Page 19 of Next to You

“Yeah, maybe I am. Is that okay?”

“Trust your instincts, Lucy.” I turned her previous words back on her, hoping she’d be the one to take the lead. As long as we couldn’t leave, being the one to make the first move felt wrong to me.

"Ahh, you are a clever man.” Her glance was bemused as she regarded me with open curiosity.

“I try.” I poured her coffee and then slid the steaming mug across the counter. “Taste this.”

After blowing on it, she took a careful sip and then tilted her head back with a sigh. “It’s perfect.” She grinned at me. “Aside from how we got here, it almost feels like a vacation now. Is it weird to think that way?”

“Nope. I always try to make the best of things. Let’s change into warm clothes and go outside. We can check our phones and figure out what to do next.”

“Sounds like a solid plan. I hope you don’t mind sharing your Oreos with me.”

“What’s mine is yours.”

Chapter 7

Lucy

After rummaging through the dresser, I was fully clothed in fancy skiwear and sturdy winter boots, courtesy of his sister. I also owed Charlotte some tacos or whatever else she preferred since, judging by the amount of snow out here, I would probably end up wearing every stitch of clothing she kept here before we could go back home.

Snow blanketed the ground, dusting the porch steps and weighing down the branches of the evergreens. It was everywhere, covering everything in fat, fluffy piles.

The steam from the coffee mingled with the crisp morning air as I rocked in my chair, wrapped in a quilt, with one foot resting on the porch rail. I was right; I knew it would be peaceful out here as well as incredibly beautiful. No wonder this was Spencer’s favorite place.

We had come out here together, but he returned inside after we realized our phones still had no signals. He was trying to contact his dad with the radio. I almost didn’t care if he reached him or not. Now that I was safe and knew I would be fine, I felt selfishly happy to be here.

I hoped my mother was okay, but it was a relief not to have to answer a million questions about where I’d been, where I was,and what I was currently doing. I loved her, but sometimes, she drove me crazy. She respected my working hours, but beyond that, it was open season on my time, and I felt terrible that I felt this way. I was not good at setting boundaries when it came to her. She needed me.

The desire for a day or two of peace and quiet surprisingly outweighed my feelings of embarrassment for waking up on top of him. I squeezed my eyes shut at the memory, trying to forget how it felt to be pressed against his gorgeous, hard body, how it felt to have his big thigh between mine and my hand in his hair. I only wished I could remember how we ended up in that position. I’d bet money that sleepy Lucy had enjoyed herself.

The sound of the door opening and closing interrupted my quiet reverie. I turned to smile at Spencer expectantly, deliberately keeping my eyes trained on his face and no lower.

“I got through to my dad. Power is out in Honeybrook Hollow and all the villages north. Sweetbriar is fine. The storm knocked down a few trees and made a mess, just like I thought. The turn-off to the cabin and most of the surrounding roads are completely blocked, including the section of the highway that runs through Honeybrook Hollow. A few of the big pines went down. Crews are working on it now. But the road to this cabin is not a priority since it’s just us out here, and they know we’re okay. He’ll head out to your mom’s place, let her know what’s going on, and make sure she’s okay and has what she needs. We could hike out if you’d like, but the snow is deep.”

“Maybe we should stay here?”

“That’s what I think.”

“Between your dad and my grandparents, my mom will be fine. Don’t you think?”

“Yes, she’ll be fine, Lucy.”

Shamefully, my eyes lit up, and I smiled, giving myself away. “So I don’t have to worry about her then?”

Understanding eyes met mine. “No, he said he’ll check on her. You have nothing to worry about; he will also check on your grandparents and ask if your house has any damage.”

I owed his dad so many tacos now, too. When I get home, I might throw a Taco Tuesday thank you party to express my gratitude in one fell swoop.

“Thank you so much. What can I do to help? We need to gather more wood, right? Anything else?”

“Nothing except add finally buying a generator for this place to the to-do list. But that is a chore for another day.” He sat in the rocking chair next to mine, crossing an ankle over his knee as he settled in with his cup of coffee and the bag of Oreos.

“Right? I even have one at my place.”

“I do, too. Do you really live at the Honeybrook now?”

His sideways smile warmed me up. He was so handsome in the early morning sunshine. The bright light reflecting off the snow shone in his eyes, making them sparkle like sapphire lightning.

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