Page 56 of Love Like Lightning

“Yeah, sure, let me just throw my laundry in the washer and I’ll be right over.”

“Sounds good, hon.”

Doing just that, I hurry back downstairs, lock up, replace the hidden key, and head over to Betty and Hank’s home. Walking in, the smell of freshly baked cookies fills my nose. It’s subtle, crisp with vanilla notes.

Betty is already seated in her large La-Z-Boy pouring tea into two cups. A plate of cookies sits at the center of the coffee table.

“Come on over. You can leave your laundry by the door.” She waves me over with a smile. Her smile transforms her face. The first time we met at The Well, I didn’t see her smile once. She was no nonsense the entire time. When she does smile, it softens the severity of her angular face, her pronounced cheekbones and arched eyebrows.

Once I’m seated, I take the cup she puts in front of me and inhale before blowing on the tea inside to cool it. There’s a subtle scent that I can’t quite place, but when I take a small sip, a burst of lemon hits my tongue.

“This is really good,” I comment, placing the tea back on the coffee table to cool a bit more.

“Try a cookie.” Betty nods toward the plate in front of me.

I grab one, still not sure what kind it is. It looks like a classic shortbread, but when I take a small bite, more lemon flavor explodes in my mouth. Eyes wide, I finish the cookie and turn a smile on Betty.

“Those are incredible, lemon?”

“Lemongrass tea and lemon-glazed shortbread. My favorite combo. Hank thinks it’s too much lemon, but I don’t think that’s a real thing.”

We both laugh and fall into an easy conversation. Betty tells me all about growing up in Ever Lake, what it’s like to run the Well, and how long she and Hank have been together.

“Is he local too?” I ask, dipping a cookie into my tea to soften it a bit.

“Oh, no. We met out east in college,” she answers, a private smile on her lips as she thinks about it.

“Really? And he moved out here?” The question is an appropriate follow-up, but it also feels important to know if he uprooted his whole life to come be with Betty.

“He did. Absolutely.” She looks incredibly satisfied and sure. “Not only that, but we only met our senior year of college, second semester. We hadn’t known each other for more than three months before he decided to completely throw caution to the wind and follow me home.” Pinning me with an intense stare, she takes a sip of her own tea.

“Seriously?” Just the idea of it has my stomach twisting. “Did you ask him to?”

“No. I mean, I let him know how I felt, sure. But I wouldn’t have asked him to leave everything he knew to be with me. That was all him taking a leap of faith. And here we are today.” She glances around her home, love and adoration clear on her face.

“Wow, that—” I blow out a breath, pasting a smile on my face. I can’t help but think about me and Henry. Is that something I could do? Leave everything I know, my family, and my home? A beat goes by, and I decide now isn’t the time to be making those kinds of decisions. “That’s really beautiful.”

Peering over at me with a knowing look in her eyes, Betty just nods and steers the conversation elsewhere. After a while, I glance up at the clock on the wall and realize how long we’ve been chatting.

“Oh, wow. Time flies when you’re having fun. I should really get to my laundry.” I don’t want to run into Henry, especially with so much to think about.

“No worries, thanks for keeping an old lady company.” Betty stands when I do, pulling me into a hug.

“Thank you for the tea and cookies, it was a great way to spend an afternoon.”

“Don’t be a stranger.” She waves before shutting the door, leaving me on the porch.

I make quick work of finding the key and unlocking the door again. Swinging the door open, I make my way up the stairs.

When I get to the landing, I only hesitate for a moment before turning the knob on the door. There’s a moment when I step into the quiet apartment that I reconsider what I’m doing.

The rational part of my brain understands that I need clothes, while the irrational part thinks that if I spend too much time in his space, I’m going to do something stupid like fall in love with him.

Just thinking the word “love” has my heart pressing against the walls of my chest.

Not an option, Gia, especially while you continue to lie to him.

Thankfully, at least that will end soon. Next week, we start implementing some changes at the lodge that will be significant enough that Marc and Gina will have to inform their kids about it.

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