Chapter 2 #3
“God no. I heard the singing in there. That was horrible.” My lips twitched. “Go for a walk. Get some fresh air and think about… I don’t know… life. What you want from it. And maybe think about what I said when it comes to Cassie and this dating stuff.”
“Fine,” I groaned. A figure caught my attention in a window above the bakery. I blinked and realized Courtney hadn’t said anything. “Court, you still there?”
“You said fine… like you’re agreeing with me?” she asked, suspicion clear in her voice. It made my lips twitch.
“You’re right about—“ Fuck, this was going to cost me, and I had a feeling I’d never live it down. “Right about all this. Except maybe the whole starting a family thing. That train might have come and gone for me, sis.”
“Hmm… never say never,” she said carefully.
My brows bunched, slightly surprised she wasn’t gloating.
“Well,” she breathed in, “You go rest, walk, be safe, and talk to Cassie in the morning. Make up with each other. Tomorrow is going to be great. I’m gonna hang up before you change your mind about, well, everything. ”
“Right.” I chuckled. “Good night.” And with that, I ended the call. For some reason, I looked up.
The sky was clear, dark and littered with silver stars.
It had been a long time since I’d taken a moment to appreciate the stars.
It reminded me of the way I used to wish on them when I’d dropped out of school and went on the road with my band.
Wishing on stars that we’d make it big. I laughed, and something came over me as one of the bright stars started to shoot across the sky.
Make a wish, a quiet voice inside my head said, and my heart responded. I wish I could… be a little less alone in the world. Maybe meet the one?
It was a hopelessly stupid wish.
“A waste of a wish,” I muttered.
The building that had caught my attention earlier drew my eyes toward it.
There was a lit-up window and in it, a woman stood there, looking out.
From what I could tell, she was wearing a silky-looking robe in a pretty, purple color.
Her wild red hair was set in soft waves that even from a distance made my hands itch to touch it.
To stroke and test out its softness. To gently pull on a curl and see how it bounced back into place.
As I slipped my phone into my back pocket, I couldn’t help but notice just how beautiful she was.
Enchanting. Ethereal. And weirdly enough, oddly familiar.
I blinked and blinked again, almost like my mind couldn’t process or figure out if she was actually real.
Mine, a voice in my head whispered. I frowned.
Mine? Before I could process that thought, she disappeared from sight, moving back into the depths of what I could only assume was her apartment.
Or maybe it’s a rented-out Airbnb? I shook my head and rubbed my chest right beneath my thundering heart.
Mine, that voice whispered again, a smidge louder this time.
It took me a moment to get my head wrapped around what the hell I’d seen. She’d been beautiful. Tall with wild reddish curls and a body wrapped in a silky satin material that highlighted the soft curves of her lithe body.
Was she real? There was no way. She was too beautiful to put into words, and that was from far away. I wasn’t sure my heart could handle seeing her up close and personal. What if she’s there tomorrow? I wondered and almost wanted to laugh at myself.
I was an idiot.
One little talk about finding ‘the one’ and a stupid wish on a star had me thinking I could fall in love at first sight with a complete stranger from across the street. A woman I hadn’t seen clearly.
I pushed off the building and started to walk.
The ski resort was about two miles from the brewery, which wasn’t bad, but the hills were what got you.
I could have easily called for a car or gone to wait at the shuttle stop.
Instead, I chose to go for a walk. My sister was right.
A walk and fresh air to help clear my head was what I needed.
It might even help with the apology I had to give Cassie and the rule I was pretty sure I was going to drop.
Just as I crossed the street, a door beside the main one for the bakery opened, catching me by surprise.
I stopped in my tracks, so close I put my hand on the doorframe that had almost slammed me in the face, only to see someone in a pink hoodie.
Their eyes rose, and my heart stuttered inside my chest.
It’s her.
The woman from the window. I had no idea how I knew it, but I did.
“Oh!” Her bright green eyes widened with surprise.
Green eyes that made my heart start to pick up dangerous speeds.
“I am so sorry! I didn’t know you were out here.
I didn’t mean to scare you. This is kind of a trick door.
Not a lot of people notice it.” She made a face and kept talking.
I was pretty sure she could read the phone book to me, and I would have happily stood there as she went from a to z and then did it again.
“I usually use the back door, but it seemed like there was no one out here and…” Her voice drifted to nothing, and I couldn’t get my brain to work long enough to even open my mouth, much less say anything.
Not when it felt like she saw me.
Not just looked at or through me but somehow saw all of me.
All the bad and good and somehow still felt like I was worth something.
A lot happened in those few seconds of silence.
I took in every detail I could. It was like I couldn’t stop myself if I tried.
She was tall but not taller than me. Her green eyes were incredible, like grassy hills I’d seen on a documentary of Ireland.
That pretty gaze held me hostage, and fuck me, I never wanted to be free again, not if it meant not being with her.
“Don’t worry about it,” I finally said, my voice hoarse and slightly scratchy. “I should have been paying attention.”
“Right.” Her eyes skittered across the way toward the brewery. “Were you in a hurry?”
“No. I was just thinking and walking back to the resort.”
“To the resort?” Her eyes popped open wide. “That’s like an hour walk,” she pointed out.
“I know.” I smiled politely.
“In the dark,” she added.
“It’s not that bad. The stars are shining pretty brightly tonight.” I pointed and watched her head tip back. The hood part of her sweater fell, exposing the gorgeous red locks that were even lovelier up close.
I couldn’t tear my gaze from her. I watched as her eyes rose up to the sky, extending the line of her neck. My lips suddenly tingled to press them up against her pulse point.
“The sky might be bright with stars, but it’s feels like rain,” she noted.
“Rain?” My heart couldn’t seem to relax, and when her gaze connected with mine, it only got worse. She was so damn pretty. Those green eyes… Fuck me, how could they feel so familiar, so right?
“Yeah.” My chest expanded at the sight of her face breaking into a breathtaking smile.
Jesus, was this what the Grinch had felt like when his heart suddenly grew three times its original size?
His heart? My heart? How could a woman whose name I didn’t even know yet have any kind of effect on my heart and the size of it?
“Yeah, I mean,“—she breathed in deeply—“can’t you smell it?” she asked just as a breeze picked up, sweeping up her sweet, gentle scent. Everything inside me went warm. She smelled like vanilla and sugar with a hint of berries.
“Rain?” I asked again, and she nodded. Her eyes shined as she stared at me.
“It’s also February and really cold.”
“Not that cold.” I shrugged. “What about you?” I asked. “Umm… headed somewhere?”
“On a walk.” She tucked a stubborn curl behind her ear. I had to bite the inside of my cheek when it bounced right back out of place. Fuck, she is adorable.
“Me too.”
“Yeah, so you mentioned.” It was adorable how she didn’t want to outright laugh at me as if trying to keep from hurting my feelings. “Are you in town for the stuff at the ski resort?” I nodded, swallowing slightly.
“You?”
“I’ll be there tomorrow. I’m not sure about the rest of it.”
“Understandable.” I nodded like a dope as I stared at her. Fuck, why did she feel so damn familiar to me? “I’m Caleb. Caleb Walker by the way,” I introduced myself, extending my hand. Her head tipped slightly as she stared at me before deciding to take my hand in hers.
“Rosie,” she shared. Rosie. Her name was as pretty as she was. Warmth filled my soul as my hand enveloped hers. Warmth and recognition washed through me as we slowly shook hands.
“Nice to meet you, Caleb.” I’d never liked the sound of my name more.
“Nice to meet you, Rosie.” I said, the words slipping past my lips. “Would you like to go for a walk with me?”
“In the dark and cold?” She tipped her head to the side, making her curls bounce.
“We could stick around here. I mean, what are the chances we’d both need a walk or fresh air at the same time when it feels like most of the town and people staying at the resort are across the street?” She found that amusing, judging by the way she giggled.
“You’re funny.“ I’d be a court jester if she wanted me to be. “Okay. Umm, if you promise you’re not some kind of serial killer or anything.” Right. Shit. It was the middle of the night, and we were practically all alone.
“How about…” I reached behind me and took my wallet out.
“Here is my driver’s license and my business card.
” I handed both to her. “What if you take a picture of them and send it to a friend so they know who you’re with?
” I suggested, hoping to god she would take me up on my offer.
Even if I knew I was going to see her the next day, I wasn’t ready to part ways. Which was very unlike me.
“Oh… that’s… a really good idea.” She reached into her pockets and frowned. “Crap,” she said under breath.
“What?”
“I forgot my phone upstairs.”
“That’s fine. Here.” I snapped a picture of both and uploaded them to an empty text. “Send it your friend or friends. Here.“ When I handed her my cell, a brow of hers rose.
“You do know it’s dangerous to hand a woman your phone, right?”
“It is?” I did it to my kid and a sister all the time.
“Yeah.” She laughed softly. “Your phone hold all your secrets.”
“I don’t have any.” And I never would. Not from her. Whoa, what was that?
“Hmm…” She grinned, and I watched as her fingers worked quickly, typing away a message and the number to someone.
“Okay, all sent.” She handed my phone back just as it pinged.
Her eyes dropped to the screen, and the smile on her face disappeared.
“Umm, sorry. I didn’t mean to look. A Cassie texted. ”
“My daughter.”
“Oh?”
“She’s at a cheer competition in Pinehaven. I don’t know if you know where that is.”
“I do. They have a great donut shop with the best maple bars and teriyaki chicken bowls.”
“I love that place.” I laughed, and when she joined, I was almost positive I’d fallen in love. At just the sound of her laughter and the sight of her smile. Fuck me.
“So, that walk? We still good?” I found myself asking. Those green eyes stared at me for a moment before she started to nod.
“I think so.”
“Do you wanna go back upstairs for your phone?” I asked, but she simply shook her head
“I’m okay. I think one of the things I really needed today was to disconnect.”
“Doomscrolling addict?” I asked as we turned and moved around her so I could be the one who was closest to the street.
“Not really.” She shrugged. “I just… I don’t know. Maybe it’s the rain that’s coming that has me in a mood?”
“I don’t know about rain. Sky is still pretty clear,” I argued. She smiled like she thought I was cute.
“You’ll see. Wanna make a bet?” she challenged, and I liked it.
“What kind of bet?” I asked, ready to agree to almost anything.
“If it rains… you owe me… a couple of maple bars and a teriyaki bowl.”
“That mean you want me to take you on a date?” The words slipped past my lips before I could stop them.
“No.” She blushed and made a soft half-snort sound. “You could always deliver it to me.”
“Okay. What if I win? And it doesn’t rain at all this weekend?”
“I’ll take you one.”
“Sounds like a good deal to me.” And I meant it. It was the easiest bet I’d made in my life no matter how this ended.
We walked down Main Street passing by all the shops in a comfortable silence. Close enough that our shoulders and arms brushed occasionally. It was nice. Oddly familiar. I watched as she looked at the heavily decorated window displays and then at me.
“So…” I broke the silence between us.
“So?” She glanced up at me shyly.
“Are you local to Moonlit or—“
“Born and raised,” she answered. “I’m guessing since you mentioned Pinehaven, you’re kinda local?”
“Yeah.” I nodded and shared, “I was born and raised over in Steele Springs.”
“Oh, that’s a pretty town. You have great cinnamon rolls over at—“
“Roxie’s,” we both said at the same time and started laughing. Damn, she really did know her way around these mountains.
“So… are you doing the whole speed dating thing tomorrow?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.
“Honestly?” I nodded because I felt like I was on pins and needles waiting for an answer.