Page 32 of Catching the Mistletoe

“Really?” The note of surprise in her voice was stark.

“Well, yeah. It’s hard to have Noah Lockwood for a brother and avoid therapy.”

Another soft laugh was her only reply. Then she was reaching for the dash, turning the radio up and letting me off the hook.

We ate up the miles after that in silence, and it amazed me how peaceful it felt. That was more information than I’d ever given anyone, except Noah. I should feel anxious, uptight, freaking out, even. But I didn’t feel any of that. I felt lighter. Like shedding the layer of armor I always wore actually wasn’t the worst thing in the world.

There was an odd sense of freedom in opening up to Arabella, one that both confused and comforted me. What the fuck was I supposed to do with that?

CHAPTER15

Arabella

We rolled into Twin Falls long after dark. A sense of anticipation coiled in my stomach. New city, new experiences, and here I was, sitting next to a guy who’d just peeled back layers of his past, sharing it with me like a sacred secret.

The dashboard clock read 9:37 PM. Not exactly the time for sightseeing, but the night was still young in my book. The RV’s headlights sliced through the darkness as Mack navigated through unfamiliar streets. Finally, we drove into what looked like a well-maintained RV park, its sign illuminated just enough to readTwin Falls Haven. A young woman hurried out of the office and directed us to our spot for the night. Mack thanked her quietly and in no time at all, we pulled up and he cut the engine.

The park was dotted with other RVs and campers, but it felt like we had our own little world right there, on the edge of the park.

“There we go, home for the night.”

“I like it,” I smiled, peeking through the window at our surroundings. “Feels cozy, in an open-air kind of way.”

His laugh was low and rumbly. I felt the sound deep in my belly. “Yeah, it’s not a five-star hotel, but it’s got its perks. I’ll just get everything connected.”

“Great. What do you feel like for dinner?”

“Not much. It’s pretty late.”

“I can probably rustle up some sandwiches.”

“Sounds good.”

So that’s what we did. Mack hooked us up. I made some sandwiches and tea. Then we went about our nighttime routine, getting ready for bed.

I don’t know if it was my imagination, but things seemed different between us now. The energy had shifted, deepened, and yeah, I liked it. I liked it a lot.

“Arabella?”

Something about Mack’s tone had my insides turning to goo. “Yeah?” I turned to him, still holding the pillow I was about to throw on my bed. Heat pooled in my belly at the sight of him, standing in the bedroom doorway in a tight white tee and boxer shorts. He looked hot, of course. But then I raised my eyes to his face and my heart clenched. It was the expression in his eyes that pulled at me. Soft and uncertain, like he was unsure of what to say. It made me want to hug him.

“Goodnight.”

That was it? “Goodnight.”

Then he was gone, sliding the door closed and switching off the light. I climbed into my bed and tucked the lightweight comforter around me. The RV hummed with the quiet energy of appliances and the subtle rustle of Mack settling in for the night. Usually, I hated this time of the day when I got into bed. Tired enough to go straight to sleep, but then just couldn’t do it. So dumb and annoying. Not tonight, though.

Tonight, my mind felt strangely calm, like a serene lake after a storm. The events of the day replayed in my head. It was all a chaotic jumble that I couldn’t really make sense of. It wasn’t lost on me that Mack sharing that stuff with me was a big deal. He was a deeply private, quiet person. I wondered if I shouldn’t have asked so many questions, but then I thought he would have shut me down if he really didn’t want to answer. Still, it was an honor that he felt he could share it with me. Even if I had no fucking idea what to make of the fact that he had.

I lay there, picturing Mack in my mind, gripping the steering wheel, gazing out at the open road as he talked. My eyelids grew heavy, and just before sleep claimed me, a thought floated across my mind: Maybe shedding a little light on those dark memories would help him.

And for the first time in days, sleep came easily, pulling me under like a gentle tide.

I was in a hospital bed, and the stark white walls seemed to close in on me. The fluorescent lights overhead buzzed like an annoying fly I couldn’t swat away. My heart pounded in my chest as I tried to sit up, but my body wouldn’t cooperate. It was like I was glued to the mattress, trapped in my own skin. A sea of white coats and scrubs floated around me, faceless doctors and nurses talking in medical jargon I couldn’t decipher.

“Is she stable?” one voice asked, as sterile as the environment.

“Vitals are fluctuating,” another responded, scribbling something onto a clipboard.

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