"Where else would I be?"
"I don't know." He reached for his glasses and put them on. "Part of me thought I dreamed yesterday."
"I'm real." I kissed him properly this time, slow and sweet. "And I'm not going anywhere."
We stayed in bed longer than we should have, kissing and touching and just being together. Eventually, Jason's stomach growled loudly enough that we both laughed.
"I should feed you," he said, sitting up. "Fair warning—I'm not much of a cook. My breakfast repertoire is basically cereal, toast, or eggs."
"Eggs sound perfect."
I followed him to the small kitchen. Through the window, snow blanketed the backyard, pristine except for rabbit tracks. Ifound the coffee supplies in the cabinet—a bag of grounds that smelled like hazelnut. Not the expensive single-origin I'd been drinking in Manhattan, but somehow better.
"When do I meet your friends?" I asked.
"They want to do lunch around noon." Jason cracked eggs into a pan. "Is that okay? I know you just got here, but they're excited to meet you properly."
"Properly meaning not during my jet-lagged half-panicked arrival yesterday?"
"Exactly." He flipped the eggs. "Fair warning—they're protective. Especially Finn."
"Should I be worried?"
"No." Jason plated the eggs and brought them to the small table. "Just be yourself. They'll love you."
We ate breakfast in comfortable silence, feet tangling under the table. Like we'd been doing this for years instead of days.
"So what's the plan for this week?" I asked.
"Well." Jason pushed his eggs around his plate. "I need to work at the library a few days. But we could figure things out together? You could write while I'm at work. We could have dinner together. Maybe I could show you around town properly?"
"I'd like that." I reached across and took his hand. "I know this is fast and probably crazy, but—"
"It doesn't feel crazy," he interrupted. "It feels right. Scary, but right."
"Yeah. Exactly that."
***
We arrived at The Perch just before noon. The whole place smelled like cinnamon and espresso and gingerbread.
Garrett looked up from behind the espresso machine and his face lit up. "Jason! And you must be Brent." He came aroundthe counter, his smile warm and genuine. "It's good to finally meet you properly."
"Hopefully good things," I said.
"Mostly good things." He was grinning. "The others are in the back booth."
Jason led me to a corner booth where three men sat. Finn—protective lumberjack energy. Micah—calm and thoughtful in a gray cardigan. And Hayden, Garrett's boyfriend, with his easy confidence and bright smile.
"Guys, this is Brent." Jason slid into the booth and I followed. "Brent, this is Finn, Micah, and Hayden."
"We met briefly yesterday," Finn said. "But Jason was monopolizing your time."
"Can you blame me?" Jason said, defensive.
"Not at all." Micah's smile was knowing. "Welcome to Juniper Bluff, Brent. Jason's told us you're quite the writer."
"He's being modest," I said. "I'm the one with the commercial thrillers. Jason's the real talent."
