but to find out, you would have to wreck a two-year relationship.”

“Ben and I were together a year,” he retorted, but that sounded lame even to his own ears. How much of that time did Ben spend trying to get Tim to ditch Krista and admit his feelings? With Jace, it was probably fireworks and valentines from the very beginning. Maybe Allison was right. He didn’t stand a chance.

But once he had dropped her off, Tim’s mind wandered back to that kiss in the grotto, how more than their bodies had caught fire. They belonged together, and Tim wasn’t about to make the same mistake again. This time he wouldn’t let Ben go.

* * * * *

“We need to talk.”

Tim tried to analyze Ben’s voice. Over the phone he couldn’t rely on facial expression. Did he sound wistful? Reluctant?

“About what?” Tim replied.

Ben hesitated. “Everything.”

That was vague. “Okay. Like this, or—?”

“Can I come over?”

“Yeah! Of course. How about right now?”

“All right.” Ben didn’t sound particularly happy or excited. “I’ll see you soon.”

Tim paced the house for the next hour, walking to the front windows and checking the driveway. This was bad. Had Ben said “Ineedto see you!” he wouldn’t be worried right now. Instead they were going to talk, but what couldn’t be said over the phone? Of course this could be a good thing. In person, they could pick up where they had left off.

When Ben’s car pulled in the driveway, Tim was already out the door and standing in the yard before the engine went silent. Ben seemed preoccupied, barely looking in his direction. Then the car door opened and something small and fat hopped out and ran to him, its whole body quivering with excitement.

Tim stared in surprise. “You got a dog?”

“No,” Ben corrected, “yougot a dog.”

Tim squatted, the puppy doing little leaps to lick at his face. The little booger was ugly in the most adorable way possible. Tim stroked its head and jiggled its furry sides, laughing at the loose skin that looked like a kid dressed up in grownup clothing. “This is a bulldog, right?”

“Yeah.” Ben kneeled on the grass, the puppy running back and forth between them. “I was on my way over here and stopped for some beer— uh, which I totally forgot about—and there was this lady looking for a good home for these puppies. I figure not many people have a home better than you.”

Tim sniffed, but not because he was moved. “What smells like pee?”

“That would be me.” Ben winced. “She got excited and peed all over my shirt.”

“It’s a girl? Hm. She needs a good Spanish name.Pepitamaybe.”

Ben flashed him a smile, always loving it when Tim broke out the foreign lingo. “What’s that mean?”

“Pumpkin seed. Sounds cute, doesn’t it?”

Ben shook his head. “Too random!”

Tim grabbed the puppy, trying to get her to hold still for a few seconds so he could take a look. The little fat body and squashed face reminded him of another animal. “Then she’ll be my little Chinchilla! Isn’t that right, my stubby little puppy? Are you my Chinchilla?”

The dog barked, causing them to laugh. Tim met Ben’s eye, catching the tender admiration there, but he was still worried. This hadn’t been the plan. Ben meant to pick up beer for their big talk, which was probably intended to soften the blow. But maybe Chinchilla had earned him another shot.

“I don’t have anything a dog needs. Let’s go shopping!”

“What, now?”

“Yeah, why not?”

After running into the house to fetch Ben a clean shirt, they piled into Tim’s car like a perfect little family and headed to a huge pet store. Normally Tim tried to be cautious with the money Eric had left him, but not today. He splurged on everything a dog could need from the very best puppy food to just about every toy the store offered. He even ordered a dog house to be delivered—not that Chinchilla would need to sleep there unless she wanted to.