Page 13 of One Night With You

Including when they asked you to stay for a movie and not talk because they’d fallen asleep, and youcouldn’t help but watch them because you were so damn scared.

Because you werealwaysso damn scared.

But that didn’t matter in the moment. It couldn’t.

“I’m so sorry that you have to drive up alone,” Phoebe’s voice rang out over the car speaker, as I kept both hands on the wheel, and meandered my way up the winding road into the mountains. Thankfully it wasn’t snowing at the moment, but it had snowed the night before. Just a dusting to make it look picturesque, but a winter party with friends and the Montgomery family in the mountains was probably going to lead to only bad things. Mostly because for some reason my friends tended to end up in the hospital more often than not. Yes, I had joined them this last time, but I wasn’t alone in that.

“You had a meeting that you couldn’t cancel. It’s after the holiday season, at least.”

“Meaning I’mstilldoing decorations for events, beyond designing homes. You however, Ms. Party Planner. I cannot believe that you were able to take time off during your busiest season.”

I winced at her comment but knew that me working hours upon hours to actually make this happen was for a reason.

“I’m allowed to take a couple of days off.”

“You brought your computer with you, didn’t you?”

“Of course I did. And I’ve been on work calls when I haven’t been on the phone with you. Totally paying attention to the road and I’m not going to drive off into a ditch down a cliff.”

“Okay, Claire. I’m hanging up. I want you to be safe.”

“I’m okay. I promise.” Out of the corner of my eye I saw a couple of deer or elk or some other horned creatures make their way through their own little path in the forest, and I prayed they wouldn’t go in front of my car. Okay, maybe I needed to be paying better attention. But if I was talking about work or to my best friend, I wasn’t worried about the fact that I would be spending a couple of days with Kingston and all of his friends and family.

“Hey, I have to go, babe. I have another meeting. But we’ll be up a couple hours after you. I promise.”

“I’ll hold you to it. We’ll get it all settled for you.”

“I’m excited to see everybody. And just relax. A fun little Montgomery friend winter party in the woods. What could go wrong?”

“You realize I’m driving with snow around? Why would you even ask that? The Montgomerys pretty much have their name engraved in the hospital walls.”

“I’ll have you know wearein a few hospitals,” Kane interjected. “We spread the wealth through the city of Denver. We’re not just in one suburb.”

I laughed along with them and as I said my goodbyes, I tightened my hands on the steering wheel and made my way up the winding path.

The Montgomerys had owned a few cabins over the years within the family. Mostly because there were so many of them. They went in on them as a family and used them sort of as timeshares for just family members. The building was rarely empty, and now it was going to be home to ten of us tonight and the next night.

I still couldn’t quite believe I was invited, but I was trying to do better. To be with my people.

And not shut myself off in my room all the time.

It just seemed easier to do that though.

I was honestly still nervous though because Kingston was going to be one of the people. Thankfully though, with the majority of them being Montgomerys, it wasn’t completely coupled off. Aria I knew was bringing her friend, and Daisy and Hugh were also bringing their friend Crew, who happened to be good friends with another Montgomery, Lexington. So in the end, there were ten of us, but it wasn’t all couples. The cabin was big enough for everybody to bunk together in pairs, but not so much that it would feel awkward. Aria and I were bunkmates, and there were two queen beds waiting for us.

And Kingston was going to be there. And I hadn’teven spoken to him since the night I went over to his house.

I had been working on stepping out of my comfort zone. About getting out of my house, about speaking to people. When I had heard that he had gone in for a painful and life-changing procedure for someone else, I hadn’t been able to stay away.

And then I stayed there.

For hours.

It wasn’t until Oliver had come out from the bedroom, looking sleepy-eyed, that I finally got up and tucked Kingston in on the couch. Oliver hadn’t said anything, though I knew he had questions in his eyes.

I didn’t have answers for anyone.

Instead I had gone home and hadn’t spoken to Kingston since.

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