Page 77 of Every Beat of My Heart

I let out a breath. “It doesn’t seem fair that I get the cottage to myself.”

“I was kind of hoping I could stay with you,” he said as we turned down another lane, presumably in the direction of the cottage. “Nothing has to happen. But I thought it would be nice to have some time alone. If that’s okay with you.”

My heart rate picked up. “I’d like that.”

Trees lined the lane. At the end was a small white cottage with blue shutters and a roof covering the front porch. I waited while Jameson unlocked the door and gestured for me to go ahead of him.

“It’s cold in here.” I kicked off my boots and gloves, then wandered around. There was a small living room area, a fireplace, and a kitchen. A small hall led to a bedroom and probably a bathroom. There were stairs indicating a bedroom upstairs too.

“The heat’s turned down.” Jameson turned up the heat then headed toward the fridge where he began unloading crackers, cheese, fruit, bacon, eggs, and bread.

“How long are you planning on staying?” I leaned on the counter, watching him put everything neatly away.

Jameson flashed me a smile. “As long as we can. When are we ever going to get an opportunity like this again?”

He stood, and suddenly I realized how small the space was. It would be difficult for two people to cook in here. But it would have been perfect for a mother and her small child.

He stepped closer. “No kids. No responsibilities.”

I flushed, realizing how very alone we were. “We can’t go outside.”

Jameson brushed a hand over my cheek. “I should get the fire started in case we lose power. This place has a small generator, but the fire will be better.”

I swallowed hard. “You should do that.”

“I want to kiss you, but if I start, I won’t be able to stop. And I need to make sure we’re ready for the storm in case it gets worse.” Then he moved past me into the living room where he threw some logs into the fireplace. In no time, he had a small fire going.

“Did you bring some clothes to change into?” I asked him, wondering what I’d wear to bed.

“Hold that thought. I’ll run to my place and get some things.” He grabbed his black bag and was gone before I could protest. I did want something comfortable to change into, but at the same time, I wanted to spend every spare moment with him that I could.

I took the time to check out the bedrooms. There were two small ones on the first floor and another master bedroom on the top floor. Then I sat on the couch to send a text to Owen.

Everything okay?

When I didn’t hear from him, I tried to tell myself it was because he was having fun and he was busy.

Gazing at the fire, I wondered when the last time was that I was alone. Even when Owen was in his room, there was still someone with me.

I didn’t have to wait long for Jameson to return. The door opened, and a gust of wind came inside with him.

He shook off his jacket and pulled his hat off. Tiny pieces of ice fell to the wood floor. “It’s getting worse out there.”

“You didn’t have to go.”

Jameson carried his bag into the living room. “I brought clothes, towels, and toiletries for both of us in case we want to take a shower.”

“It’s too bad you didn’t grab some turkey and pie,” I said with a smile because he’d thought of everything else.

He sat on the couch next to me. “That would have been a great idea. I wish I would have thought about it when we were at the house. I was just so excited to get you to myself, I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

“That’s okay. We still have enough for a small feast,” I assured him.

Jameson nodded toward the TV. “You want to get comfortable? Then we can find a movie to watch.”

“That sounds wonderful.” I’d been so stressed about meeting the Calloway family again, but everyone had been so welcoming.

Jameson pulled out sweats and a hoodie for me. “There’s a couple of bedrooms down here. I can take one, and you can get changed in the bathroom.”

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