JJ shut the door behind us with a shiver. “Definitely alive.”
“And you brought a friend!” Mark cried. “Tell me you also have coffee, Lizbeth. I could really do with a cappuccino right now.”
I felt, more than saw, JJ shake his head.
Mark’s face fell. He appraised me with open curiosity. Mark and I had never really spoken. Although he came to the coffee shop I managed, he was always on his phone. JJ and I sometimes spoke, but it was rare that I could summon words in the face of my soul-deep crush.
“She’s going to hang out with us for the night,” JJ said. “She’s . . . had some car troubles.”
Suddenly, the warm fire was especially warm, and the smell of man-cave especially pungent. My trembling had ceased, but I still felt sick to my stomach. When the crunch of the falling car replayed in my head, I forced back a wave of nausea.
JJ rested a warm hand on my shoulder. It grounded me against the rush of hysteria. My eternal gratitude for his perceptiveness deepened another notch. I just wanted Bethany to wrap me in her arms while I cried.
“She needs a hot shower,” JJ said with a gentle squeeze. “Storytime later.”
“No problem, Liz,” Mark said as I peeled off the parka. “Get warmed up. JJ’s on deck for dinner tonight, so you know it’s going to be good. You’re shaking. I’ll build up the fire.”
Mark grabbed a coat and disappeared through a back door at the end of a hallway. The area was sparsely decorated. What was there looked accidental. A giant desk with a computer and phone filled the far wall, near the fireplace. Papers, file folders, unwashed coffee mugs, fast-food wrappers, and a ridiculous number of pens littered the desk’s surface. A rolling chair burdened with winter coats, pants, and a pair of wool socks sat behind it.
A few old couches occupied most of the floor. Behind the front door, a ladder led to what appeared to be an attic. Posters cluttered the walls, displaying snowboards, mountains, and treacherous climbs.
“Mark and I sleep upstairs,” JJ said. His hand fell away from my shoulder. A physical pang jolted through me at the loss of his touch. “We have a spare bedroom down here you can sleep in.”
“That’s perfect. Thank you.”
On reflex, I reached for my phone, then realized too late that I didn’t have one anymore. This situation would be far more terrifying if I didn’t know the Bailey boys.
“Can I borrow a phone?”
“Oh, yes. Of course.” He reached into his back pocket. “Here.”
With numb fingers, I typed a quick text to Maverick.
Lizbeth: Hey, it’s Lizbeth texting from JJ Bailey’s phone. Had some car trouble in the canyon. Everything is fine. JJ stopped and helped me out. I’m staying with them at Adventura until the storm passes. Can you let Ellie know?
A reply came moments later.
Maverick: Glad to hear you’re all right. I’ll let Bethany know in the morning. Texting Ellie now. Be safe, Liz.
The simple connection with Maverick eased my heart. Tears thickened my throat. He wouldn’t be dealing with a birth and a death in the same day, at least.
Lizbeth: Baby boy okay?
Maverick: Stealing my breath every minute, just like his mama. :)
I released a relieved sigh. I’d tell them the full truth later. In ten years. Or maybe never. Except for the part about the missing car . . .
With a weak smile, I passed the phone back to JJ. “Thanks.”
He held out a hand, and I accepted it, trusting myself into his care for a few moments. Right then, I needed it.
“C’mon.” He gently steered me toward the hallway. “You need a hot shower first, dinner second. It’s been a helluva day.”
Standing in a square shower with cobwebs in the upper corners, I bit into a clean washcloth and silently cried. Letting go of my tears felt as cleansing as the hot spray that prickled my skin. I’d put up my hair in a bun so I didn’t have to worry about drying it.
With shaky legs, I leaned against the wall and let my thoughts roll out. The air grew humid, sharpening the scent of pine and curling the stray hairs at my neck. Eventually, JJ knocked and said, “Leaving some clean clothes on the counter for you, Lizbeth.”
The door whispered open, then shut.
Steam clogged the room when I grabbed a towel, wrapped it around me, and stepped out of the shower. The heat had restored life and humanity to my frozen limbs. I stumbled into a pair of ridiculously big workout pants and one of JJ’s sister’s shirts. The top fit me better than one of his would have, but it still hung loose. JJ’s heady, masculine smell lingered in my nose.
Rallying my courage again, I wiped steam off the mirror. My cheeks had pinked from the heat, which at least distracted from my bloodshot eyes. I removed my residual mascara, folded my clothes, made sure the bathroom was clean, and slipped out the door.
The hallway was empty, so I ditched my other clothes in the guest bedroom JJ had pointed out, then wandered back toward the living room/office. JJ stood on the far side of a room divided by a half wall. It appeared to be a makeshift kitchen. He’d changed into a pair of sweats and a long-sleeved T-shirt that hugged the contours of his shoulders.
His expression brightened when he saw me. “Feel better?”
“Much, thank you.”
“Have a seat.” He nodded to the couch. “The hot chocolate is almost ready.”
“Thanks.”
Instead of sitting, I perused a bookshelf against the far wall.
