Kitabı oku: «The Mighty Quinns: Jack», sayfa 2

They pulled the luggage out of the trunk of the Mercedes and walked around to the rear of the spacious home. Though the house didn’t qualify as an estate, it was spacious and comfortable and one of the nicest properties in Marin County. Her father’s work had made it possible for the family to live without financial worries. But according to her father, Elyse and her three children hadn’t been as lucky.

The guest cottage was located behind the house, set near the pool and the tennis court. As they walked down the path, she heard Jack chuckle softly.

“What?”

“This is your guest house?”

“Is there something wrong?”

“No. It’s just that it’s bigger than the house I grew up in.”

Mia opened the front door and stepped aside to let him pass. She watched as he took in the beautiful interior. Her mother had redecorated both houses about five years ago and Mia had helped her with her choices. The guest cottage had been her favorite and she and her mother had been very proud of how it turned out. Mia had lived in the cottage the year after her mother had died, the space reminding her of the time they’d spent choosing colors and fabrics.

“The bedrooms are back here,” she said.

But he didn’t follow her. Instead, he stood in the middle of the living room. “Let me ask you a question. How do you feel about this whole thing? This visit.”

Mia slowly turned, setting the bag down beside her. “You mean our parents?”

“Don’t you find it a little…odd?”

She sighed deeply and smiled. “Yes?” Finally, someone who understood how she felt. “It’s not that I don’t want my father to be happy. After everything that’s happened, he deserves to find some happiness. But bringing a complete stranger into our family this late in the game just seems so…unnecessary. I know he imagines himself in love with—”

Jack gasped. “In love? Your father is in love with my—”

“Well, he hasn’t really said it,” she interrupted. “But he’s been so excited about this visit.” Mia paused. “What about your mother?”

“She says they’re just friends. My father was her one and only.”

“Well, then, maybe that’s the case. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions. After all, at their age, romance seems a little too much to hope for.”

“Right. Those feelings go away once you turn…what? Fifty?”

“Sixty,” she said.

“And there’s the matter of the distance,” Jack said. “My mother lives in Chicago. Your father lives here. They could never carry on a relationship over that distance.”

“Absolutely right.”

Jack frowned. “Who knows, they might not even enjoy being together this weekend.”

“Yeah, maybe they won’t even like each other.” She met his gaze and saw the doubt there. Mia walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottled water. “Would you like something to drink? Or maybe something to eat?”

“Do you have a beer?”

She pulled one out and handed it to him, then opened a bottle of water for herself and took a long drink. She had to be very clever about this. After all, her father was in a very vulnerable state and Elyse was a beautiful woman. If she had no feelings for him, then everything was fine. But what if she developed feelings for Mia’s father, only to crush his heart later.

Mia pushed away from the counter. “Why don’t we get out of here and get some dinner? I’m sure our parents don’t need us hanging around, hovering.”

She watched as he took a long sip of his beer. Even the way he drank beer was sexy, so casual, so masculine. Her breath caught in her throat and for a long moment, she didn’t breathe. The thoughts running through her mind were just a little bit preposterous. And yet, she couldn’t deny that Jack Quinn’s presence here was like a gift.

It had been too long since she’d had a man in her bed. And now, she’d been given the perfect opportunity—he was handsome, sexy, available and he’d go home at the end of the weekend. Why not take advantage while she could?

She took another swallow of the water, but it went down wrong. Mia coughed, putting her hand on her chest. Her eyes began to water and Jack crossed the room and gently patted her back.

“Are you all right?”

His warm hand smoothed over her back and she nodded. But she wasn’t okay. Her thoughts focused on his touch. She wanted him to kiss her, but she wasn’t sure exactly how to make it seem as if it was his idea. “I—I’m fine,” she said, taking another sip of water. “I think we should go.”

“Lead on,” Jack said.

Mia walked toward the door, but she was sorely tempted to turn around and walk into the bedroom, just to see what he’d do. If she’d thought he’d follow her, Mia might have tried it.

“YOU HAVE TO TRY the fish tacos,” Mia said, jumping out of the Mini Cooper and slamming the door behind her. Jack crawled out of the car and followed her up to the window of the roadside taco stand.

He stared up at the menu, working his way through the extensive list of choices. After finding their parents engrossed in a study of an old picture album, Jack and Mia had hopped into her car and driven toward the coast. They’d pulled off the highway about fifteen minutes later at a small wooden shack with picnic tables gathered around it.

“I’ve never had a fish taco,” Jack said.

“Don’t they have them in Chicago?”

“We’re kind of hot dog and pizza people there,” Jack explained. “Although it’s a great city for food, so I’m sure there are plenty of places to go for fish tacos. I’ve just never had one.”

“Well, Manny’s is the best,” she said. “It’s been around forever. My girlfriends and I used to come here when we were in high school, looking to meet boys. Lots of surfers used to hang out here. Blond, tan, smelling like the ocean.”

She ordered a basket of four fish tacos and a couple of beers. When the server handed her a tray, she turned and headed toward one of the picnic tables.

The songs had always touted the superiority of California girls, but Jack had never really seen the attraction. But here, beneath the late-afternoon sun, with a warm breeze blowing off the ocean, he couldn’t recall ever meeting a woman more captivating than Mia McMahon.

She grabbed a taco from the basket and bit into it. Jack followed suit and when the mix of fish and fresh tomato and avocado and cheese all melded in his mouth, he groaned softly.

“Good, right?”

“Wow. Really not what I expected,” he said.

“I know.” She grinned. “So tell me why you decided to come to California with your mother. Don’t you have a job? Or are you a professional mama’s boy?”

Jack chuckled. “I wasn’t completely convinced that your father wasn’t some kind of letch just looking for a little action from a sweet and trusting woman, so I decided to come along and check him out personally. And yes, I do have a job. I’m a sports writer. What do you do? Let me guess. You’re either a professional houseguest insulter or a roadside restaurant critic?”

“I’m a graphic designer. I have my own studio. We do a lot of work for restaurants and hotels in the Bay area. Menus, signs, point of sale displays. I designed the sign right over there for Manny.”

Jack glanced over his shoulder. “The dancing tacos?”

“They’re not dancing, they’re hitchhiking,” she said. “This is a roadside taco stand. They want a ride.” Mia frowned. “I guess it does look like they’re dancing.”

God, she was adorable, Jack mused. Everything she said was endlessly fascinating, even when it didn’t make sense. He took another bite. “I’ve never seen tacos with legs and arms…and faces, but they look good. You’re good.”

That brought a laugh. “And you’re not a very good liar,” she countered. “Don’t you think this whole thing is kind of strange?”

“Hitchhiking tacos?”

“No, my dad and your mom. It’s kind of unexpected.”

He drew a deep breath and nodded. “My dad died twenty-two years ago. I was nine. And since then, Mom’s never shown the slightest bit of interest in dating. But she and your dad are old friends. Their families used to spend summers together. It’s just a chance to revisit the past.”

“My father told me, about a year ago, that he could never see himself with another woman. That my mom was his one true love. I believed him.”

“They’re looking for companionship,” Jack said. “Isn’t that what people their age want? I can’t imagine they’re in it for the sex.”

She clapped her hands over her ears. “Stop. I don’t want to listen to that.”

Jack reached out and pulled her hands away. “At one time they were our age,” he said. “I’m sure there were times when they felt that kind of gut-deep attraction for someone. You know, when you feel like you can’t breathe and your head gets all fuzzy?” He was very familiar with that feeling, since it had happened to him the moment he’d first seen Mia.

She forced a smile. “Yeah, I know.” Mia reached for her beer and took a long sip. “So do you really think that all stops at fifty?”

He shook his head. “No. But then, I’m a guy. I can’t believe it’s ever going to stop. I’d like to think I’ll be interested in sex until I’m at least eighty or ninety years old. What about you?”

“I can’t imagine my father having thoughts like that,” Mia murmured.

“I wouldn’t worry about it. My mother is very comfortable in Chicago and your father is comfortable here. When you get to be that age, you just don’t turn your life upside down and move away from the only home you’ve known for the past thirty years.”

She finished her taco and nodded. “We shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves. But we should be prepared to discourage a romance.” Mia sighed softly. “It would just be so awkward. The holidays would be the worst. Having a stranger there, in place of my mother. It wouldn’t feel right.”

“Who says she’d want to spend the holidays here? She’s always spent Christmas in Chicago with our family.”

“See, that’s what this leads to. It would be a nightmare. I’m glad we agree that there should be no romance. If it looks like it’s getting too hot and heavy, we’re going to have to step in.”

“Now I’m starting to feel like the parent,” Jack said.

“It’s what happens. My father only dated one woman in his entire life. He’s not ready for romance.”

They finished their tacos and beers, then carried their tray back to the window. Jack walked to the driver’s side of the car and reached for the door, but Mia suddenly turned around to face him. “But what if there is an attraction?” she murmured, her gaze fixed on his. “And what if they act on it?”

He stared down at her. They were standing so close he could smell the scent of her perfume, could feel the heat from her body. Jack clenched his hands into fists to keep himself from reaching out and touching her. The breeze toyed with a strand of her hair and he imagined how it might feel between his fingers.

“I suppose we’ll deal with that when it happens,” he said softly.

Jack leaned in slightly, testing, searching for an equal and opposite reaction. Her lips parted slightly and the need to taste her was almost overwhelming. His gaze drifted down to her mouth. But somewhere, in the back of his mind, a tiny voice told him to stop.

Indulging in his own attraction would be a huge risk. Though Mia was beautiful, she could also distract him from his purpose, which was getting his mother back to Chicago, safely and with her heart intact. And yet, even though his instincts told him to back off, Jack couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to just let go.

He sucked in a sharp breath, then reached around her and opened the car door. “We should probably get going,” he murmured.

“Right,” she said, avoiding his gaze.

He smiled to himself as he circled the car. This was the last place on earth he would have ever expected to find a woman who tied him up in knots. Had he known he’d meet someone like Mia, he might have decided to stay at home. Though it would be difficult, he was going to have to keep their relationship strictly platonic.

Unless, of course, she convinced him otherwise.

2

“WHAT IS SHE LIKE? Is she pretty? Is she putting on the full court press or is she playing it coy?”

Mia sighed, leaning back against the edge of the kitchen counter as she spoke on her cell phone with her sister Danielle. “She seems really nice. And she is pretty in a very natural way. She has beautiful skin.”

“Probably had plastic surgery,” Dani said.

“I don’t think so. I think she’s just naturally beautiful. Like Mom.” Mia swallowed hard. “To be honest, I think Mom probably would have liked her.” She peeked out the back door to watch her father and Jack’s mother. They were enjoying cocktails on the rear terrace, caught up in another private conversation between the two of them.

Dani gasped. “What are you saying? Are you saying you like her?”

“No! I barely know her,” Mia protested. “I’m just saying that she isn’t some evil stepmonster, out to steal all our father’s money and make our holidays a living hell. I don’t even think she’s interested in romance.”

“Every single woman is interested in romance. Especially with a rich and somewhat sexy guy.”

“Seriously, I’m watching them right now,” Mia said. “All they do is talk.”

“What else have you found out?”

“Not much. I’ve been a little preoccupied with other matters.”

“What could be more important than this?” Dani cried.

Mia pulled the phone away from her ear and waited for her sister to calm down. Finally, after a few minutes, it seemed safe to proceed. “She brought her son with her. And he’s…he’s…” Maybe it would be best to just say it out loud. “He’s incredibly hot.”

“What?”

“Nothing,” Mia said. “I—I have to go now.”

“He’s hot? Who’s hot? Mia, what is going on?”

“I’ve got to run,” Mia said. “Call you later.” She quickly turned off the phone, then silenced the ringer, as well. No doubt Dani would call Steph, and then Steph would be on the line in a few minutes demanding answers of her own.

She walked through the kitchen and out into the late-afternoon sun shining on the wide terrace. Only her father and Elyse weren’t sitting at the table anymore. “Daddy?”

She walked back inside and called out again. But the house was silent.

They couldn’t have gone far. Her father was still hobbling around on crutches. She decided to pay a visit to the guesthouse and grabbed a pitcher of iced tea from the refrigerator to offer as an excuse.

She found Jack sitting on the small patio at the front of the house, his computer open on the teak table in front of him. When he heard her footsteps on the gravel path, he turned and smiled. “Hey, there.”

“Hi,” Mia said. “I brought you and your mom some iced tea.”

“She’s not here. I thought she was still with your dad.”

Mia set the pitcher down on the table. “No. They’re not in the house.”

Jack slowly stood. “Where do you think they’ve gone?”

“Well, they can’t be far. My dad can’t drive.”

“My mother can,” he countered.

“I wonder if the car is still here.”

They both hurried back down the path and then circled the house to the wide driveway. The black Mercedes was nowhere in sight.

“Great,” he muttered. “I thought you were going to keep an eye on them.”

“They’re not children,” Mia snapped. “What was I supposed to do, pull up a chair and watch them every second?”

“No, but you certainly should have known if they decided to go somewhere. Doesn’t your father let you know when he leaves the house?”

“No. Does your mother tell you her every move?” Mia replied.

“Yes, she usually does. It’s just something we do in our family. We take care of each other.” Jack turned to face her. “Where do you think they went?”

“Dinner? We didn’t have much in the fridge and I’m sure they were starting to get hungry. They probably went to Serafina’s, a restaurant in town. It’s one of my dad’s favorite places.”

“Let’s go, then,” Jack said, starting toward her car.

“You want to go get them?”

“No, I want to see what they’re doing. How are we supposed to keep this under control when we don’t know what’s going on?”

Mia shook her head. “I’m not spying on them.”

“Who says we have to spy? You and I just decided to go out and get a drink and, funny enough, we just happened to end up at your dad’s favorite restaurant.”

Mia stared at him for a long moment. “Wow. Do you let your mother go grocery shopping on her own or do you follow her around with the cart telling her what cereal to buy?”

Jack shook his head and held out his hand. “If you don’t want to go, give me your keys.”

Mia couldn’t help but think he was going too far. What could possibly happen between Ben and Elyse when they were out in public? “You know, my dad isn’t such a bad guy. In fact, he’s really kind of a catch.”

“I’m sure he is,” Jack said. His expression softened. “I know he is. It’s just that my mom hasn’t dated at all in more than forty years. If your dad makes some kind of move, she won’t know what to do.”

“I think you underestimate your mom,” Mia said.

Mia got behind the wheel, Jack jumped in the passenger seat and they sped off towards town. When they reached the restaurant, they noticed the black Mercedes parked out front. Mia gave the keys to the valet and she and Jack walked inside and found a spot at the end of the bar. Most of the dining room was visible through a wide arched opening in the wall and after a quick search, Mia located her father and Elyse at a booth within easy sightlines.

Jack ordered them both a glass of wine and they settled onto the comfortable stools. “He’s holding her hand,” Mia said, craning her neck.

Jack glanced over and cursed beneath his breath. “Already? Your father moves fast.”

“Holding hands is fast? Just because a woman holds a guy’s hand, it doesn’t mean they want to sleep together.”

“There’s a lot you can communicate through holding hands,” Jack insisted.

“Oh, please,” Mia said. “Teenagers hold hands. It’s…kind of sweet. They’re just friends.”

Jack grabbed her hand and laced his fingers through hers, gently pinning her arm onto the bar. He slowly slid his fingers back and forth in a lazy rhythm that was startlingly sexual in nature.

Mia swallowed hard and tried to maintain her composure. The feel of his palm pressed against hers, trapping her hand on the cool wood of the bar. Mia’s breath caught when he turned her hand over and ran his index finger along a line from her wrist to her forearm.

“Holding hands can lead to all sorts of things,” he murmured, his gaze fixed on the spot where he touched. A tiny smile played at the corners of his mouth and Mia realized that he was enjoying this—almost as much as she was.

She swallowed a groan when he flipped her hand over and began to draw lazy circles on her palm. If this was what he did to a woman just holding her hand, what might he do to her in bed? Though Mia wasn’t unfamiliar with the seductive powers of the opposite sex, she certainly had never enjoyed the pleasures of a man who really knew what he was doing in the bedroom. She thought those men only existed in movies and erotic novels.

“I—I think you’ve proved your point.” Her voice cracked slightly and she pulled her hand away from him to grab her wineglass.

“Thank you,” he said with a self-satisfied smile.

“Although, I really doubt that my father possesses that level of skill at seduction.” This time she did allow herself to groan out loud. “I never thought I’d be talking about my father’s sex life. This is ridiculous.”

“They’ve had six months of exchanging letters and phone calls,” he said. “You have to expect some level of…longing.”

A giggle burst from her lips. “Longing? You seem to have an awful lot to say about romance. Are you speaking from experience? Or do you just do a lot of reading?”

“I’m a journalist,” he said. “I’m observant.”

“How many times have you been in love?” The moment she asked the question, she wanted to take it back. It was too personal and made her seem too interested in his past. She’d only met him seven hours ago.

“A few,” he said. “What about you?”

Mia wasn’t sure whether she ought to tell him the truth—that she’d never been in love—or whether it would be better to just lie. “Same,” she said.

In truth, she’d never really allowed herself to completely surrender to a man. While her mother was ill, she’d been too preoccupied to think about a social life and after her mom died, Mia spent her spare time with her dad, helping him cope with living on his own.

Maybe it was time to think about herself. What was wrong with indulging in a little romance with Jack Quinn? A kiss here or there might be fun. And she had a feeling that the sex would be incredible. And better still, he’d be gone in a few days, which meant that she wouldn’t have to deal with any long-term consequences. Unless, of course, Ben and Elyse ended up together and she had to face Jack at family functions.

Well, there was the perfect reason not to indulge her fantasies about this man. Knowing her sisters, they’d be able to see it the moment he walked into the room. And the last thing she’d want is to be fantasizing about her stepbrother over Thanksgiving dinner. That was just—weird.

“Look, look.”

His voice interrupted her thoughts and she looked over at the table to see her father draw Elyse’s hand to his lips. Mia held her breath as he kissed it and she felt emotion well up inside her.

Even after three years, she still saw sadness in his eyes. But now, he seemed so happy, so…young and carefree. Was it selfish of her to want him to be alone for the rest of his life? She couldn’t imagine that he’d ever be able to replace her mother, but maybe it wasn’t about replacing what he’d lost, but finding something completely new.

Tears pushed at the corners of her eyes and she drew in a sharp breath. “We have to go,” she said, grabbing her purse from the bar. “Now.”

She hurried toward the door, weaving through the patrons waiting for a table. When she reached the sidewalk, she stopped short and gulped in a deep breath of the cool evening air. The parking valet approached her and she held out her hand to stop him, then took off down the sidewalk.

The farther she got away from the restaurant, the less she knew what she was crying about. Was this about her father or was it about her own pathetic love life? For the first time in years, she found herself attracted to a man and she couldn’t bring herself to act on it.

Why couldn’t she have met Jack Quinn in a bar or at the grocery store? She could have indulged in a quick and simple affair without a second thought.

“Mia! Hey, wait up.”

She brushed the tears off her cheeks and pasted a smile on her face, then turned.

When he caught up to her, Jack reached out and gently grabbed her arm. “What’s wrong? Are you all right?”

“I’m fine. Just a little overwhelmed, that’s all.”

He stared down into her eyes. “I’m sorry. I know this is hard for you.”

Mia nodded and fought back a fresh surge of tears. She laughed softly. “I really miss my mom.”

His hand moved to her cheek and he brushed the dampness away with his thumb. “Don’t cry.”

“Actually, I think a good cry is exactly what I do need,” Mia said. She’d kept her emotions in check for so long, trying to stay strong for her father. But now, it felt as if she could finally let go. He was fine now. And she was a mess.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured. He stared down into her eyes, searching her gaze. And then, cupping her cheek in his hand, he turned her face up to his and kissed her.

Her breath caught the instant before their lips touched and she felt giddy and light-headed. And then, his mouth covered hers in a deep and delicious kiss. Mia’s knees wobbled and she grabbed the front of his shirt to balance herself, her fingers splaying against his chest.

He took her touch as an invitation and the kiss grew more passionate as he molded her mouth to his. Mia knew she’d been kissed before. But she was also certain that she’d never been kissed like this, with such raw desire and unbridled lust.

When he finally drew back, they just stared at each other for a long time, neither one of them sure what to say. “What do you want to do?” he asked.

She wanted to kiss him again. But Mia knew that wasn’t what he was asking. “Maybe we should just leave them alone.”

Jack nodded. “All right. I think that would be best.”

As they walked back to the parking valet, he grabbed her hand and drew it to his lips, pressing a kiss below her wrist. “I’m sorry if I caused those tears.”

“Sometimes it feels good to cry,” Mia said, drawing a ragged breath. And sometimes, it felt really good to kiss a man.

WHEN THE VALET BROUGHT the car, Mia handed Jack the keys, then crawled in the passenger side, slumping down in the seat and pulling her knees up to her chest.

“Where to?” he asked.

Mia shrugged. “I don’t care, just drive.”

Jack started the car and pulled out into the street, then wove through the village until he found the highway. The night was warm and the top was still down on the little convertible. April in Chicago could be chilly and damp. If he couldn’t enjoy kissing Mia, he’d at least enjoy the weather. He turned south, following the signs for the city.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

Mia nodded. “I just get emotional at times. Whenever I really need my mother, I just feel so…lost. I should go see a shrink. I’m just not dealing with my grief very well.”

“Why? Because you miss your mom? Mia, if you want my opinion, you don’t want to lose those feelings. It’s all right to miss her. I still miss my dad. I still have imaginary conversations in my head with him. We talk about all kinds of things.”

“Really?” she said, turned toward him. “I do that, too. Lately, I’ve been trying to stop myself. I mean, I don’t actually think she’s here, but I kind of feel like she might be listening.”

“Maybe she is. I like to think the same thing about my dad.”

They drove for a long time in silence and when they reached the intersection for Highway 1, Mia pointed to the right. “Turn here.”

The highway twisted and turned, past residential areas and then leading into thick, dark forests. Jack kept his attention on the road, watching for sudden switchbacks and sharp curves. He suspected they were heading toward the coast and when he spotted signs for Muir Beach, he decided to pull off the road and into a parking lot.

He turned off the car and faced her. She seemed lost in her thoughts and he wasn’t sure whether he ought to interrupt. But then she turned to him suddenly. “What do you think of the notion of friends with benefits?”

Jack gasped softly. “Is that what you think is going on with your father and my—”

“No!” She drew a deep breath. “No. I was talking about us.” Mia frowned. “You do know what I’m talking about, don’t you?”

Jack held up his hand. “Yes. I know exactly what you’re talking about.” The twist in the conversation was completely unexpected. Hell, he’d been great at handling the hairpin turns on the road, but now, he wasn’t quite sure what to say. “Are we friends?”

“More like acquaintances. But I think we could be friends, given a little more time.”

“I agree,” he said. “So, why do you think this would work?”

Mia drew a deep breath, then reached out and grabbed his hand. She placed it on her chest. “Can you feel that?”

“Your heart?”

She nodded. “Feel how fast it’s beating? I can hardly catch my breath sometimes. And my brain is all mixed up.” Mia paused. “I haven’t felt like this in three years. In fact, I really haven’t felt anything in three years. I’ve made myself numb just to avoid feeling sad. And now, for the first time in a long time, I’m not numb anymore.”

He reached out and smoothed his hand over her cheek. “That’s good.”

Mia nodded. “Yes. And you have to admit, there is an attraction. I mean, I wasn’t sure, but then you kissed me. There is an attraction, isn’t there?”

“Oh, yes,” Jack replied.

“Then we should act on it.”

“Right now?”

“Not immediately. But soon. You are going home in a few days.”

He watched her face, searching for some clue to her feelings. But it was difficult to see much in the feeble light from the parking lot. “Come on. Let’s take a walk.”

He jumped out of the car and then circled around to open her door. Jack held out his hand and she placed her fingers in his. “This way,” she said. “There’s a walk to the overlook.”

A light mist hung in the air and Jack pulled her close to him to protect her against the chill in the air. “So, you really think this is going to work?” he asked. “No strings, no expectations?”

“I think it could,” she said. She turned to face him, grabbing the front of his shirt. “Kiss me again.”

Jack took her face between his hands. He knew it would have to be good, something that would soothe her doubts and insecurities. He bent close and touched his lips to hers. The moment they made contact, he felt his blood turn to fire in his veins.

A tiny sigh slipped from her lips as she wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her tight against his body. Every fantasy he’d had about touching her was instantly brought to life. She was warm and soft and Jack smoothed his hands over her hips.

There was no doubt in his mind that they’d be good together. Better than good, he suspected. Jack’s mouth molded to hers and the kiss deepened, the taste of her like some exotic nectar. Her body trembled beneath his touch and he drew back. “Are you cold?”

She shook her head. “No.” Mia grabbed his hand and drew him along the walkway, the fog growing thicker around them until he could barely see her beside him. He could hear her footsteps, feel her hand in his, but he was almost blind. And then, she stopped.