Chapter Eighteen #3
“Let’s go with the good news,” Charlie said. If they at least had a room, she could handle whatever the bad news was.
Harper dangled a physical key. “They allow dogs, and I got us a room. Their last room, apparently, as there’s some boat show thing going on here, so all the hotels are booked up on this island.
They were full too but had a cancelation for tonight because of this monsoon.
So go us. But we do have to check out tomorrow because the person who rented this room will be here then. ”
Charlie chuckled at her teasing. “I don’t think we planned to stay a second night, did we? Don’t you have to work?”
“Yes, but the woman at check-in was very adamant that we have to check out on time tomorrow. No later than eleven thirty.”
“Duly noted. Now what’s the bad news?”
“Not only do we only have one room, there’s only one bed.”
“Well, that’s a trope if I’ve ever heard one.
I’m sure we’ll be fine. We’re both adults.
” The thought of sharing a bed with Harper had her heart racing faster than it had when they’d hydroplaned, and her skin grew hot.
But she was letting Harper set the pace and giving her as much time as she needed.
But all their making out without going any further was giving her new vibrator the workout of a lifetime.
She was pretty sure she’d clocked more hours with that baby in the last few weeks than all other vibrators in her life combined.
Though, the two of them plus Franky in one bed might be a bit much.
Wow, she needed to focus. “I still think the best news is that I don’t have to drive another mile in this shit.”
“Oh, and I forgot the other good news.”
“What’s that?” Charlie said.
Harper held up two plastic-wrapped packets. “They provide complimentary toiletry kits, so we have toothbrushes, toothpaste, a small stick of deodorant, and maybe some other useful stuff.”
She hadn’t even thought that far ahead but was grateful Harper had. “That’s fantastic. I hate not brushing my teeth.”
“I’m a planner. Just one of the reasons I was a good attorney.
” She shrugged one shoulder and flashed a cheeky smile.
“Now, the parking closest to our room is going to be around the back building of the complex. Apparently, the person who canceled tonight has a great view of the water. Not that we’ll be able to see it anytime soon. ”
They found their building, parked, and ran inside, but in just that quick sprint, they were all soaking.
“They told me we had robes in the room. Hopefully, she really meant that in plural,” Harper chuckled as she sluiced wet hair from her forehead.
Charlie felt a little flushed at the idea of sitting with Harper in nothing but a robe.
But she certainly wasn’t going to say no.
To distract herself, she took in the space.
It had a very Key West vibe, with a coral bedspread and a teal accent wall.
It was nice enough. There was a small table with two chairs sitting in front of the sliding door.
“Shit. I’m going to have to run back out there.
The desk clerk told me she was pretty sure there was a dog hospitality kit in the room, but I don’t see one.
There’s supposed to be a dog bed, a water bowl, a small thing of kibble, and a few treats.
Franky would probably like to emotionally eat, given the storm roiling around us. ”
When Harper moved to the door, Charlie said, “Wait, I’ll drive you so you don’t get too wet.”
“Would you mind staying here with Franky, so she doesn’t have to go back out in the rain? She’s finally starting to settle down a little.” Harper pointed to the corner where Franky was curled up. Charlie hadn’t realized that Harper had covered her with a beach towel that came with the room.
“Was she cold?”
“No, it’s like a makeshift thunder coat. It doesn’t squeeze her as tightly, but it’s better than nothing. So you should stay with her. And there’s no reason for us both to get wet.”
“Why don’t you take my car? She drives like a dream. Even in this weather. As long as you don’t hit too deep of a puddle and hydroplane.” Charlie rolled her eyes at herself.
“By the time I figure out how to get into your fancy car and then get out and figure out how to lock it, I could’ve just run. You know I’m a runner. I’ll dodge the raindrops.” She grinned, and Charlie’s stomach did a little flutter. Harper’s genuine smile was the best in the universe.
As Harper darted out the door and into the deluge, Charlie sank down next to Franky and cuddled her. The weight of everything that had happened that day washed over her, and she lay down right there on the floor.
Even though the day had gone as well as it possibly could have, Charlie felt like she’d been through the wringer.
All of the stress leading up to today, the reunion with her parents, then the storm…
She still had so much guilt that she could barely breathe when she thought about how much pain she’d caused her parents.
It was all she could think about as Franky’s shudders slowly subsided against her torso, and her eyes became heavy.