“It didn’t. I left my wallet at home and embarrassed myself at the restaurant by asking her to pay for my meals. Plural.” She sighs. “I really liked her too.”
“Sorry.” I wince. That explains why she’s so grumpy. Based on her tone, this woman will stick with my friend for a while.
Paige would see through BS encouragement right now, so I don’t even try. I glance toward the fireplace. Ember is lying on her back, half her body hanging off the ungodly expensive, fuzzy pink, crown-shaped dog bed I panic purchased at the travel center on the way here. They only had three options and the other two were out of stock. I pray I didn’t lose the receipt while putting the groceries away.
“At least Ember’s getting a good night’s rest. A tornado siren could be going off right now and she’d be still asleep,” I muse.
“Is she in a nice warm bed?” Paige asks with a yawn.
“You’re not helping.” I mirror her yawn.
“I read your text messages,” she tells me. “You can’t have both. Do you want Charlotte or the cabin?”
My stomach knots, halting my shivering.
“Yeah, I said it. You’ve heard of elf on a shelf?Well. Don’t be fool on a stool. Goodnight,” Paige says firmly.
Why is she speaking in riddles? “What does that even?—?”
“I said goodnight,” she barks.
Dead air. I stare at my phone before resting it on my chest.
Charlotte didn’t choose me the first time and I don’t blame her.
I sigh in exasperation. This ismycabin. I get to sleep in my own bedroom.
When I drag myself from the couch, my phone hits the floor with a thud. I glance at Ember. She hasn’t so much as cracked an eyelid open. Useless. My eyes roll and I scoop the device from underneath the couch.
“A thunderstorm could alert half the animals on Mistletoe Mountain, but not you, Ember.” I ball up the blanket and shove two pillows underneath my arms. “No, you’re over there dreaming about bacon.”
I grumble to myself more as I pass Ember enroute to the bedroom. The first thing I’m doing when Charlotte’s gone is fixing those damn vents.
My footsteps are soft and slippery against the teak wood flooring as I make my way down the hall to the bedroom. I reach for the doorknob and pause. Paige’s words circle my mind.
Do you want Charlotte or the cabin?
Neither. I want Charlotte off my property. She can take Ember with her. It doesn’t matter how adorable they both are.
I refocus on the plan. Wake Charlotte up. Tell her to move over or better yet, she can freeze her ass off in the living room. I don’t care. Simple enough.
Somehow, I finagle the door and slowly push it open. I halt my footsteps.
Charlotte’s peacefully sandwiched to one side of the bed, completely untouched by the chaos she caused in my life today. She’s beautiful. Now, I feel stupid for even thinking about waking her, especially after the day she’s had. I’m happy I was able to help, even with that ridiculous cabin clause hanging over us. Perhaps she’ll accept breakfast as an apology for my words earlier.
I catch the moonlight illuminating the side of her face. The tension in my shoulders eases in resignation. Against my better judgement, I drop the pile of bedding and drag myself to the floor, careful not to wake her. The hard wood mocks me while the stars peeking through the skylight stare back. Above me, the lull of Charlotte’s breathing soothes my mind, an effect that apparently never wore off.
I slide my hand under my pillow. I used to do the same with hers. She’d plant a gentle kiss on my fingers before falling asleep in my arms. My palm tingles at the memory. She was never a cure—no one is—but she quieted the noise. And back then, her love was its own kind of relief.
Much cozier than before, I wiggle my now-warm toes. Satisfied, my lips curl into a half smile. I thumb the K-9 pendant around my neck. My dad always said I had a spine of steel and I believe I do.
Turns out steel bends for Charlotte Harrington.
CHAPTER 7
CHARLOTTE
The next morning,I wake up to a puddle of blankets and a pillow on the floor, but no Kez. I don’t know what to do with that information, so I file it away and get up. Luckily, the sunlight peeking through the curtains steals my attention before my mind wanders to what it would be like to share a bed with Kez again.
