The Darkest Corner (Gravediggers #1)(56)

"For that, we give thanks," she said.

Miller had poured them glasses of wine that were full almost to the brim, and they toasted each other with that statement.

"You're excellent at yoga," she said. "You can do all those bendy moves that I can't because my boobs are too big."

"Yes," Tess said wryly. "That's making me feel much better."

"No, seriously. You're like a pretzel. Men love that in bed. They'd much rather have creativity and athleticism than boobs. At least after things get going."

"This is a weird conversation. Maybe move onto the next topic."

"You're funny, you're really good at Jeopardy, you speak Russian for Pete's sake, and you can play pool like a boss."

"It's all geometry."

"Which does me no good since I'm a writer."

"Thanks for the pep talk," Tess said, taking a cookie and snapping off the burnt edges. "I feel better about myself now."

"You'd have done the same for me."

Tess took a deep breath, needing to share what had been on her mind more and more the past few days. "I'm pretty sure I'm going to move," she said at length. "Away from Last Stop."

"O-kaaaaay," Miller said after a long pause. "Where are you moving? You've got a pretty sweet setup here. Think of all the gas you save not having to drive to work. And there's no mortgage payment."

"I need a change. I've started sending my résumé out to a few places, just to put some feelers out."

"Whoa!" Miller's dark brown eyes were wide with surprise. "You're serious?"

"As a heart attack. It's time to make my escape. This place will never be mine. And I just need some distance. I want a chance at anonymity. Or at someone getting to know me first without knowing the infamy of my mother. I want to get married and have children, and the pool is very, very small in Last Stop."

"Thank you," Miller said. "That's making me feel much better about my own circumstances."

"I'm all about harsh realities today."



       
         
       
        

They sipped their wine in silence for a few minutes, and Tess opened up the chocolate-covered almonds.

"Well, I think it's a great idea," Miller said at last, topping off their wine.

"You do?" Tess asked. "Really?"

"Sure." She shrugged. "I've always thought you needed to escape. You're not like me. You're a romantic at heart. And though you don't particularly like people, you crave family. Probably because yours was so abnormal growing up."

"Thank you for the armchair analysis, Doctor Darling."

She grinned, unfazed. "You're welcome. A change of scenery might be good for you. A little adventure, a little romance. I can work from anywhere, so I can visit anytime. Unless you're thinking of moving really far away; then we'll have to reevaluate. Because if you have an emergency, it'll take me too long to get there to water your plants or take care of your kids." She picked up the binoculars again and looked back toward the gym.

"I wonder where they went," she said. "That Elias guy is an interesting character. He'd make a fabulous hero for one of my books. He's sexy and funny and always has a clever word. But you can tell he's got some baggage. There's a broodiness to him when he doesn't feel like he has to be 'on' in front of people. He's got some pent-up aggression for sure. I bet he'd be fabulous in bed. Or on the couch or in the shower. There are some men you can just tell by looking at them that they don't need a map to find a clitoris."

"Henry couldn't have found one with a GPS and a personal guide," Tess said. "But I don't know about Elias. He's a good guy, but you seem to gravitate towards guys with baggage."

"They're just so much more interesting."

"But one day maybe you should try sizing up a guy for potential relationship material instead of potential fictional character material."

"Again, my characters are so much more interesting than real men. Real men leave the toilet seat up and can belch the alphabet. At least with Elias I'd know what I was getting into. He's got a hot body and exudes sex appeal. And sex is all I need. I can fulfill my emotional needs by watching Dr. Phil and Fixer Upper."

"That show makes me have all the feels," Tess said. "If I get my own place, maybe they'll come do a show on me."

"And maybe one of the carpenters will be a hot ticket with a tool belt and a million-dollar smile."

An image of Deacon dressed very much the same flashed through Tess's mind, and she shoved another cookie in her mouth.