Chapter Nine
“THIS IS REALLY NICE,” Landon said as he looked out over Moose Falls. “I’ve missed Alaska. There’s no place else I’ve ever been that’s quite like it.”
She closed her eyes and let the cool wind wash over her. “I can’t imagine living anywhere else. Do you remember a lot about it?”
“Unfortunately, I was pretty young when we left Moose Falls, so my memories are kind of hazy. Caleb and Xavier have much more distinct memories of our early years here. I have to admit that it makes me jealous sometimes. I barely remember our parents being together.” He let out a brittle laugh.
“My brothers remember all the little things, the nuances of living in Moose Falls. There’s a dumbwaiter here in the house they remember riding up and down in.
” He shrugged. “I don’t recall any of that. ”
“I’m sorry, that must have been hard since you were at such a pivotal point in your life. Everything must have changed for you when your parents got the divorce and you moved all the way to Arizona.”
“Yep,” Landon said, nodding. “It was quite a culture shock. Not to mention the huge climate difference. We went from freezing winters to hot and arid weather. From what I remember, it took some getting used to. I kept hoping we would go back, but of course that didn’t happen.”
Her heart squeezed. “That must’ve been painful.”
His eyes radiated old hurts. Clearly he remembered what it had felt like to feel so lost. “Kids are resilient. Being the youngest was always beneficial for me because I had my brothers to guide me through everything. We were the Three Musketeers.”
The Three Musketeers. How fitting, she thought. One for all and all for one.
“I love how you guys all seem so close. It’s really nice to see.” The rapport between the three brothers was easygoing and loving. Even when they were playing around or teasing, it was plain to see that they were connected.
“I honestly don’t know how I would have gotten through life without them. They’ve been there for me through some pretty dark times.” He made a face as if recalling something specific. “They’ve always had my back.”
“As I’m sure you’ve been there for them,” Bailey said. “That’s what siblings are for.”
“I know you said that you have siblings. Do you all get along well?” he asked.
Bailey nodded. “For the most part. There are four of us, all girls. We have our ups and downs, but we always manage to come together in clutch situations.” Despite the issues that lingered within her family, Bailey loved them all a lot.
Landon chuckled. “Almost as chaotic as my mom raising three boys. I bet your parents were run ragged by the four of you.”
She fiddled with her fingers. It always felt a little awkward when people referenced her parents, especially people who didn’t know how young she’d been when her father died.
Her mother had raised them on her own for a long time.
But now, with Landon, it was nice to think about her dad and the carefree memories of being part of a big household.
“I really cherish my childhood memories. We should never take them for granted.”
Landon nodded. “That’s for sure, and I have to admit it bothers me that I lived a life here that I can’t even remember.”
“So you don’t recall anything?”
“Sometimes I’ll smell an aroma that’s familiar, and it takes me all the way back to when I was a kid.
The mountains are really familiar. My dad told me that we used to have family picnics there, so it’s special to me.
” He locked eyes with her. “And I remember this room in a hazy-memory sort of way.”
“And Hattie? What about those memories? She’s pretty unforgettable.”
He felt a huge grin tugging his lips. How could a person truly ever forget Hattie?
“I do remember her. Her touch, her warm hugs. The teddy bears she used to give me. I think if I had to describe it in one word, it would be love. I remember the love she gave us. And from the moment we were reunited, I experienced the same thing.” His chest felt tight, and a ragged sigh slipped past his lips.
“That’s why it’s going to be impossible to say goodbye to her. ”
“So don’t say goodbye then. Just say till we meet again.’”
“Till we meet again.” He repeated the words that Bailey had suggested. They felt right on his tongue.
“Who knows?” she asked. “Maybe we played together in the sandbox as kids.”
Just the thought of it caused him to smile.
He could imagine her as a little kid with wild curls and a smattering of freckles across her face.
Landon wasn’t sure whether they would’ve been buddies, but he probably would’ve been fascinated by her, wanting to share toys and have playdates.
Bailey would’ve been the cool kid at the center of everything.
He would’ve been quieter, more introverted but noticing everything around him.
“Who knows?” he asked. “Maybe we did.”
Landon let out a low whistle and looked around him. Bailey was right. It was a tranquil spot with a clear view of the property and a sky full of stars. He imagined that in the daytime one would be able to see the mountains looming in the distance.
“Look,” Bailey said, holding out her palm, “it’s snowing.” The snowflakes were gently falling from the sky and landing on her hand. The contrast between the white flakes of snow and her beautiful brown skin captivated him.
He wanted to kiss her. A real, honest-to-goodness kiss that they both wanted.
But how could he run the risk of doing so and messing up their situation?
Bailey had agreed to play the part of his girlfriend only for Hattie’s sake.
At the moment it was just the two of them up here, with no one watching them.
She turned toward him just as he did the same.
Their faces were within mere inches of each other’s.
He could see the condensation from her breath.
The wind had whipped through her hair, causing it to look a little unruly.
He reached out and brushed some tendrils away from her forehead, just looking for a reason to touch her.
His fingers lingered at the side of her face, sweeping along her cheek.
“Landon,” she whispered, leaning in with a look of longing on her face.
Without overthinking it, he moved closer as she gently brushed her lips against his.
Bailey placed her hands around his neck and drew him in toward her.
From the moment his lips touched hers, he’d felt an electric current pass between them.
Sparks were being set off. The kiss crested and soared, turning on a dime into something more sensual than tender.
Landon felt an urgency that he’d never felt before, as if time was running out to make this moment happen.
He parted her lips with his tongue as the kiss deepened.
He could taste the sweet flavor of champagne on her lips.
Landon didn’t think he had ever felt more alive in his life.
As they drew apart, Landon said her name, blown away by the kiss they’d just shared. If he was dreaming, Landon didn’t want anyone to wake him up. If there was such a thing as a perfect kiss, then this had been it.
Their gazes locked and held. Her eyes revealed nothing about what had just happened.
“So I guess that complicates things,” he said. Not that he was complaining. If he didn’t think it might make him look like a dork, Landon would jump up and down with his fist in the air.
“It doesn’t have to,” she said. “Sometimes a kiss is just a kiss.”
Ouch. He wasn’t sure he liked her assessment of their romantic moment. For him it had been like being blasted to the stratosphere.
“That’s true,” he said, instantly feeling discouraged. Clearly she wasn’t feeling what he was. He struggled with a sense of embarrassment. Maybe he shouldn’t have kissed her at all.
“So nothing needs to change,” she said, a gentle smile hovering around her lips. “I’m still all in on this.”
Landon was relieved to hear her say that.
He hadn’t messed things up! At least Bailey wasn’t going to bail on their arrangement.
He felt a bit deflated at the same time.
Landon would have been stoked if she’d said something to affirm his own budding feelings.
For the moment he would just stuff the disappointment down and carry on.
He stood up. “It’s probably time we head back to the party.” He offered her a hand and helped her to her feet. “Thanks for showing me this secret chamber.”
“Of course.” She put her finger to her lips. “Just don’t tell Hattie.”
As they headed back to the festivities, Bailey was kicking herself for being so flippant to Landon about their kiss.
She had a bad habit of putting her foot in her mouth.
Her reply to him had been based on wanting to protect herself.
It was what she did in certain situations so she didn’t get hurt.
Honestly, she wished she could take it back or rip her tongue out.
Sometimes a kiss is just a kiss.
Ugh! In this instant nothing could be further from the truth.
Kissing Landon had been a mind-blowing experience.
From the moment their lips touched, she’d turned into a bowl of jelly.
In the aftermath, she wasn’t sure she even knew her own name.
So of course she’d made things awkward by saying something completely foolish.
And untrue. What would’ve been the harm if she just been honest and said that the kiss was smoking hot?
She’d been afraid that he hadn’t felt the same way or wouldn’t feel the same way about her that she felt about him. So she had ruined a perfect moment by being stupid. She wished that she could turn the clock back.
Dammit! She was in deep, so much so that she couldn’t even handle a kiss. Granted, the kiss had been explosive, but she still shouldn’t have lost her composure because of it. Bailey had been kissing boys since she was ten years old. Lots and lots of boys and lots and lots of kisses.