Justin lifted his phone.“There’s no signal in here.”
“Is there someone you need to talk to?”
He shook his head.“With the bad weather, I just wondered if Michael would be calling me back to work.But I guess it doesn’t matter right now because no one will be driving in this storm.”
“I’m sorry I got you stuck out here.”While she was apologizing, she felt there was another apology that was long overdue.“I’m also sorry about the past—about the proposal—”
“Stop.”He held up his palm as though to halt her words.
“I just thought we should clear the air.”Even though it had been a long time since she’d turned down his marriage proposal, the tension still hung between them.“I’d just like to start over.”
“We don’t need to do this.Everything is good.”
She arched a disbelieving brow.“So, you think after eight years of awkwardness that everything has been fixed between us?”
He shrugged.“The thing is, we’re speaking now.”
He had a good point.So, she summoned the courage and even though her stomach knotted up, she asked, “Does this mean we can go back to being friends?”
He was quiet for a moment.It was the longest moment of her life.And if he said no, it was going to break her heart all over again.
“Yes.”His voice was soft but firm.“I would like that.I’ve missed having someone as annoying as you in my life.”He sent her a teasing smile.
“Hey, who are you calling annoying?”She turned and lightly punched his arm.
He pouted and rubbed his arm.“See.You proved my point.”
She rolled her eyes and sighed.“And I forgot how dramatic you can be.”
“Not true.And now I need to go check on the snow.”He lightly punched her arm.
“Hey.That wasn’t nice.”
“You’re the one who started it.”
She smiled and shook her head.Maybe this Christmas she’d gotten an early present—a very special one—she’d gotten her oldest friend back.
“Hey, the squall passed over.”Justin called out to her.“Let’s get going before more snow moves in.”
“I just have to cover the couch.”
“I’ll help.”
Together, they righted things.Then Justin carried the sewing machine and box out to the pickup.In no time, they were slowly creeping home over the snow-covered roads.
Surprisingly, she was grateful for the storm.It gave them the time they needed to right things between them.Were they perfect?No.But it was a beginning—something they could build on.
He was her friend once more.Her heart fluttered in her chest.And even though he was quiet as he navigated the snowy roads, there was an easiness between them.A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
Chapter Eighteen
Mostunexpected.
It was how Justin would describe his evening.When Felicity had apologized for rejecting his proposal, he’d honestly been caught off-guard.
He hadn’t known until she said the words how much he’d needed to hear them.Now he wondered if it were possible to move beyond this new place they’d found themselves.It was somewhere between awkward exes and old friends.Not quite one but much more than the other.
And then there had been that moment when he’d almost kissed her.It had been so tempting—so very tempting.What had he been thinking?
