Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 80555 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80555 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
“He’s going to be pissed I didn’t call, but I was also thinking of Maren.” Leaning against the counter, Magnus exhaled hard. “A year is a long time to wait for a wedding, and both of them deserve a little fun in the middle of all the logistics and practicalities.”
“Well said. I’m undoubtedly going to be the practical grandpa, but you’ve got the fun one covered.” Trying to be the distraction Magnus needed, I worked to keep a light tone.
Magnus joined me in chuckling. “Look at you, saying the G-word and not wincing.”
“Progress.” I led the way to the living room with its large sectional sofa. I grabbed the remote to fire up the various streaming services on the TV. “You want me to pick the movie?”
“Please.” Magnus’s voice took on an edge I knew well, the heavy burden of decision fatigue an almost palpable weight. Also weighty? The question of where to sit. Magnus threw himself on one side of the couch, rather clearly leaving the other half for me. It would likely be rude to retreat to the recliner.
“What’s your stance on sports?” I carefully left a person-sized distance between us as I sat sedately on the opposite end. The dogs wandered in, and with none of my indecision, they flopped on the floor near Magnus.
“Don’t ask me to participate on a team, but I’m down with watching just about anything.” He gave an easy shrug as he relaxed into the couch, a sprawl that brought him closer to me. I purposefully glanced away, focusing on scrolling through the streaming app until I found the ensemble football comedy that had been my first choice. No pesky romance or sex scenes to make an awkward situation even more so, but it offered an uplifting, if highly predictable, plot. And luckily, Magnus smiled wide as I cued it up. “Oh, perfect choice.”
“You’ve seen it?” I was somewhat surprised as the movie hadn’t been a runaway box office smash, but Magnus’s grin seemed genuine. Maybe we truly did share similar TV tastes.
“Of course.” Magnus gestured at the TV. “Push Play. I love the opening sequence of this one. Gets me every time.”
“Me too.” I pressed Play on the remote, but my unusually chatty mood continued even as the main character went through a downward spiral that would eventually lead to the team of misfits. “Was routine why you came to Mount Hope?” My brain kept returning to Magnus’s comments earlier. Movies weren’t all we had in common. “Given your love of travel, I’m surprised you and Diesel didn’t end up somewhere more exciting and urban.”
“You nailed it.” Magnus pointed at me like he was picking a winner for a prize. “We traveled more when he was little. I wanted a decent school system for Diesel for middle and high school. I liked Portland a lot, and we’d used that as a home base for a few years, but then I heard about the old bank building for sale in Mount Hope. Seemed like the perfect opportunity to put down some roots while Diesel was in school.”
“The town’s lucky to have you. If nothing else, you’ve added to the local foodie scene, and it’s nice to have a spot with an inclusive reputation to grab a few drinks with a mixed crowd.”
“Exactly.” Magnus nodded at the TV. “Look at that group of players—right now, they have nothing in common, but by the end of this movie, they’ll all be buddies. Gay, straight, different races and backgrounds. I wanted a spot where anyone could feel comfortable hanging out.”
“You succeeded.”
Cheeks turning dusky, Magnus seemed more bashful as he turned his attention fully toward the movie. I did the same, enjoying the movie as much as I had the cleaning. We rooted for the same characters and laughed at the same jokes, and while our conversation dwindled, it was a very chill vibe.
So relaxing, in fact, that about midway through the movie, Mangus started to drift off. First, he put his legs up on the chaise portion of the couch, which brought the rest of him perilously close to me. However, I was reluctant to move to the recliner and interrupt the movie and his sleepiness. If he could rest, he should.
Which was how, a short while later, I ended up with Magnus’s head on my shoulder as he snored softly. My own sleep troubles had taught me that sudden movement or changes could easily derail the whole shebang, so I left the movie playing, and when Magnus tried to cuddle in against me more, I grabbed a throw pillow and let him arrange himself against the pillow in my lap. Once he was done wiggling around, I reached behind me for one of the couch blankets we kept on the back of the sectional, even in summer.