Page 27 of A Runaway in Winter
It’s silly, but I can’t get enough of the little touches, the ones that say he can’t keep his hands to himself and wants everyone to know he’s mine.
“Ready?” Lake asks, pulling me from my thoughts as he holds the door open for me.
“As I’ll ever be,” I mumble and he laughs, placing his hand on the small of my back and ushering us inside.
The lodge is exactly the way I remember it, the massive barn holding three long tables in the center and the service area for food along the wall. It’s beautiful and rustic and so achingly familiar with the sounds and smells that I feel like I’ve been transported back in time.
“Oh my goodness, come here,” Elora says, wrapping me in a bone-crushing hug. “We’ve been so worried.”
“I’m sorry,” I say, holding her tight, the Sterling matriarch stronger than her petite frame lets on, her dark hair nowstreaked with silver. She’s stunning, her eyes assessing when she pulls back.
“Are you all right?”
“I am now. Just trying to find my footing again,” I say and she nods. With a hard swallow, I add, “I’ll get the money back to you?—”
“Winston,” she hisses, looking over my shoulder before meeting my gaze. “You’ll do no such thing.”
“But—”
“There’s my girl,” Winston says with a smile that sayseverything will be just fine.I want to believe it, even more when he pulls me into an embrace, the scent of his aftershave familiar and welcome. “How are you holding up?”
“She wants to pay us back,” Elora tells her husband with a tone that says she’s not hearing of it.
And she won’t get any objection from her husband because Winston’s eyes darken as he pulls back to look at me. “You don’t worry about any of that. We were happy to do it.”
“It’s just such a mess…all the work and money and?—”
“Pen, the cost of a wedding does not make a happy marriage and certainly not a happy life.” Elora’s gaze softens. “If Carter isn’t the one for you, no flower arrangement or twelve-piece band is going to change that.”
I can’t help it; my lips quirk up into a small grin. “He’s not the one, and I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, not just now but since I’ve been friends with Lake.”
“You’re one of ours, Pen,” Winston says, hugging me to his side, “and always have been.”
I blink back tears, the conviction in his statement more than I can handle in this moment.
“And I know you’re staying with Lake, but we have one of the cabins open if you need your own space,” Elora adds as Lake joins us.
“What space?” Lake asks, giving his mother a hug as she smiles up at him.
“There’s a cabin open if you want to kick me out,” I tell him and he scoffs.
“Hell no,” Lake says, earning a glare from his mother that only makes his smile widen. “You’re stuck with me.”
“It’s a hardship,” I tease, resulting in Lake making a scene, waving his arm around and stomping his foot.
“Icookedfor you!”
“The chicken parmwasreally good.”
“I can’t believe you,” he grumbles and I snicker, leaving Winston’s side to wrap my arms around Lake’s waist.
“It was really good chicken parm,” I admit, looking up and doing my best not to drool too much at the way he’s staring down at me while he holds me against him.
“Would you look at that. I have to go make sure all the food is ready. Pen, stop by the house and we’ll catch up, all right?”
Startled, I turn and look at her, forcing a smile as I put a little space between Lake and me. How can I be this comfortable with another man already—even if he’s my best friend?
“Sure.”
