Chapter 14
JORDAN
Sleep doesn’t stand a chance. It’s after two in the morning, and I’m still staring at the ceiling, the memory of our kiss repeatedly replaying like a favorite song.
Every time I close my eyes, I feel her soft, warm lips under mine and the way she leaned into me like she’d been waiting much too long for it to happen.
I keep telling myself to quit thinking about it, but the thought won’t stick because kissing her was even better than I’d imagined.
I bet Ginger is asleep by now. At least I hope she is since she has to be up for work in an hour. I don’t know how she keeps that schedule so consistently. And we’ve gotten snow, so she may need to wake earlier than usual.
Glancing out the window, I find the world blanketed in white. The snow’s still steadily coming down with no end in sight. Her car must be buried under multiple inches by now.
Before I can talk myself out of it, I get dressed, then pull on my boots and jacket.
I tug on a hat and gloves, and grab the shovel from the porch as I head for my truck.
Placing the shovel in the back seat of the cab, I start my vehicle and make quick work of brushing off my windows while the engine warms up.
The roads are empty, the kind of quiet you only get at this hour or during a snowstorm.
Most people are curled up in their beds, avoiding this weather for as long as they can.
But not me. Apparently, I’ve lost my mind—more likely, I’ve lost my heart to the sweetest, most caring woman I know.
I shouldn’t be going over there. I should keep my distance.
But now that I’ve tasted her lips, there’s no reasoning with myself.
I park on the street in front of her house and then make my way up the driveway.
The snow’s about six inches deep, still falling short of the top of my boots.
I start by shoveling a wide path to the porch.
I try not to let the aluminum edge scrape too hard against the concrete, to keep the noise level down and not wake her grandfather.
Fortunately, the snow’s lighter than it usually is this close to the coast, and I’m able to move at a decent pace.
When the path’s clear, I move on to her car.
There’s a thick, white pile across the roof and hood, so I grab the broom I keep in my truck during the winter months and start sweeping it away.
My breath creates fog in front of me, and thick flakes keep landing on my face.
My chin’s numb by the time I finish, but when the windshield gleams clean under the garage’s spotlight, it feels great to have done something for Ginger.
Now she can have an easier start to her morning.
Returning the broom and shovel to my truck, I grab the handheld brush and run it over her side windows and mirrors.
I’m taking a final look, making sure I haven’t missed anything, when the porch light flicks on.
The front door opens, and she steps out, bundled in her coat and scarf. For a second, she just stares at me.
“What are you doing here?”
I wave the brush around, pointing to the driveway and car. “I thought you could use some help clearing the snow.”
“At two forty-five in the morning?”
I shrug. “I wanted to help you out.”
She lets out a small, incredulous laugh. “Boy, I must be a better kisser than I realize.”
I flash my teeth in a quick grin.
She steps down onto the cleared path, boots scuffing against the pavement with every step. “You didn’t have to do this.”
“I wanted to, and figured I’d spare you the trouble of shoveling before work.”
She cants her head, studying me with a look of surprised contemplation that goes straight to my chest, filling it with warmth. “You’re ridiculous,” she says, but her grateful tone doesn’t match her words.
“You’re just figuring that out?” I smirk.
She comes closer until she’s directly in front of me. “You’re really the best. Do you know that?”
I rub the back of my neck, wishing I had something clever to say. “No, I’m really not. I couldn’t sleep, so I decided I’d put my insomnia to good use.”
“You couldn’t sleep, so you shoveled my driveway and cleared off my car?”
I nod. “Something like that.”
She reaches out and brushes snowflakes from my jaw, her gloved hand resting against my skin as she peers up at me. “Thank you.”
“Anytime, G.”
She lets out an exaggerated sigh. “I should get going.”
“The roads are still a mess, so take it slow.”
“I only have a five-minute drive.”
“That’s plenty of time to slide into a ditch,” I remind her.
“Aww, are you worried about me?”
“Maybe.”
“That’s really sweet, and I promise I’ll be careful.”
I pull her into my arms and squeeze her tightly. Her arms slip around my waist, holding me close. As I draw back, I press a kiss to her forehead, then to her nose, and finally to her lips. I pick up her arm. “I can’t get to your elbow right now.”
She laughs. “I never knew a nose kiss could be so hot.”
“You ain’t seen nothing yet,” I say, waggling my eyebrows.
“You’re such a tease.” She taps her glove against my arm and takes a step back. With the snow falling around us, she looks ethereal. Like a winter angel come to life. “You really didn’t have to do this.”
“You already said that.”
“I know, but I appreciate your thoughtfulness.”
“And I appreciate you.”
She opens her door, slides into the seat, and starts her car. “You'd better go home and get some sleep.”
“That’s the plan.” If I can stop thinking about you. “I hope you have a great day.”
“You too.” She smiles and closes her door.
As she backs down the driveway, I walk toward my truck.
She gives me a quick wave before she drives off into the quiet morning.
I watch her taillights glow red until they disappear, then climb into my truck.
I drop the brush on the passenger seat, snow scattering across the leather.
As I start the engine, I realize I don’t know when I’ll see her again, and I’m kicking myself for not making plans with her.
I don’t want to distract her while she’s driving, so I wait until I’m back at my house.
Me: Would you like to come over tonight? I’ll feed you, and I have an idea for something fun we can do.
It takes her a few minutes to reply. When I hear my phone finally beep, and I look at the screen, I feel a massive sense of relief.
G: Yes. What time?
G: And FYI, it’s too soon for sex.
I let out a laugh when I read the second text.
Me: Does six work? And sex never even crossed my mind.
G: Yes, it does. And I don’t believe you.
Me: Dammit. Dating a friend has its downfalls.
G: Is that what this is… a date?
I pause before I answer. Should I come right out and say it is or should I ask her what she wants it to be? I’ve never been one to tread lightly when it comes to any subject, so why would this be any different?
Me: Hell yeah, it’s a date.
Anxiety bubbles in my stomach while I wait for her to reply. Fortunately, she doesn’t take long.
G: Good. See you at six.
I grin and pump my fist.
Me: Can’t wait.
Now I need to come up with an idea for something fun to do—something different than your typical date. I’m tempted to type “date ideas” into Google, but I feel like that would be cheating. She deserves for me to put in the extra effort of coming up with something on my own.
My house smells like pizza, sawdust, and pine.
It’s a weird combination, but it’s too late to do anything about it.
I probably shouldn’t have lit all four of the pine-scented candles at the same time.
But this is the first time I’ve used them, so how could I know how strong they’d be?
My mom buys me and each of my brothers a candle for one of our Christmas gifts every year.
I don’t know about anyone else, but until tonight, mine have been gathering dust on a shelf in a closet.
And with the activity I chose for our date, it seemed appropriate to put them to use if I wanted my house to feel festive despite not having a tree.
I’ve spread a vinyl cloth with red and green snowflakes across the table and added a handful of pre-cut wood I purchased earlier.
They’re all different sizes, and sanded to a smooth finish.
I have paint, brushes, sponges, and stencils lined up like I’m about to host an art class instead of a date.
It’s a good thing the craft store employee was such a big help, or I wouldn’t have known what to buy.
I choose a Christmas playlist on my phone and set the speaker on the counter. Everything is ready to go.
When Ginger knocks on the side door, I smile and shout, “Come on in.”
She steps inside, cheeks pink from the cold. “Wow.” She looks at the table. “What’s all this?”
“There’s pizza from The Sand Bar to start with and then I figured we’d continue our holiday spirit building by painting some Christmas decorations.”
Her mouth opens, but she doesn’t say anything.
“I even bought stencils.”
Her eyebrows lift. “You keep surprising me.”
“Is that good?” I have a past full of dumb decisions that I’m sure surprised a lot of people in a negative way.
“Yeah, it’s great.” She steps closer to the table, examining everything. “This is kind of amazing.”
“I like to exceed expectations,” I say, winking.
“So far, you have.” She removes her coat and hangs it on the back of a chair.
“Help yourself to some pizza.” I hand her a plate.
“Don’t mind if I do, thanks.” She opens the box and takes a slice of pepperoni and bacon. “You got my favorite.”
“Yep, a heartburn pie.” It’s also my favorite.
She laughs. “Pretty much, but the enjoyment of eating it outweighs the pain I’ll have afterward.”
“What do you want to drink?”
“Water, please.”
I grab two bottles from the fridge and slap some pizza on my own plate before joining her at the table. I choose the seat across from hers so I can see her face.
“You’ve done a great job renovating the kitchen,” she tells me, pushing a pepperoni between her lips.