Page 8 of Chosen

“You’re not allowed to safely ride out a storm?”

“It wouldn’t just be riding out a storm,” he corrected. “It’d be me… potentially spending the night at the cabin, too.”

“So? Who cares?” I scoffed as I pointed toward the other side of the couch. “Why don’t you just sleep on the couch? I’ll be in the bedroom, anyway—”

“Sam—”

“Damon,” I interrupted him again. “Be serious. There’s no way in hell that you’re going to make it back to anywhere, not driving on those roads. And let’s not forget that the only reason you’re stuck with me in this cabin is because I made you come out all that way to pick me up at the most inconvenient airport.”

“That’s not the issue, Sam. That was already part of the scheduled pickups—”

“Again, who cares?” I threw my hands up in the air for emphasis. “You’re not going to risk your life just because you’re trying to follow orders. Not on my watch. If someone back at Wild Woods HQ needs proof that we didn’t touch each other or whatever, I’d be happy to testify in Roanoke Court.”

“I don’t think they settle work disputes in Roanoke Court.” Damon smirked. “I think that’d be more of an issue for HR.”

“Fine. Then I’ll testify in front of HR.”

“I don’t think that’s called testifying.”

“And I think that’s between me and the jury.” I smirked right back at him. “Seriously, though, Damon. Just stay here for the night. It would kill me if something happened to you. I’d have a guilty conscience for the rest of my life.”

“As long as you’re comfortable with it, Sam,” he said, his hands resting on his waist as he let out a tired sigh. “But you better tell me, at any point in the night if you’re not. Because I have no problem hitting the road and giving you your space—”

“Oh, my God. Will you stop trying to get me to sentence you to death?”

Damon laughed at that, his chest shaking with it. “Fine. Fine. I’ll drop it.”

“Good.”

“Although, if we’re going to be stuck here tonight…” His words trailed off, as his gaze went toward the window. “We should probably wait for a break in the rain, and then walk over to a shop down the way.”

“A shop? What kind of shop?”

“Just a mom and pop. But they’re usually well stocked. We could pick up some stuff for dinner, maybe a few drinks.”

My eyes lit up with excitement as I leaned forward on the couch. “Dinner and drinks? Uh, yes please. Where do I sign up?”

* * *

The break in the rain couldn’t have come soon enough.

My stomach was growling by the time we were headed to the store, with Damon confidently leading the way even under a darkened sky along a well-graveled path. I looked around at our surroundings, my mind racing with questions about where, exactly, this shop would’ve been located in the middle of the woods…

But then, I saw it.

The shop didn’t look like a convenience store, which I realized was what I’d been picturing in my head. Instead, it looked just like another cabin, with bright lights in its windows and a sign carved out of dark wood. When we got even closer, I was able to see the intricate windchimes that decorated the porch, and the hand-woven, brightly colored dreamcatchers that hung from the ceiling. There was even a collection of various rocks and gems set outside the store, ranging from the deepest of purples to the lightest of blues, each of them holding a tea light in their centers.

It was downright magical, like we’d stumbled across an enchanted place, something that was only meant to be seen by fairy godmothers and pixies.

A few seconds later, Damon was holding the door open for me, my feet reluctant to step inside such an ethereal place, feeling like I didn’t quite belong.

“How is this place real?” I murmured as I headed toward one of the aisles. There were only about four of five of them, and they were about as big as one would expect for a shop built inside of a cabin. Still, the store was just as lively and decorated on the inside as it was on the outside, with nature paintings lining the walls, potted plants in nearly every corner, too.

“What do you mean?” Damon asked, as he walked beside me with a playful grin. “You don’t have convenience stores in Atlanta?”

“Oh, come on. This is not a convenience store.” I firmly shook my head. “This looks like something out of a picture book. This place is literally picturesque.”

“The owners put a lot of work into it, that’s true.”

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