066e8a9cc52a7cd2b117c751b41ddabd by Bradford Megan L

Author:Bradford, Megan L
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-01-09T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

Nathan knocks on the door to her apartment that afternoon, his hair still slick with perspiration from his hike. When she sees him standing there in his muddy boots, that same wide smile crosses her face. She greets him with a kiss, clearly just as eager to see him as he was to get there. She looks soft and welcoming, dressed in jeans and a loose navy top.

He unlaces his boots and then tucks them against the wall. His sports jacket is there, hanging next to her purple parka. It makes him smile, a reminder of the excitement and adrenaline he felt on their first date.

The apartment is exactly what he was, somehow, expecting. Although the walls are the same cream color typical of all rental places, she has added some prints of local scenery and a bold modern canvas with slashes of crimson and jade. The couches are covered with colorful throws and cushions. On an end table, a candle is lit, its flame flickering gently. It sits next to an open book and a half-finished mug of tea. For a moment, a particular scene from The Love Connection flashes into his memory.

"Would you like some tea?" Lucy asks.

"Sure." He follows her into the kitchen area and watches as she fills a kettle with water and places it on the stove. She reaches up into the cabinet for the packet, stretching on tiptoes. He walks up behind her, leaning over her to get it for her. Their bodies seem to mold together. His mouth is drawn down to the nape of her neck. He sweeps her hair aside, brushes his lips there, and then traces a path up to her ear. The whistle of the boiling kettle makes them both jump.

He turns off the stove. Lucy's arms wind around his waist from behind.

"Let's have tea later," she says.

***

They sip mugs of Earl Grey in bed, her back resting against his muscled chest. They don't bother to turn on the lamp, even as the light begins to fade. The dimness feels comforting and intimate to Lucy.

"Does your family live in Cedar Ridge?" Nathan asks softly, his mouth near her ear.

She's careful not to stiffen too much, or to let her sudden discomfort ruin the perfection of the moment.

"No," she says, trying to keep the emotion out of her voice. "We're not close."

"I thought that might be the case," he replies, shifting so that he can see her face. His eyes search hers. "You don't talk about them."

"Not much to tell." She pulls the sheet up higher and wraps both hands around the mug, needing its warmth. "I don't know my dad. Never met him. Mom is always too busy with her latest boyfriend to care what I'm doing." His arm tightens around her, encouraging her to keep talking. "She never has, really. Cared, I mean. It was always more important for her to have a man than a daughter."

She swallows down the wave of bitterness and hurt that surface.

"I couldn't wait to leave home," she continues.

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