I looked at myself in the mirror above the sink, wondering what I was doing.If she wasn't all in this with me, it would be devastating to walk away from her.But I was in this now, and there was no going back.
I grabbed a washcloth, waiting for the water to warm before soaking it, then squeezing out the excess.I returned to my bedroom, finding her sprawled on the bed exactly how I left her.
I carefully cleaned her, tossing the washcloth in the direction of my hamper, then gathered her close."Thanks for staying the night."
"Mmm," was all she said.
Her skin was soft and warm, and she was pliable in my arms.I was overwhelmed with emotions I wasn't ready to dissect yet.
I was content to be here with her like this.It would have to be enough for now.
Chapter19
Natasha
Ileft Ford's house early on Monday morning, needing to get home, showered, and dressed for work.It was weird not staying overnight at the inn but kind of nice to get a break from everything.
Ford's crew was working hard on the bathrooms, and our reservations had picked up leading into the Thanksgiving holiday.People were in town to visit family or friends and wanted a place to stay with a Christmas theme.
I wished we had more rooms to rent, but the renovations had to be done.I spent the day fielding calls for reservations and guiding guests to various experiences.
I answered questions about where to shop and eat, things to do in the area.We had a book with information in every room, but some people preferred to talk to a person, and I wanted to give them that one-on-one service.
In between reservations and requests, I worked on the logistics for the parade.I was sorting through various replies from high-school marching bands, scout groups, and dance troops who wanted to participate.I needed to get a timeline and an order for the parade, so that I could send information out to the participants.
Eve came over around lunch, and I ordered food from the kitchen so we could go over the details.
We sat in the guest chairs in my office with my laptop on the edge of the desk.Eve had her tablet on her lap, and I was eating a burger.
She read through the list of participants on my computer."This is a lot.More than I expected."
"I was shocked too," I said, a little overwhelmed by the scope of the project.
Eve's face smoothed out."We'll figure it out.I researched organizing parades and the order of groups to get an idea of how we should handle everything.”
I raised a brow."I didn't even know that was a thing you could research."
"You can find anything online."Eve's brow furrowed as she continued scanning the list.
A knock sounded on the door.
"Come in," I said absentmindedly, thinking it was a server from the restaurant with an issue.When I looked in the direction of the door, Ford popped his head in, his eyes widening when he saw my sister."I wanted to see if you wanted to grab lunch?—"
When Eve looked from me to him, he continued, "To go over our progress.But I see you already have company."
"We can schedule something for later in the week."Or tonight in my room.But I didn't want to talk tile or fixtures.Maybe that was why he'd wanted to meet for lunch.It was less likely we'd end up on the desk, tearing each other's clothes off.But now that I thought of it, it wasn't a bad idea.
I was trying to sound professional, but my face was hot, and I hoped Eve wasn't picking up on it.
He inclined his head toward me."I'll text you."
I smiled, trying to look cool and professional."Sounds good.Thanks for stopping by."
The door closed with a soft snick, and Eve snapped her head around to me."Did I just interrupt a quickie?"
My face flamed hotter because that's exactly what I was thinking."What?No."
She set her tablet on the desk, which was a bad sign.She was almost never not holding onto it."Is there something going on between you and Ford?"
