Grabbing a change of clothes from my room, I head to the bathroom and start the water, getting undressed. My chest rises and falls as I think about West being just on the other side of this door.
After a quick shower, I run the brush through my hair and give myself a quick pep talk in front of the mirror before stepping out into the hall, Pumpkin trailing behind me.
I find West sitting at the bar stool in the kitchen.
“Hey,” he says. “Good shower?”
“I feel much better.” I smile. “Would you like me to order the pizza?”
“No need. Already done. It should be here in about ten minutes.”
“Oh, perfect. Thank you.” I go around to the fridge and pull out two beers.
“I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I asked Max what you normally ordered when I called. He said the veggie deluxe. I hope he wasn’t wrong?” he asks, looking nervous.
“Not wrong.” I smile. “That’s my favourite.”
“Thank God.” He sighs before I catch him jolt.
“The beer okay?” I ask, curiously bringing the bottle to my lips. Tastes fine to me.
He flinches again, and I lean across the counter to see Pumpkin clawing at his pant leg.
“Pumpkin!” I scold. “Be nice to our guest.”
As if she doesn’t hear me, the little gremlin jumps up onto his knee and climbs right up onto his lap. I watch as West’s body goes rigged and fight back another laugh.
“Tell me the truth, Sheriff. Are you afraid of my cat?” I giggle.
“Maybe.” He sighs, and I can’t help it. Another full-belly laugh leaves me.
“She’s very sweet, I promise,” I tell him, walking around to the other side and giving her a pet.
“It’s not your cat. It’s my brother’s. She looks just like yours, but three times fatter and much grouchier,” he tells me.
“Ahh,” I say with amusement.
“We call her Medusa. I swear she’s a demon in disguise. Hates everyone but kids. I’ve tried to convince my brother to get rid of the damn thing, but he won’t because his kids love her.”
Just then, the doorbell rings, and I go to answer it.
“I’ve got it,” West says. “Why don’t you get plates ready?”
“Sure. Thank you,” I tell him as he heads for the door.
I grab some plates and wait for West to come back with the pizza. After we each grab our slices, we head out onto the back patio and enjoy the evening sun.
“You have a beautiful view here.”
Behind my house sits the valley of Lavender Falls. You can see miles and miles of rolling hills that surround our town and the river that flows through it. I love sitting out here as often as I can, enjoying the scenic views. Though lately it hasn’t been as much as I’d like.
“Thank you. It’s actually what sold me on this place.” I take a deep breath and share a little piece of myself with West. “I used to live on an acreage as a child, and you could see the mountains and forest all around us. I loved my home.” My throat catches, and I hide it behind a sip of beer.
“Where did you live before you came here? Other than school in Vancouver, I mean.”
Taking a bite of pizza, I use the moment to think about how I want to answer. I swallow my bite and hesitate for a second before deciding to go with the truth.
“Just a small town on the Alberta border. No where really. What about you? Have you always lived in Lavender Falls?”
