“Town Center,” the driver said as he pulled over. “Do you need me to get you anywhere in particular?”
“No, we’re going to wander. Thank you.” They’d find their pizza along the way.
“Be careful. They’ve cleared the sidewalks, but there might be patches of ice.”
“You’re so sweet!” Beks blew the driver a kiss. “Anywhere we shouldn’t miss?”
“Coffee shop. It has the best pastries.”
It was cold. They were going to need a hot drink at some point. “Coffee is a must. Thank you!” Marissa gave a wave as the van doors closed, then looked around wondering which direction to go in. “Okay. We’re here.”
“We are. There’s—everything. This is like Fredericksburg, a little. All the cutest little shops.”
“Fredericksburg?” This trip to Colorado was pretty much farthest she’d ever been from New York since college. “Like, Denmark?”
“Lord and Lady, no. Texas! Down toward Austin, from me.” Beks chuckled, the laughter setting her pigtails to bobbing. “I only live about six hours from there. My best friend and I go for the wine tastings.”
“Oh!” She laughed. “Here I thought you’d become a world traveler.” Best friend, hm? She didn’t know why she was curious, but she was. “Best friend?”
“Yeah, her name is Angel. She’s an ICU nurse. She’s got three kiddos and another on the way.” Beks grabbed her phone, showing a selfie of her and a surprisingly normal-looking woman in SpongeBob scrubs.
“She’s pretty.” What the hell? Why did she say that? And why was she feeling jealous of a woman she’d never met over a woman she wasn’t involved with?
“She is! I met her in the hospital, and we hit it off. Her husband is super nice too. He’s a software guy.”
“Excellent.” The pretty nurse wasn’t queer. She pushed Bekka’s chair along the sidewalk, and it seemed to roll pretty well over the little snowy patches. “Wait. Why were you in the hospital that time?”
“I donated my kidney to a fourteen-year-old girl, and I got an infection.”
Whoa. That was…stunning. “Okay, that was about as far from what I was expecting you to say as you could get. That’s…amazing. The kidney, not the infection.”
“I had it to spare, and she was dying. She’s a swimmer, a cellist, she wants to go to Julliard. I had to do it.”
“How did you meet her?” She rolled the chair up to a big glass window all decorated for the holidays with greenery and holly.
“I never have. I heard about her on the radio. I went in for a test to see that afternoon. It was fate.”
Fate. That was so Rebekka. She wondered how well Bryan had taken the news, but then again, he was Bekka’s brother. He couldn’t have been as surprised as she was. “Beks, that’s the most generous thing anyone I know has ever done. Honestly. That’s amazing.”
“Thanks. I haven’t told anybody. You know. Angel knows.”
“You didn’t tell Bryan? Why are you telling me?”
“You asked.” Beks blinked, and then her eyes went wide, her cheeks glowed bright red, then she turned to face forward, burying her face in the bright red scarf.
What was that about?
“So…” She changed the subject because she didn’t know what else to do. “The windows are festive, huh?”
“They’re gorgeous. The whole town is a gem.” Beks glanced all around, a faint smile on her face.
“Are you cold? How’s your foot? We should find you some socks.” She rolled on by that window to the next one, trying to look like she hadn’t noticed whatever made Beks blush.
And telling herself that charming blush hadn’t made Beks that much more endearing.
“Do they even make huge socks?” Beks shook her head. “Maybe here they would, since it’s a skiing accident type of place.”
“I don’t know. Maybe we can just find some festive ribbon for your hat.” She chuckled. “I’m glad we came out. It’s chilly but it’s such a nice day.” The two them just sitting around the suite with time on their hands seemed…ill-advised.