Page 50 of Wild Nights

"That would be great." Yet at the same time, my stomach sunk. I didn't want her to pretend that we didn't know each other. But what other choice did I have? I wasn't prepared to tell Joey that I was seeing someone, no matter how casual it was. "Thanks for understanding."

Carolina touched my arm. "Of course." Then she followed the path Joey had taken to the kitchen.

I had a feeling she wasn't telling me the depth of her feelings when it came to me and Joey. That she was holding something back. I wouldn't blame her if she was hurt and confused. I'd kept him a secret, and I had my reasons, but she'd shared so many details of her past with me. I hadn't shared much at all.

I shrugged off the uneasiness that settled in my gut and followed the sound of Joey's excited voice into the kitchen. He stood on a chair next to Marcus as he guided him through cutting the onions. Marcus reserved a special knife for Joey. It wasn't too sharp but was able to cut veggies. It made Joey feel important in the kitchen, as if he could be a cook one day soon. I appreciated that.

"Do you need any help?" Carolina asked.

"Why don't you get the salad fixings ready? We're notformal when there's a storm bearing down. Everyone chips in."

"Happy to help," Carolina said with a smile as she opened the industrial-size fridge and began to pull out lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers.

Marcus raised a brow at me.

Did he know that something was going on between us? How could he? "What can I do?"

"Toast the buns," Marcus said simply.

I'd helped out enough in the kitchen that I knew his process for burgers. He liked the buns lightly buttered and toasted. Even Joey preferred them prepared this way.

In no time at all, we had a platter of burgers on the dining room table along with buns and condiments. Carolina tossed the salad in a large serving bowl and set it in the middle of the table. Joey was setting the table with plates, salad bowls, and silverware.

The guests consisted of an older man named Arthur who said he wasn't in a rush to his son's house; a couple, Dean and Amy, who was in town to see one of their parents; and the staff. I called up to the rooms of the guests that were staying and invited them down. Once they arrived, we dug in. Even Marcus joined us.

I usually enjoyed staying at the lodge when there was a storm because Joey was so excited about staying and Eli was here to help. Joey enjoyed sledding and eating in the kitchen with Marcus. The only difference this time was that Eli wasn't here. I was in charge of ensuring nothing happened to the lodge or its guests. It was a big responsibility.

Carolina sat across from me and Joey. He kept up a steady stream of conversation about the things we could do tonight if the power went out: card games, board games, charades, and the ever-popular hide-and-seek.

Amy shuddered. "You can count me out of hide-and-seek. I would be too scared to hide if the power was out."

"I'm super brave," Joey said seriously.

Amy nodded. "I bet you are."

Once dinner was done, I stood to clean up, waving Marcus off. He was a member of the staff, but since he was the chef, I never required him to clean the dining room. Carolina stood to join me, following me into the kitchen with a stack of plates.

"Are you okay with me staying the night?" Carolina asked, her forehead creased.

I frowned. "Any of the guests were welcome to stay."

She gestured from me to her. "I don't want things to be awkward between us."

"Hopefully, the storm won't be as bad as they're saying."

"Joey makes it sound fun though."

"If there's no pressing issues, we can even go sledding or build a snowman. I think it's Joey's favorite day of the year. It doesn't happen often that the storm is so big that they shut down the airport and roads."

"I can't believe that I'm here for it."

"I'm sorry you're stuck."

Carolina smiled. "I have nothing to rush home for, so I'm going to enjoy it. There's no conference to plan, and I can just relax."

That made me wonder if she filled her spare time with work. I was guilty of that before I had Joey. Then it became a difficult balance of time with him and getting whatever work I could get done while he was in school.

Amy walked in with Dean, holding hands. "Thanks for dinner. We're going to head up to our room."

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