Chapter 9 #3
Her heart thudded rapidly, a combination of him calling her darlin’ and then gently running his finger under her eye, the same way he did after the Valentine’s Dance.
“Why were you awake at midnight?”
“Long day. Or week, I guess.”
He chuckled. “It’s only Tuesday.”
“The wedding this past weekend was a lot. Took me a few days to work my way through the cabin cleaning. Things should slow down now.”
Boone huffed disbelievingly. “Pretty sure they never slow down for you.”
“It’s my family’s farm, Boone, and there are always a million chores to be done. I’m just pulling my weight, doing my share.”
“Feels like more than that.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“Everybody around here has a role, and while I’m not saying the Storms aren’t some of the hardest working people I’ve ever met, it feels like you’re spread thinner than the rest. You don’t even get Sundays off because you’re always cleaning cabins and cooking Sunday dinner with Claire for the whole family, and that’s after working at the brewery and winery. ”
“I don’t mind,” Mila said, though lately…she did. She was exhausted, but over the years, she’d volunteered to take on more duties, and now she didn’t want to burden her family by unvolunteering.
“When’s the last time you went out and did something fun?” he asked.
It was on the tip of her tongue to say their cooking lessons, but he probably wouldn’t like that answer. “The Valentine’s Dance was fun.”
“You worked yourself into exhaustion that day too, so try again.”
“Boone,” she said, when she couldn’t come up with a suitable reply. “I’m fine, really.”
“You’re too young to work from sunup to sundown. You should go out more,” Boone said.
“I go out,” she said, though in truth, she’d only been out once since Valentine’s.
But her date with Pastor Joshua hadn’t even made a blip on her radar when paired with the word fun.
The night had been downright uncomfortable, because at the end of another eternally long, boring dinner, she’d finally worked up the courage to tell him she didn’t think they should see each other anymore.
He’d taken it with good grace, though she could tell she’d surprised and upset him, which made her feel even worse, since it seemed Kasi had been right. He had been into her.
However, she didn’t say any of that to Boone because she was still fighting a little demon called jealousy.
“Mm-hmm.” Boone clearly didn’t believe her.
She decided that was enough focus on her. “I heard you went out with the guys last week.”
“I did,” Boone nodded.
“Heard you danced with Tina Reynolds.”
Boone chuckled. “Maverick has a big mouth.”
He was obviously hoping to break the tension with humor, but Mila wasn’t as good at masking her emotions. “Are you going to call her?” Way to fucking overstep. She tried to backtrack. “I mean, Tina’s really nice, and the two of you have a lot in common and—”
“I’m not going to call her,” Boone interjected, saving her from herself.
Then she ruined it by sticking her foot in her mouth. “Oh. Right. Not interested in dating. I forgot.”
Boone didn’t reply to that, which made the fact she’d said it at all feel a million times worse. Time to cut and run.
She bounded from the couch quickly. “It’s late. I need to get home.” She waved her hand, trying to stop Boone when he slid on his boots and jacket. “You don’t have to—”
“I’m walking you to the car, Mila.”
She knew that tone well enough to know arguing would be pointless. “Thanks.”
They walked the short distance to her car in silence. Thick clouds had rolled in, so the woods were pitch black and foggy, the front porch light barely cutting through.
“Thanks for being there for Sadie tonight.”
Mila nodded. “Of course. I’d do anything for her.”
Boone ran a hand through his hair, then rubbed his hands together to ward off the chill in the air. “I’m taking Sadie to see her mother tomorrow. Planning on taking half a day from work and getting her out of school early to try to beat that weather that’s coming tomorrow evening.”
Yet another reason why the wedding party had been lucky. March was a veritable wild card, and while last weekend had been beautiful, tomorrow was calling for one hell of a snowstorm. Apparently, this year, March was going out like a lion rather than a lamb.
“Not canceling?” Mila was somewhat surprised, because the forecasters were calling for a foot of snow. Most of tomorrow’s workday would comprise of battening down the hatches, preparing to be stuck in for a couple of days.
Boone shook his head. “Only calling for two to four inches in Williamsburg, and I suspect the roads will be cleared by the weekend, so I’ll be able to pick her up on Sunday with no problem.”
“Drive safe.”
She started to turn, but Boone stopped her, pushing her back against the car door.
“Boone,” she whispered, when his hands cupped her cheeks.
He didn’t reply. Instead, he lowered his head and kissed her.
Unlike his previous kisses, this one was softer, gentler…God, downright romantic. He wasn’t claiming her this time; rather, he was worshipping her.
Mila wrapped her arms around his waist, under his coat, loving the way he shifted closer, sharing his body heat with her.
His tongue brushed against hers, the taste of his toothpaste adding to the intimacy of this moment.
That, paired with his casual attire, was the strangest yet most potent of aphrodisiacs.
Her lack of boyfriends—and the fact she lived with only her sisters—meant she’d never really been around a man who wasn’t fully dressed and ready for his day.
Mila tightened her grip when she sensed he might pull away, so she was delighted to discover he wasn’t finished. Instead, his lips slid along the side of her neck, his hot breath a welcome contrast to the cool winter breeze.
Their last two kisses had been passion personified, as they came at each other like ravenous beasts. This kiss held nothing but an almost calm desire. Boone’s hand gripped her ponytail, using it to twist her head this way and that, clearing the path for his soft lips, his seeking tongue.
A small peep escaped when he nipped her earlobe, a low chuckle rumbling from him in response before he returned to her lips, kissing her senseless once more.
When he finally stepped away, minutes later, it wasn’t with the same abrupt halt that had ended their first two embraces. Instead, he simply gentled the kiss before breaking it.
“Another mistake?” she asked quietly, too well-versed in what came after Boone’s kisses.
“No,” he admitted, surprising her. “Mila, I don’t know what this is, darlin’…but it’s not a mistake.”
She waited for him to expound on that, but he didn’t.
He grimaced. “If you’re looking to me for an answer to this,” he waved his finger between them, “I don’t have one.”
She did, but it wasn’t one he wanted to hear.
She’d been walking around with her heart on her sleeve since Boone saved her from that fall off the ladder.
Standing here now, telling him about the romantic “love at first touch” legend her family believed in, sharing that she’d been struck by lightning the day they met, that she thought fate had brought them together, would definitely send Boone running for the hills, once and for all.
“It’s late,” she said. “And we’re both running on fumes. Granddaddy always used to say things look clearer in the morning light.”
“He sounds like a wise man.”
Mila stepped away from the car and Boone opened the door for her. Climbing in, she gave him a quick grin and a wave, loving the way he returned both.
He’d looked like a man on the way to the gallows after their first two kisses, his expression drowning in guilt and regret. None of that was present tonight.
Which meant that as Mila climbed into bed way after bedtime, pre-New Year’s Mila was back.
For better or worse, hope had returned. Now, she just had to pray that Boone saw the same thing she did when that morning light appeared.