Chapter 4
AVERY
We've been driving for hours and Booker's actually been good company for most of it. I wasn't expecting him to talk so openly, let alone know the words to most of the songs on my playlist.
This road trip has been a lot of fun, even if I do have to pull puppy dog eyes to get him to stop for all the small town coffee shops and roadside attractions along the way. I swear the man would just drive straight through non-stop if he didn't have to stop for gas every few hours.
We're almost there, but we have to get through the mountains first and when Booker's truck slides on a patch of black ice despite the four wheel drive, I admit I'm relieved to hear him say we're stopping for the night.
Not to mention, the sky looks like it's about to open up and allow the four horsemen of the apocalypse through... or snow. It looks like the mountains are about to get lots and lots of snow.
So when Booker pulls into the little motor lodge off the highway and parks under the aging "Last Hope Inn" sign with just the vacancy half of the no vacancy neon sign lit, I don't try to talk him into going any further in hopes of finding something better.
unknown: Nice of you to come see me. Can't wait to catch up.
The new text comes from an unknown number and I stare at it long enough to get Booker's attention.
"What's up? You look off."
Shaking my head, I start to slip my phone back into my pocket.
"Nothing." I look up, giving Booker a smile that's brighter than I'm feeling. "Just someone looking forward to seeing me when I get home...Oh, Look!."
The small lobby is decorated for Christmas, including a real tree by the door complete with a model train. On the other end of the room there's a fireplace burning real logs and a couple of comfy-looking chairs sit near the hearth.
"I thought I heard the bell! Merry Christmas!"
A woman appears behind the counter, all smiles at seeing us. She looks like she's in her sixties, wearing a genuine ugly Christmas sweater completely unironically, and holding out a plate of frosted sugar cookies.
"Homemade!" She announces proudly. Then confesses, "Well, I get them in town. But they're fresh...and very delicious."
To prove her point, she takes one off the stack and bites the head off of a snowman.
"Now, what can I do for you kids?"
Booker seems amused at being called a "kid," but he doesn't try to correct her-- she probably is about the same age as his own mother.
"We saw the vacancy sign, we'd love to stay for the night."
"You're in luck, we have a couple of rooms open--"
"Just one room." Booker quickly clarifies, bringing my attention into sharp focus that's all on him.
Before I remember that we're "engaged--" and why-- Booker selects a perfectly decorated cookie that looks like a wrapped present and hands it to me with one hand while wrapping the other around my waist and pulling me close to his side.
"Sorry, no gingerbread, cupcake, maybe we'll check out the bakery tomorrow and see if they have some."
I feel like a cat that's just been tricked into a carrier with a can of tuna.
Booker's arm stays tight, his hand warm on my waist just above my hip. I feel his fingers pressing into my side as he leans down to plant a familiar kiss to my temple.
Like he's done it a thousand times before.
I don't know what has me more speechless; Booker's entirely too-convincing play-acting, the way my body heats at his touch, or the fact that he was obviously paying attention when we stopped at the coffee shop two states ago where I was so excited to find the gingerbread cookies to go with my gingerbread latte.
"We just got engaged." Booker is really into the part, his fingers sliding up my ribcage a few inches, edging dangerously close to brushing my underboob.
"We're making the big announcement at Christmas," he embellishes. "I haven't met her parents yet."
With his free hand he holds up crossed fingers. With the hand holding onto me, he squeezes, alerting me to the fact that I'm not doing my part to play along.
"They're going to love you, Babe."
I wanted to give him a horrible pet name, like sock-puppet or monkey-bottom but the simple endearment slips out naturally. Not helping with the tingle in my core or the heat between my thighs, or the concerning blossom of something dangerously close to feelings in my chest.
So I put all my concentration into eating my sugar cookie while Booker pays for our room, which our hostess is delighted to promise is one of their best king suites.
Booker
"Can we go to town first?"
Avery peeks out of the bathroom doorway, her hair still damp from her shower and hanging loose around her face. A towel wrapped around her curvy body that's going to lose the fight to stay tucked in if she makes a sudden move.
She's too fucking happy for this hour of the morning.
"I want to see if I can find some souvenirs for Mom and Dad. Maybe we can check out that bakery and see if they do have gingerbread?"
Avery's still chirping like a damn bird as she ducks back out of sight and the sound of the hair dryer drowns out her voice.
Last night was one of the worst sleeps I've ever gotten.
And that includes deployments where I had to sleep leaning against stone walls with gunfire in the background and helicopters landing a few feet away.
It wasn't because I slept on the floor, either.
It wasn't from wondering what the suspicious, brown stain on the carpet was, or because I only took one pillow off the bed and let Avery make a little nest out of the other three, or because I told her to keep all the blankets and only had my jacket and an old blanket I found in the backseat of my truck.
It wasn't even from the way the hair on the back of my neck rose every time a new text message came in and I saw the stress creasing her pretty forehead each time she assured me it was nothing.
I laid on the floor at the foot of the bed with my eyes wide open, my mind racing, and my dick hard as steel because I've never wanted to crawl into bed with a woman so badly in my life.
All I could think about was Avery. Avery's worried looks each time she checked her phone.
Avery's bubbly laugh at the face I made when I tasted the sticky sweet concoctions that had no business calling themselves coffee, Avery's brave attitude toward life and the way she insists on not letting Clayton's prison break-- or having me hovering over her and forcing her to play fiancé with me-- keep her from enjoying her road trip or living her life on her own terms.
Avery. Avery all night long. Avery's soft, curvy body in the king size bed and the little shorts she wore to bed with the Santas holding his list and the words naughty and nice printed all over them and how badly I wanted to make sure she got on the naughty list this year.
Even worse has been the need to make sure she stays on the naughty list every year.
"I'll go check us out of here, and we can stop in town on our way through," I say when the blow dryer goes off.
"Bring me a cookie!"
With that, Avery goes back to singing along with the Christmas music she has playing on her phone and I take advantage of the opportunity to put some space between my raging hard-on and the tempting little package I'm aching to sink it into.
Outside the warmth of the hotel room, temperatures are suspiciously warm. Well, warmer than I'd expected the Montana mountains to be on Christmas eve. I grew up in Arizona. I've been skiing a couple of times, but understanding winter isn't really a skill I've ever needed.
That works against me when I get to the hotel's office and meet the other half of our hosts here at the Last Hope Inn.
"Oh no, you don't want to check out today. No telling if you'll get in somewhere in town, no sir. Snowcap's probably full up, the Retreat might have something open but it's a might pricier than us. Might as well stay put while you're already settled in."
The older man talks a mile minute, friendly in the way that only small town types seem to be, and jabbering on about extending our stay another night-- or longer.
"Storm came in last night, took out a few trees and closed the highway, but they won't get it open till after the holiday cause of the snow coming in tonight and all.
.. town's open for a few hours, most folks're already closin' up early for the holiday, but the snow's gonna hit too.
No worries! Hope Peak don't cancel Christmas, oh hell no.
Parade'll go on even if they gotta send the plow out in front of the guard. "
I tune him out and look out one of the windows that have been painted with holly leaves and snowflakes.
Outside, there's a light blanket of fresh snow that fell overnight and the sun is shining.
"You really don't think they'll get the trees cleared off the road today? The weather's nice, I don't think it's going to snow anymore."
The man behind the counter gives me the kind of smile my old man would every time he knew something I didn't.
"You new to winter? Or just to Montana?" He teases as he punches something into the computer.
"I'll keep your card on file and we'll just take it day by day.
We recommend Tee's Drive-in for burgers, Snowy Summit for a fancier meal, and Perfect Brews is the place for a cuppa joe.
It's a bit of hike from here but walkable if you're up for it.
If you drive in, be sure to head back before the snow gets too high or you'll be leaving your vehicle overnight.
They won't get the roads clear till parade time. "
Still confused, I thank the gentleman and turn to leave when the door opens with a cheerful jingle from the strap of bells hanging from the handle.
"You didn't check out, did you?"
Avery's face is flushed from the short walk across the hotel parking lot through the cold weather.
Her makeup is done in the same barely there style she wore yesterday, and those dark blonde locks are tucked under a bright red knit beanie that matches the scarf tucked into the collar of her white winter coat.
She looks like a present and I want to unwrap her.
"Nah, I didn't check you kids out," the man at the counter answers on my behalf.
"Oh good," Avery smiles, her shiny pink gloss catching the light and drawing my attention to her lips.
"That's going to be a blizzard," she looks out the window toward the sky above the surrounding mountains. "I already called Mom and Dad," she continues, the enthusiasm in her voice only dipping slightly, "there's no way we'll be able to get out of here today."