I wanted a family and a future with you. How much more of your world did I not even know about?
Eric, unaware of my mental detour, broke the silence. “We should get the groceries into the fridge and freezer.”
“Right. Right.” I shook myself. “Good idea.”
He gave me a curious look but didn’t press. I wondered how many times his mind had gone wandering down similar side streets.
Bringing in our modest haul of groceries was a nice distraction, and my head was clearer by the time we’d put the last few items in the freezer. Nothing left to put away but our luggage.
“Bedrooms are upstairs,” Eric said, and he led me up the wooden staircase to the second floor. At the top of the stairs, we both paused. “There are three—the biggest is at this end of the hall with an en suite. The other two are…” He tipped his head toward the opposite end. “Those both have queen beds. The big one has a king.” He shrugged. “I’m happy with any of them, so…”
I glanced around. All the doors were closed, but I didn’t imagine there was anything about any of the rooms that would put me off, and a queen bed was perfectly fine for me. Plus I still felt guilty about this whole shitshow, so I wasn’t about to kick him out of the biggest room.
“Why don’t you take that one?” I gestured toward it. “I’m good with a queen.”
“You sure?” His brows pinched. “I mean, I guess I could take one of them, too. No reason we should?—”
“It’s up to you.” I motioned at the room again. “But if you like that one, it won’t hurt my feelings if you take it.”
He seemed to consider it.
“It’s no big deal to me, either way.” I nodded at the opposite end. “I’ll get settled into one of those.”
Ultimately, he took the room across the hall from me. I didn’t question him. We spent some time settling in, and after I’d put my toiletries in the shared bathroom, Eric went in for a shower.
While he did that, I headed downstairs and out onto the deck.
The sun was going down, and the evening had turned crisp enough that I almost needed a jacket. In just a T-shirt, I rested my forearms on the railing and gazed out at the lake. There were a few other cabins visible along the rocky, tree-lined shore, and a boat cut a lazy path through the otherwise calm water.
So here we were. Just Eric and me, in this cabin on this lake in this place that felt like a million miles from home. We had three weeks to let the fresh air, quiet, and distance work their magic. The company, too—it probably wasn’t the most normal thing, taking off with the man my ex had been cheating with, but it felt right. Strange and surreal, but right.
I didn’t know how the next three weeks would go or how I would feel when they were over.
But all thing considered, I was glad we were here.
CHAPTER 11
ERIC
After two full days of driving, Jesse and I didn’t go anywhere the next day. We had plenty of food at the cabin, and he’d seemed content to hang out, watch movies, and enjoy the view. He’d also wanted to catch up on some work, since that had been part of his arrangement for this trip.
The next day, we headed out again, mostly to explore Moosehead Lake and Greenville. I loved driving in this area, and I wanted to show Jesse around. While we were out, though, I did have a particular destination I mind.
There were a lot of reasons I enjoyed coming up to Moosehead Lake. Among them? Recreational marijuana was fully legal in Maine.
And just outside of Greenville, I found the dispensary I was looking for.
“You don’t mind, do you?” I asked Jesse as I parked beneath the neon marijuana leaf.
“Not at all.” Jesse grinned, taking off his seat belt. “I was planning to get some myself.”
Well, that was a switch. Selena had never liked me smoking, and she’d forbidden me from doing it around her parents. Which, fine. I could respect her boundaries and her family.
But she wasn’t here now, and neither was her family, so I had every intention of enjoying some of Maine’s abundant greenery.
“Probably goes without saying,” I said as we headed back to the car afterward, “but don’t smoke it in the cabin.”
“Oh, definitely not. I wouldn’t even smoke it in my own place, never mind someone else’s.”
