Her mouth stretches into half a smile. “I’m okay, really. Just need to chill on the sofa.”
I hold my hand out, and she fishes out the keys from her purse.
I’m a gentleman, so I’m going to ignore her insistence that all is well and assist her inside, stealing the opportunity to enjoy every second of touching her.
She tosses me her house key, and I catch it before my hand lands on her back, causing her breath to catch because of the second of a magnetic pull that draws her eyes up to meet my own. Our lingering gaze drops, and we mosey our way to the front door, and I unlock it. Walking in, I’m surrounded by the smell of cedar. Her home is cozy. Throw pillows and blankets in the living room. A lot of candles, too.
She drops her purse onto the floor and saunters straight to the living room where she plops down on the sofa, sighing in relief.
“Let me get you something to drink.” I’m already halfway to the kitchen while she gets comfortable, not giving her any opportunity to protest.
As soon as I’m in the kitchen, I wince at the sight. It looks like a crime scene. There is blood on the floor and a drenched kitchen towel. My eyes draw a line up to the counter where there is a cut bagel and a knife nearby. “Yikes. Are you sure there isn’t a dead body buried in the backyard or something?” I call out. Debating, I decide to grab her a bottle of water from the fridge before I clean this mess up.
Opening the door to the fridge, I catch sight of something from the corner of my eye. Closing the fridge with one slow push, I examine the contents of the bag of bagels on the counter.
Huh, pre-sliced.
My eyes travel between the bag and the floor.Ah.
With water in hand, I stroll back to the living room, and I do my best to keep a straight face. I shouldn’t find this funny, but I kind of do.
I lean over the back of the sofa to hand Hailey the bottle of water. “Here you go. Where are your cleaning supplies? Something tells me paper towels won’t cut it, no pun intended.” I lick my lips, struggling to keep my grin in.
“You don’t need to do that. It’s my blood.”
“It’s okay. You’re kind of missing a finger right now.”
Her brows rise, and she huffs out a breath in agreement.
I scratch my chin, debating if I should, but I just can’t help it. “I noticed the bag of bagels.”
Her shoulders sink and eyes roll. “Har-har.”
Teasing her always brightens my day. “A pre-sliced bagel?”
She seems embarrassed, but after a few seconds, a line draws on her mouth, a smirk. “I’m never going to hear the end of it, am I?”
“Probably not.”
“I had a moment, okay? Lesson learned, and I think I hate bagels now.”
I feign shock. “Bagels are on the bad list? Oh no. Part of your soul must be dead.”
Hailey looks good when she’s in a light mood, and lucky for me, she appreciates my humor.
Rounding the couch, I sit down on the other end. “Relax, we all have our moments.”
“Have your moments ever led to perhaps never feeling your thumb again?” she challenges, and she holds up her hand.
I want to swoop up her thumb to kiss it better, but that’s not a great idea. “Thumbs are overrated.” She narrows her eyes at me,playing along. “Besides, it isn’t that bad, just needs to be on the mend.”
“I guess you’re right. Least the stitches will be out for the wedding in two weeks.”
“There ya go.”
Our eyes lock, and we both pierce the other with the connection. It’s silent in the room, but the lack of words feels loud. The air feels heavy.
Maybe we both notice because in unison we search for another focal point away from each other.
