I chuckle and squeeze her hand back. Sadie laughs too, and I suddenly feel lighter and stronger than I have in months.
“Since you brought Holden up…,” Dixie says slowly. I look over at her and the curiosity in her eyes is undeniable.
“I didn’t bring up Holden.”
“Let’s pretend you did. Because he’s clearly the elephant in the room…or on the beach as location would have it.” Dixie grins at her own ridiculousness. “Wanna enlighten us on whatever it is we saw when we got here this morning?”
“Honestly, no,” I reply firmly. “Enough sharing for now. I’m starving. Let’s go eat somewhere.”
I stand up and they start to get up too. I know they aren’t going to let this go and I’m going to have to say something about Holden and me soon, but I’m going to put it off as long as I can.
14
Holden
As I drive back from hockey practice, my mind falls back to what I’ve been thinking about on and off all day long—Winnie. She and her sisters came back to the cottage after about an hour. They all looked like they’d been crying, but they clearly weren’t fighting anymore. Probably talking about her dad and everything. Dixie and Winnie hauled their carry-on bags into the house and dumped them on the porch before turning around and leaving with Winnie. By the time I left for hockey practice, they hadn’t come back yet.
I know I should just let her be with family, and I know she’s mad at me and I’m the last person she wants around, but I’m aching to see her again. Last night wasn’t just sex to me. It was the start of something real. It was—she is—what I’ve always wanted but never thought I deserved. I can’t just walk away from that. So, she may need space, but she’s not getting it.
I park the truck behind her sisters’ rental and hop out. The lights are on in the cottage, so I pause and stare up at it, but I don’t get out. I kind of want to go inside and see her, check on how they’re doing, but I don’t know if she’d want me to. I’m sure she’s figured out I had no choice but to admit the truth to Jude, but that doesn’t mean she’s not still annoyed by it. I wonder if she’s still thinking about the mind-blowing sex we had less than twenty-four hours ago and if she’s hoping to get me naked again as much as I am dying to get her naked again.
Fuck it, I’m going in.
I take the stairs two at a time and knock twice on the screen door before letting myself in. “Winnie?”
“We’re back here!” a voice calls, but it’s not Winnie.
I walk through the living room, past the stripped-down bathroom and into the half-renovated kitchen-dining room area. Dixie and Winnie are sitting on a drop cloth on the floor with glasses of wine and a family-size bag of Humpty Dumpty dill pickle potato chips. I try not to wrinkle my nose, but I hate that flavor.
“Hey,” I say and shove my hands in my pockets. “Just wanted to make sure everything is all right and you guys are managing around all the renos.”
“We’re managing,” Sadie calls from the kitchen area where she is bent over, looking into the fridge. “But you sure as shit destroyed this place.”
“That is part of the renovation process,” I reply with a shrug. My gaze falls back down to the top of Winnie’s head. I wish I could see her face, but I’m guessing she’s avoiding eye contact on purpose.
“So will the power stay on tonight, or will all three of us have to snuggle up in your trailer?” Dixie asks me pointedly, and Winnie slaps her sister’s arm. “Or is Winnie the only one you offer to keep warm at night?”
“She’s the only one,” I reply swiftly and that gets Winnie to finally look at me. When our eyes connect, I give her a soft smile. “The power will stay on now. We’re done with the rewiring.”
“Cool. Wine?” Sadie offers and holds up a bottle from the fridge.
I shake my head. “Thanks, but I should get back to the trailer and leave you guys alone.”
“Bye,” Winnie says with a cautious smile, but it’s a smile and I take that as a good sign.
Dixie’s smile is a little warmer, slightly less guarded as she waves good-bye.
I give Dixie and Sadie a nod and head back out of the cottage.
For the next few hours I try to keep my thoughts off her. I take a long, hot shower, I make some pasta and drink a couple beers. I try to watch some Netflix, but I can’t stop thinking about Winnie. Even with the trailer windows closed, I can sometimes hear bursts of laughter or noises coming from the house. Eventually, that dies down too. I steal a glance out the window above the bed and it looks like all the lights are out now. They must have gone to bed. It’s almost eleven but sleep doesn’t even feel like a remote possibility for me. I’m riled up for some reason. I walk back over to the fridge, and stare at the contents debating another beer, when there is one hard, short knock on the door.
I turn to face it. “It’s open.”
The door opens and Winnie’s standing there in nothing but a simple blue cotton nightie that falls just below her ass. I can’t take my eyes off it and I know she knows what it’s doing to me. “I’m sorry for barking at you about telling Jude.”
“I didn’t tell him,” I remind her as my eyes keep sweeping up and down her perfect form. “He asked.”
“I know and I’m sorry for being upset that you told him the truth,” Winnie says and takes a step up into the trailer. I watch her long legs move gracefully, the hem of the nightgown lifting, precariously close to revealing much more than her toned thighs. My dick throbs. “I just didn’t want to face my family yet.”
