Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS
JULIANA
When I blink awake, the sunlight is blinding.
The scratchy brown curtains are doing nothing to block it out.
For a second, I’m not certain where I am, but then I realize my head is propped up on a broad chest, and my leg is wrapped around a thick thigh that, even through my jeans and his, feels delicious.
The faint hum of the heater that rattled all night is still going strong, thank goodness.
“Morning.” His voice is deep and gravelly.
“Morning,” I whisper back.
I lift up and look at him. It’s so strange.
This man I’ve fought with for years, who’s driven me crazy with his attitude, is looking back at me with such longing.
I don’t know how I didn’t see it before.
He looks younger, calmer. His dark hair is messy and he must be sore from this lumpy mattress, but he smiles at me like this is his happiest moment.
And I know it’s mine. I feel like I’m living a dream. Last night…no one has ever made me feel like that. Ever.
My cheeks are suddenly hot, so I try to distract him.
“It looks like the snow stopped,” I say, tilting my head toward the window.
He looks out the window. “It’s pretty out there. Prettier in here.”
I sit up, hugging my knees to my chest. “Yes, it is,” I say shyly.
His eyes are soft when he smiles at me. He gets up and looks out the window. “It looks manageable out there.”
“The roads look good?”
“A lot better than last night.” He glances at me and smirks. “So…we both already told our people that we got stuck out of town last night…”
“No one knows we’re together, though,” I add.
He gets a funny expression. “Right,” he says slowly. “And good thing we kept that to ourselves. News travels so fast in Windy Harbor––the entire town would know by the time breakfast is over. What if we…don’t rush back just yet?”
I raise an eyebrow. “Don’t rush back?”
He watches me carefully. “What if we continued this date?”
I bite my lip, feeling entirely too excited. “What exactly did you have in mind?”
“We could head back to Windy Harbor…hide out somewhere. Duluth…or St. Paul. I owe you something romantic after this dump.” He gestures around the dingy motel room.
I laugh, shaking my head. “We had romance under the sky last night.” I will always remember being out there watching the lights take over the sky, and the way his kisses left me breathless in the back of his SUV. “And amazing things happened in this dingy motel…”
His eyes light up. “Yeah? I know it was amazing for me.” He moves toward me, and I hold up my hand before he can kiss me.
“I need to brush my teeth and get the smell of this room off of me before we get to…whatever we get up to.” I try to give as seductive a look as I can after I’ve just talked about the smell of this room being on me.
God. I need to get cool, stat. I need to channel some Erin or Goldie.
“I have an idea,” I say. “Just in case the roads are worse than we think, and so we’re back in town for work tomorrow…
what if we go to the apartment above the cafe?
It’s vacant right now. I actually get it cleaned once a week, just in case anyone needs it, so it’s ready.
I could make some food, and we could hang out there. ”
“I love this idea.” He nods, grinning. “I’m incredibly stealthy. I can come up the back stairs and in your back door.”
He freezes, and my shoulders shake with how hard I laugh.
“I mean…that’s not what I meant…unless…you want me to,” he says, barely getting the words out through his laughter.
“Let’s see how it goes.” I’m still cracking up. It feels really good to be like this with him.
“Right,” he says in mock seriousness.
“And I’m not so sure you know how to be stealthy either. You’re six four and walk into rooms like you’re making an announcement without even trying.”
He pulls back, affronted. “I will…internally announce myself.”
I snort. “Okay. Sounds like a plan.”
I keep Papa Hector updated on everything.
Well, not everything. He doesn’t know I’m with Camden, but he knows I went out of town last night and got a room because of the weather.
I let him know that I’m going to take a little rest at the apartment today.
He texts back for me to get all the rest I can and to say the word if I need anything.
I feel awful for not being completely honest with him.
We get on the road, only stopping for gas station coffee and two doughnuts the size of plates, and we drive south. The lake flashes through the trees, a glassy pewter sheen. The plows have been busy, and the sky is so vivid and blue, you’d never know a storm came through last night.
I text Goldie and Erin.
I need your help.
And then I try not to be too obvious about what I’m doing while I ask them for a huge favor. When we get into town, Windy Harbor looks beautiful, with snow lining every roof and tree branch.
“You can drop me at the corner,” I say.
“Should I give you an hour or two?”
“That would be perfect. I’ll let you figure out your story. Alley, back stairs. If you get stopped, you’re…checking our dumpster.”
He nods, all business. “I have deep concerns about trash.”
“Very convincing,” I say
Even when we’re being ridiculous, my heart trips in my chest with how right it feels.
I slip into the cafe to check on everything. The bell above the door tinkles, and it’s one of the rare occasions that I’m glad for no customers. I picked a good time to come. Suzanne looks up from the counter.
“You look…like you need a nap,” she says diplomatically.
“Loud heater, long night,” I say. “How was the morning rush?”
“We’re golden,” she says. “Everything went smoothly. I got your text. Please, go upstairs and stay invisible.” She grins and winks. “Goldie dropped off the groceries, and I took them upstairs already. You deserve a break! Take tomorrow off too, if you need it! I can cover.”
“Oh, I’ll be back tomorrow, but thank you so much, Suzanne.”
She lifts her shoulder. “Let me know if you change your mind.”
I blow her a kiss, and then I duck through the swinging door to the back hall and climb the narrow staircase to the apartment.
I pull the linen shade halfway over the big front window. Privacy without hiding. Once I’ve lit three candles in mismatched jam jars, I tuck a sprig of rosemary into one because I’m extra like that. Deep breaths.
I’m looking in the refrigerator when I hear a knock on the door.
“It’s me,” Erin sings. Another knock. “Juju?” She manages to sound amused and threatening all at once. Only Erin. “You alive, or are the chickens running the cafe now?
I open the door wide.
“Hi,” I say, cheerful and breathless. “I’m alive.”
Erin looks me over and inhales and exhales in pure exasperation. “You did not do the deed.”
“Well, not yet.” I hold up a finger. “But something did happen.”
Her mouth drops and her eyes light up. “Do tell.”
“Let’s just say Camden knows what he is doing.” I try to hold back my grin, but it doesn’t work.
“Girl, you are not going to leave me hanging there! I assume I won’t have to tell him how to find the important parts then? I mean, he looks like he would be capable, but often the prettiest ones aren’t.”
“He said he and my clit were going to be best friends.” I cover my face and peek out, my face flaming. “And I have to say, they’re already getting along really well.”
“Ahhhh,” she yells. “Attaboy, Camden! This is making my life. And this must be why you’re here, right? To rail him against every surface?”
“Well, one can hope…but I’m just gonna make him some food, and we’re going to hang out.”
She waves me off. “None of that blasphemy.” She winks. “This is exactly why you need this dress. It is foolproof, I swear.”
“What did you bring? You were supposed to just bring that dress I left at your house…and a new razor.” I laugh.
“I did you one better. I brought this pretty black dress and this phenomenal underwear. Thank me and Scarlett Landmark tomorrow after you ride him like your favorite horse.”
“But I don’t really like riding horses,” I start.
“Work with me here!” she cries.
I laugh. It’s so fun to provoke her.
“This dress isn’t too much during the day?”
“That dress is never too much. It will be smoking with your blonde hair.” She puts her fingers to her lips and kisses them. “Mwah.” And then she leans into the doorjamb, eyes glittering. “Saw a very tall man in a not-so-subtle hat escaping from the alley not too long ago.”
“Lots of tall men,” I say. “Lots of hats.”
“Uh-huh,” she says, grinning. “Listen, if you need someone to create a diversion for any reason, text me an eggplant and three water drops.”
I press a hand to my chest. “What would I do without you?”
“You’d be lost without me. Lost!”
“Yes, I would.”
She hugs me, and as she’s backing away, she says, “And tell Mr. Hat, if he breaks your heart, I’ll take all of his knives and scrape them over a sidewalk.”
“I’ll be sure to pass that along,” I say.
She grins and jogs down the stairs.
I take a quick shower and get ready, feeling better already. Erin was right about the dress. It’s the sexiest dress I’ve ever worn, and it fits perfectly.
As I start working on a late lunch, I hear three knocks on the door.
I open the door, and he’s there—no hat now, pink cheeks, snow melting on his lashes. He’s changed into a button-down shirt, and his hair is damp from a shower. He shrugs his coat off and hangs it on the hook next to the door.
“Hi,” he says, voice hushed like someone is listening.
I yank him in and shut the door with my hip. We stare at each other for a beat, and then his lips are on mine. He backs me into the wall and kisses me senseless.
“You look beautiful,” he says, when we break our kiss. “Gorgeous.”
“So do you,” I say.
He kisses me again, and I melt against him.
“Hungry?” I ask, because otherwise I’m going to make a sound that the downstairs customers will definitely hear through the vents.
“For…a variety of things,” he says, eyes wicked, voice sexy low.