Page 21 of Stay With Me

We head back outside, hit by a wall of heat.

“Let’s walk a bit, explore,” she suggests.

A path around the grain elevator leads right to the creek. It’s bigger than I expected, and the water flows steadily through town. We meander down the path before finding a little dock.

Elise kicks off her shoes before sitting on the edge and dangling her feet into the water. Sitting beside her, I sigh as the cool water runs over my skin.

Glancing at her in my peripheral, she seems lost in thought. I can't help but wonder if she's thinking about the almost kiss. We never talked about it, returning to normal as though it never happened. However, it still lingers in the air whenever I'm near her, my mind automatically going down the “what if” path.

I wonder if she would have kissed me back or if she would have pushed me away.

And is she not saying anything because she wants to pretend it never happened and go back to the way things were, or is she waiting for me to broach the subject since I’m the one who leaned in? It's hard to feel so deeply for the person I consider to be one of my best friends but it’s impossible to ignore my feelings when I’m around her all the time.

She hums. “It’s a beautiful day. I like the creek, but nothing beats the lake at home.”

Agreeing, I glance at the time. “Why don’t we explore town a bit and then head to Mistik Creek for lunch?”

“Lunch and then gnomes.”

Laughing, I stand before offering my hand to help her up. She stumbles a bit, and I catch her, holding on for a moment before I drop my arms. When she looks up at me, her expression almost has me finishing what I tried to start. Instead, I grin and tease, “Easy, if you fall in the creek, I don’t have a towel or an extra shirt today.”

She scrunches her nose at me playfully, reminded of the day when she fell into the lake before she slips her feet back into her sandals.

We wander Thistle Creek for an hour, looking in some kitschy stores. Elise buys some water paintings done by a local artist before we head back to my vehicle and we make the short thirty minute drive to Mistik Ridge.

My stomach growls loudly as I turn onto the inn’s long driveway. When Elise giggles, the sound goes straight to my gut and, even worse, to my dick as well. The soft scent of her perfume has filled my car, so I’m surrounded by her.

We park by the veranda, my eyes taking in the chipped paint. As I look over the entire building, I see how run-down it is. I remember it was a fixer-upper when she bought it, but it’s been years, and in my mind, it was a bustling, beautiful inn.

Tasha appears on the porch, her brows pinched until I get out of the car, walking around to open Elise’s door.

“Oh my goodness! Young Jae?” Tash bounds down the steps, her friendly smile almost hiding the stress around her eyes.

She gives me a quick hug before turning to Elise and introducing herself.

“It’s been a long time.” She gushes at me before ushering us into the building. “What did I do to earn this visit?”

“Elise wanted to see the gnomes, so we thought we’d pop in for lunch. I hope that’s okay.” The inside shows wear, but you can tell that she has been working hard to maintain it.

Her expression shifts for the briefest moment before her smile is back. “Of course. Come in, come in. I wasn’t expecting anyone today, so I hope you’re okay with something simple.”

We agree, following her into the kitchen.

Elise catches my eyes, her expression confused and worried.

“Things have been a bit tough since I bought the place. The inspector missed a bunch of big things, and the expenses have piled up. I’ve had to consider bringing on a partner.” This time she lets her sadness show a moment, before she straightens her shoulders. “No matter. No mountain is too high, right?”

She whips up chicken salad sandwiches on fresh croissants, with fresh lemonade and no bake cheesecake. It’s delicious and Elise asks for her recipe.

We catch up, Tash filling us in on bringing on a new partner. She tries to keep her voice perky, but I can tell she’s not happy about it. There’s a fire in her eyes that I remember from when we first met.

“If you need anything for designs, let me know. And I have a friend who does a lot of contract work. He is reasonable and does amazing work.” I hand her Owen’s card, hoping I’m not overstepping.

“Thank you, this is—amazing. And I’m so glad I got to meet you, Elise.” She looks between us, her expression wistful. “You’re a cute couple. I’m glad you found someone so wonderful. You deserve it.”

Before Elise can say anything, I simply thank her and we head out. I’m curious if I will hear about it in the car, but as we turn to head toward town, she’s looking at me, her eyes wide. “We need to help her. Did you see the look on her face when she was talking about this new partner? It’s killing her to do that.”

Humming, I rub my jaw as I drive the short distance to town and these gnomes. “Possibly, she looked more determined than anything. It might not be a bad thing. Sometimes we need that push to light our fire.”

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