“Whydidyou sell your house?” she asks, shifting in her seat. She bends one leg, resting her knee on my thigh. Another inch or two, and that knee would know exactly how much she’s getting to me right now.
“I bought a plot of land at the edge of town. I’ll break ground after everything thaws.”
“You’re building a house?” Blaire asks, excitement twinkling in her emerald eyes.
“And apparently a barn.”
She licks her lips, her gaze dropping to my mouth. “It’s not nice to tease people, Thatch.”
She hasn’t called meThatchsince we were kids, and yet, the sound of it now, rolling off her tongue, makes me want to bribe the driver to take us back to the cabin. I could handle being handcuffed to Blaire the rest of the night. Something tells me she wouldn’t be all that objectionable to the idea, either.
“I’m not teasing. Move to Caribou Creek, and I’ll buy you a small herd of mini cows.”
“If you keep talking dirty to me, I can’t be held responsible for my actions,” she adds, sliding a palm up my chest and onto my neck. Her thumb brushes my jaw as her fingers tangle in my hair at the back of my head. If I had any sense left, I’d cut this dance short right now. Blaire’s still getting over calling off her wedding. There’s no way in hell she’s going to give up her life in Chicago just because I promise to build her a barn and fill it with her favorite animals.
Yet, I can’t seem to stop myself.
“How many do you want?” I ask, leaning in to close the gap between our mouths. I’m an inch shy of another kiss when the ATV jerks to a halt, rocking us apart.
“We’re atRose’s Diner, kids,” the driver announces. “Good luck!”
CHAPTER 7
Blaire
It’s been hours since the snow heart challenge at the lodge, and still, my lips tingle with the sensation of Thatcher’s kiss. Had it not been for an ATV driver with a lead foot, we might be making out like horny teenagers now.
Is this a bad idea?
Maybe.
Probably.
Okay, so it’s a terrible idea.
But I can’t even text Raelyn to see what she thinks because I left my phone at home. Something I didn’t realize until I wanted to take some selfies with the miniature cows. For the first time since arriving in Caribou Creek, I haven’t thought about Spencer, or the aftermath, or my life in Chicago for hours.
It’s not just getting out of the house that did the trick. It was Thatcher.
Considering he hasn’t posted a single photo of us since we started this whole thing, I have a feeling there is no ex to make jealous. He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who’d get hung up on a woman. He seems confident. Sure of himself. Like he’s not afraid to walk away from something that threatens to disrupt his peace.
He’s everything I wish I could be.
“No cheating,” he says, using the back of his arm to create a barricade between us on the small writing ledge.
“I’m not looking at what you’re writing,” I insist, though I am insanely curious.
AfterRose’s Dinerand the hot cocoa challenge that involved two straws, one cup, and a series of questions that led me to discover Thatcher’s favorite soup is halibut chowder, he loves old black and white movies, and he hates it when someone spoils the end of a book, we walked the quick block and a half to the post office.
The challenge is simple: Write a confession on a Valentine, seal it in an envelope with your partner’s name, and give it to the volunteer. We’ll get them back at the end of the crawl, where we can each read what one another wrote.
I’ve considered several options for mysimpleconfession:I know Raelyn signed us up for the Crawl.Or maybeI had a teensy tiny crush on you the summer I was fifteen but you had a girlfriend. Or better yetI’m really grateful you dragged me out of bed against my will.
But ultimately, I go withThat was the best kiss of my life. Thank you for ruining me for all other kisses from now until the end of time.
It’s playful, a little flirty, and it leaves the door open to…more.
ShouldI be thinking about more with my best friend’s brother? Even if I wasn’t a week fresh out from calling off my wedding, the answer would likely be no. But Thatcher isn’t some random stranger I met at a bar. He’s not just some guy who’d make a good rebound. I’ve known him my whole life. Though he can be grumpy and standoffish, he can also be incredibly thoughtful and compassionate.
