Page 113 of Safe With You
“I’m standing.”
“With a smile on your face.”
“That’s allowed.”
“Barely.”
Behind her, Naomi waved. “Have fun!”
“We’re getting food,” Luna called back.
“I know!”
Luna closed her eyes for half a second like she was reconsidering every decision that had led to hiring Naomi. I opened the door before she could decide to stay out of spite.
“After you.”
She walked past me, muttering, “If she texts me while we’re gone, I’m blocking her.”
“You’re not blocking her.”
“No, but thinking about it makes me feel better.”
The door closed behind us, cutting off Naomi’s laughter, and the late-morning Mississippi heat met us immediately.
The restaurant was only a few blocks away, close enough that I’d planned to walk, but before I started down the sidewalk, I glanced at Luna’s feet.
She caught me.
“Why did you look at my feet?”
“Making sure you can walk.”
Her eyebrows lifted. “Excuse me?”
“To the restaurant,” I clarified. “I meant the shoes.”
Luna looked down at the flat sandals she was wearing, then back at me like I’d somehow made the explanation worse.
“These?”
“I’ve made the mistake of assuming a woman could walk somewhere because she was wearing shoes before.”
“Who?”
The question came easily.
My answer didn’t.
Elena.
For half a second, I could see her standing outside a restaurant in Memphis, looking at me like I’d personally designed the heels she’d insisted on wearing. We’d parked four blocks away because I’d said it wasn’t far.
She’d reminded me of that statement for years.
“My wife.”
The word left my mouth before I thought about whether Luna knew.
