She stretches, her pajama shirt pulls tight against her chest. Then my eyes catch on her hard nipples; she’s not wearing a bra.
Fuck… I look away because I don’t trust not getting aroused in only a towel.
“Morning,” I say, clearing my throat and walking toward my bag. “How did you sleep?”
“Good. Though I woke up a few times,” she admits. “It’s too quiet here. I didn’t have city white noise.”
“No cabbies honking? No New Yorkers yelling at each other?” I ask.
She smiles. “Who knew such a place even existed. No noise at night, nice people, good dancing…”
“You planning to steal all my honky-tonk moves when we get back to Seattle?” I ask.
She meets my eyes, and a beat of knowing passes between us. I’m testing the waters to make sure we survived last night. The faintest smile tilts her mouth.
“You think I need to steal them?” Her response is soft but sharp. A tease. Back to herself and our banter.
Thank Good.
“I’m just saying,” I stretch my arms overhead, “I nearly dislocated a hip trying to keep up with you.”
“That’s your fault for attempting lifts on a crowded dance floor.”
I grin. “I regret nothing.”
She shakes her head, but I see it. The flush starting at her throat, the softness that wasn’t there last night after Anika cornered her.
We’re okay.
Or… okay-adjacent, but that’s all I need. I can work with that.
“Breakfast?” I ask.
She nods. “We should say goodbye to your parents,” she says, tying her hair into a low twist.
God help me. She looks like she belongs here. Like she woke up in Montana a hundred times before this, but now I’m anxious to get her back to Seattle, back to our routine and life where things are back to normal.
“Yeah,” I say quietly. “Let’s go.”
My parents’ house smells like bacon and cinnamon rolls the moment we step inside. Moose barrels across the kitchen like he’s been waiting all morning for Katerina specifically. His tail is wagging so hard I think it might throw him off course. An entire great dane vibrating with purpose.
She crouches automatically, elegant even while being aggressively face-licked.
“Moose,” I groan. “Buddy, back off, she’s mine. "
“He’s fine,” she says, laughing softly, scratching behind his ears. “He just missed me.”
Of course he did, because who wouldn’t?
Mom whirls from the stove, already reaching for plates. “Oh good, you’re here. Sit, eat. There’s plenty to go around. Do you want tea? Coffee? Scottie, grab the butter. Arny, stop stealing bacon before I finish a batch. We have guests.”
Dad shamelessly winks at us and steals another strip.
It’s chaos in the house. Most of their guests from last night are still asleep in whatever room or basement couch they could find. Tents were pitched out in the backyard that happened to have just a glint of frost on the tops of them. I’m glad we get myparents for a few minutes before the rest of the mob of people descend on us, which should be any minute once they smell the delicious food my mom’s been slaving over all morning.
“I’ll take some tea. But don’t stop what you’re doing,” Katerina says, holding up a hand to my mother, who’s standing over the oven. I’ll make it. I think I remember how you did it.”
“I don’t mind, really–” my mother starts, but Katerina waves her off and heads for the kettle.
