Brewer’s gruff words force my gaze up to meet his, pulse quickening as we stare each other down across the table. The tension in the room suddenly feels thick enough to choke on. I can see Savannah watching us in my peripheral vision, but all my attention is on Brewer. Everything else feels hazy and far away—only his ruggedly handsome face is in crisp focus.
“Why is it ridiculous?” I counter.
“Because you’re beautiful.” He scowls at me, thick brows drawn down. “Don’t understand how that’s even a question.”
He says it so matter-of-factly in his gruff, throaty voice that it takes me a moment to process the compliment. When I finally do, my pulse skitters wildly. Brewer doesn’t sound like he’s trying to flatter me; it’s like he thinks he’s stating the obvious—some irrefutable fact that I’m crazy for denying.
Beautiful.
You’re beautiful.
I open my mouth and close it again. My mind has gone completely blank, every coherent thought dissolving under the weight of those two words.
Then a loud crash makes us all jump.
Something heavy falls outside. Glass shatters.
“Goddammit.” Clay pushes back his chair. “Sounds like the porch light.”
“Are you sure it wasn’t a car window?” Savannah asks.
He heads outside to look, leaving the rest of us sitting in tense silence. The moment between me and Brewer shattered along with the glass outside, and I don’t look at him as Savannahhurries into the kitchen to grab the cherry pie for dessert. She’s cutting us each a generous slice when Clay comes back a couple of minutes later.
“Was just the porch light,” he says. “I swept up the glass. Nasty as hell out there, though.”
Brewer clears his throat. “How you planning to get home?”
It takes me a moment to realize his question is directed at me.
“I’m driving,” I tell him.
“You’re not driving down the mountain in this.”
His words are forceful. Final. My instinct is to argue with him for telling me what to do, but then another fierce gale hits the cabin, making me wince as the wooden walls groan around us.
“You can stay here tonight,” Savannah says, eyes twinkling as she adds, “There’s not much space, though. Maybe you could go back to Brewer’s? He has plenty of space, and his cabin’s not far.”
“Sure,” Brewer says quickly. “Guest room’s free.”
“Take my truck so you don’t have to walk back,” Clay says, tossing the keys to his brother.
I don’t have time to say a word. They’ve all made up their minds, and a stubborn part of me wants to drive down the mountain out of spite. But I know they’re just looking out for me, and the thought of going back to Brewer’s cabin feels too tempting to pass up.
Even if it feels like the tension will suffocate me before we get there.
After we finish our cherry pie, Clay tells us to leave before the weather gets worse. I suspect he just wants to be alone with Savannah, but I don’t argue as I get up from the table. Brewer hangs back to talk to his brother while I join Savannah by the door.
“I can’t believe you invited him without telling me,” I hiss under my breath.
She grins at me. “You’ll thank me when you’re married.”
I’m not surprised she took things into her own hands. My best friend is a hopeless romantic, so playing matchmaker is right up her alley. But she could have prepared me a bit more first.
“You dowantto go, right?” she asks quietly, her expression turning serious. “Obviously there’s plenty of room for you to stay here. I just thought you might want an excuse to go to his place.”
Despite the anxiety bubbling in my gut, I nod slowly.
“I want to go. I’m just nervous. Things got a little…tense over dinner.”
