I wondered if she felt it too, and if she was fighting it because I was her boss, or if there was something more going on, something I was missing.
But I felt like I couldn’t talk to anybody about it. I’d promised my brothers I hadn’t hired her to get her in my bed again, and everyone else thought I was a playboy who had an aversion to serious relationships. That had been true, before Nellie, before that night we’d spent together after the Witches’ Ball. One night with her rewired my brain.
Something had awoken in me that night, and at first, I hadn’t noticed—or I hadn’t let myself notice. I didn’t realize until I saw her again that she’d been the last woman I’d had in my bed, and the only one I wanted in there now. Something about her clicked with me.
I knew that was all so heavy, so sudden, for what it was supposed to have been: a casual night between two strangers. But I got the sense that she was so much more than a one-night stand, and I didn’t know what to do with that information now that I’d acknowledged it.
The sounds of the party felt muddled, as if I was underwater. I set my untouched glass of champagne down and tried to discreetly leave. Tabitha caught me trying to slip into my jacket.
“Leaving so soon?” she asked, looking disappointed.
“Yeah, I have to be at the resort early,” I replied. It was an excuse, and we both knew it. Tabitha tilted her head, looking at me.
Out of all my cousins—and I had a lot of them—Tabitha and I were probably the closest. We were the same age, but beyond that she’d ended up married to my best friend. I’d spent a few years living in their apartment over the garage while my cabin was built.
I knew without Tabitha saying a thing that she sensed something was off with me, like she knew without me saying a thing that something was off.
“I saw you and Nellie talking,” she said. “Looked like you guys were getting along.”
“I thought we were,” I shrugged, looking away from her penetrating blue eyes as I slipped into my boots.
“Give her time. She probably needs to feel more settled here.”
Tabitha’s advice made sense, but I bristled anyway.
“Don’t get any ideas, Tabs. It’s not like that,” I told her.
Tabitha could be just as bad as the Hartley triplets with her meddling in my love life. She’d tried to fix me up with so many women over the years, I’d lost count. She’d stopped after she realized the most they’d get from me was a casual hookup.
“Oh, I think it’s like that,” Tabitha smiled. “But I promise, I won’t interfere. Whatever’s going to happen, will happen.”
“Sure, cuz. Well, I’m going to head out. Thanks for the invite, the party was great.”
Tabitha hugged me before I could open the door. “Happy New Year, Noah. I have a feeling this year is going to be unforgettable for you.”
“And I have a feeling you’ve had a little too much champagne,” I retorted, patting her on the head and releasing her. I turned around and opened the door. “Tell Parker I said bye.”
With that, I was on my way out. My gaze went to the apartment above the garage. A part of me wanted to go knock on her door, ask her why she’d run like fire licked at her boots, but I reminded myself that wasn’t a good idea. There were no lights on, giving no sign that Nellie was even still awake, or wanting company for that matter.
My head was pounding, and it wasn’t from a hangover. I hadn’t had much to drink the night before, and I’d been in bed by one thirty, but I ended up tossing and turning for hours. I might have finally fallen asleep around six or seven, but when my alarm went off at nine, I felt like I’d been run over by a transport.
I had to go to the resort. I didn’t have a choice. We’d gotten more snow again sometime after two o’clock in the morning, and the pathways needed to be cleared for guests. The office was closed, but guest safety was a priority, and Easton wouldn’t be functional enough to do it.
With Damien and Charlotte home with both girls sick, that left me. Thankfully, it had stopped snowing, so it only took me a couple of hours to clear and sand the pathways. I’d cleared the parking lot by the front office and the road leading to the resort on my way in.
Once I was finished, I made sure none of the guests staying needed anything and then I headed back to my place.
My quiet, empty place.
I couldn’t help but think about Parker and Tabitha’s house, how full of life it was, even when it wasn’t jammed packed with guests for a party. With three kids, there were always toys laying around, or some sign of kids and family life. It was warm and inviting, and chaotic in a way that made me homesick.
My cabin was sixteen hundred fifty-nine square feet, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms and a cozy loft. It was a blend of modern comfort and classic charm, the windows in the vaulted great room offering me a panorama view of the woods surrounding my little slice of property.
The great room had a woodstove that heated the entire cabin. The primary bedroom also had a vaulted ceiling, and so did the dining room and kitchen area. There was a walk-in closet and an ensuite, and a sliding door that opened onto the back deck from the primary bedroom and a sliding door on the opposite side, in the dining room.
At the front of the house, I had two guestrooms for company that had yet to see a single guest outside of one of my brothers. The kitchen wasn’t massive, but it wasn’t small either, it had plenty of storage and counter space. The dining room was separated by an island and had an open concept floorplan with the great room.
Off the dining room and kitchen was a small hallway that led to the front door, the front closet, and the second full bathroom.
