Coming Home(137)

“Do you want me to make you something when we get back?”

“No, that’s okay. I’ll just grab a quick snack.”

“Okay,” she said, scooting over to rest her head on his shoulder.

Once they were back in Leah’s apartment, she headed to the bedroom to change as Danny went to the kitchen to find something to eat, and on her way back out of her room, an idea finally dawned on her.

All day long she’d been trying to come up with something that would make him feel better, and there was one thing that always helped her relax when she was stressed or upset. She knew the kind of worry Danny was dealing with far surpassed anything she’d experienced, but she hoped it still might take the edge off for him.

Leah turned into the bathroom and sat on the edge of her tub, leaning over to turn the faucet on. After adjusting the water to the right temperature, she plugged the drain and allowed the tub to fill, and then she turned and reached into the cabinet under the sink, pulling out the lavender orchid-scented bath gel.

Leah squeezed a generous amount of it under the running faucet, and almost instantly, the frothy bubbles appeared, slowly increasing in volume as they crept across the surface of the water. The scent of the gel permeated the air, increasing in potency as it mixed with the hot water.

As the tub continued to fill, she went back to the cabinet and grabbed some tea candles, lining them up along the back ledge of the tub up against the wall. By the time she was finished lighting them, the tub had filled completely, the glistening bubbles nearly spilling over the sides. She turned off the faucet and set the plush bath mat down on the floor before she dimmed the lights and surveyed the scene. And then she smiled to herself as she turned and headed out to the kitchen.

He was leaned up against the counter, an open bottle of water in one hand and a half-eaten granola bar in the other. When he heard her come into the room, he looked up and smiled weakly.

“You doing okay?” she asked softly, and he nodded.

“Just tired,” he said, taking the last bite of the granola bar.

“I know something that might make you feel better.”

“What’s that?” he asked after he had swallowed.

“It’s a surprise,” she said, taking the bottle of water out of his hand and placing it on the counter. “Come with me.”

She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward her, and when he stepped away from the counter, she came behind him and went up on her toes, cupping her hands over his eyes.

“What are you doing?” he laughed.

“Bringing you to your surprise,” she said, guiding him out of the kitchen. His shoulder banged the doorframe as they exited, and she flinched. “Whoops. Sorry.”

Leah steered him slowly down the hall and turned him into the bathroom, stopping as she came around to his side. “Ready?” she asked, looking up at him.

“I think so,” he said with a tiny laugh.

She removed her hands from his eyes and they fluttered open; after a stunned second, he pulled his brow together.

“You want me to take a bubble bath?”

She nodded. “I’ll never understand why guys don’t do this for themselves.”

His expression was skeptical as he looked back at the tub, overflowing with bubbles and surrounded by candles, and Leah rolled her eyes, pushing him gently toward the tub. “I’m telling you, it’s awesome. You’ll love it.”

He crossed his arms. “It even smells girly in here.”

“It’s aromatherapy bath gel. You’ll appreciate it more when you’re soaking.”