Without anything else to do, I decide to grab a glass of wine and sit on the couch, a warm wool blanket wrapped around me, and watch the storm outside the windows while I wait for Kade to return.
Chapter Thirteen
I stare into the embers of the fire, my thoughts stuck going over everything that happened in the last three days. From the intense kiss I shared with Kade to him calling me out on my avoidance, to coming to some kind of truce. I never expected to be here, sitting in a dark room only illuminated by the fire, waiting for Kade to come back—the one person I swore never to be in the same room with not two days ago.
You could let them see the real you.
Those words, spoken by Dakota over a month ago, float back into my mind, reminding me of my decision to be more myself around the people here. I’ve been able to do this with everyone but Kade, that disastrous dinner a month ago preventing me from fully letting go of the façade I put up whenever I feel like someone will take advantage of me letting my guard down.
Though, if today has shown me anything, maybe I need to give Kade the benefit of the doubt. After all, he seems to have come to the realization I’m not the person he thought I was, and he apologized. And the person I’ve tried my hardest to become these past seven years isn’t someone who holds a grudge when people genuinely apologize.
A small smile is forming on my lips when I think of his admission that he was wrong, when the front door opens, and an ice-cold draft is sweeping through the house into the living room. I pull the wool blanket closer around my shoulders to ward of the cold.
“Fucking hell, it’s cold outside,” Kade grumbles through his chattering teeth.
“You okay?” I ask in concern. If he’s back without the electricity being on something must be seriously wrong.
“No, the backup generator won’t start, and I don’t know how to fix it.” He runs his hand through his hair, mussing it up in an unintentionally sexy way.
“Shit. Do you think the power will be back on any time soon?”
“I highly doubt it.” He walks into the kitchen to grab the bottle of wine I opened and a glass before he walks toward the couch, sitting down next to me. He pours himself a glass before he continues. “Last time this happened it took them a couple of days to fix it after the storm was over.”
“A couple of days?” I say in shock.
“Well, I’m sure Wayne can fix the generator when he gets back. I’m a man of many talents, but fixing machinery isn’t one of them.” His smile is filled with promises I’d rather not think about.
“Well, he and Lizzie aren’t going to be back for a couple of days at least. They’re visiting Lizzie’s parents.”
“I see.” He looks out through the windows as the blizzard is intensifying outside, heavy snow falling, coating everything in an even thicker blanket of snow. I forgot how unpredictable the weather can be in these parts.
“Look I appreciate your help. But I’ll be fine. You should probably leave if you still want to get to town.”
“It’s way too late for that.”
“What?” I squeak, a sound my vocal cords have never produced before in my life, and a mortifying blush starts to creep up my neck. But the thought of spending the night under the same roof as Kade is too much.
He turns toward me, laughter flickering in his eyes, clearly amused. Why can’t I ever keep my cool around this man? I hate how my vulnerable side keeps showing every time he catches me off guard.
“There is no way I’ll be able to drive in this. The snow is already over a foot high outside, and it’s getting worse by the minute. It’s too dangerous to drive in this, especially down the mountain. You’re stuck with me for the night.” He shrugs his shoulder in a mock apology.
“Oh,” is all I can think of to say. I tear my gaze away from his amused one and stare outside. He’s right, even though it’s been snowing pretty much all day, I missed the storm becoming worse and turning into a blizzard. It’s been so long I forgot how dangerous they can become if you’re out on the road.
“Don’t worry, I’ll try to behave,” he says in his deep voice that has goosebumps erupting across my skin. If he was anyone else, I’d revel in the way he makes me feel, something I’ve never experienced before but always dreamed of finding. And I’d love nothing more than to find out where this attraction would lead. If it was anyone else.
Ignoring his comment, I lean into the arm of the couch, hopefully being subtle in my efforts to lean away from him. “I think Lizzie has several of the rooms made up for guests. I doubt she’ll have an issue with you crashing in one of them.”
“Yeah, Lizzie is always prepared for any kind of eventuality.”
I smile because over the past several weeks I’ve come to learn just how true that statement is. Lizzie is prepared for pretty much anything. Which is why there are at least three different dishes in the freezer for me to heat up since my ability to cook hasn’t really improved. Not that this helps us much tonight without power. “Yeah, I noticed that.”
“You like her.” The surprise in his voice has me abandon my efforts to keep my distance, instead I turn to look at him. I can’t see judgement in his expression, and it’s not like I can fault
