Page 124 of Verses

I didn’t have to think twice. “I’d love to.”

As it grew darker and the sound of the tires on the asphalt became rhythmic and the warmth of the heater lulled me into comfort, Wolf turned the radio on but kept the volume low as I leaned my head against the window—and it wasn’t until Wolf was pulling into Charlotte, slowing down the truck, that I opened my eyes. Had I drifted off?

Wolf asked, “You sure you’re okay with coming to my place for a while?”

“Yeah, I would love that.”

“I don’t have any pies like your family, but I might have a cookie.”

I laughed. “I don’t need anything sweet.”

“What about some hot cocoa by the fire?”

“Yeah. I’d like that.”

“And we can pretend it’s snowing outside.”

“That sounds perfect.”

Once we got to his place and entered the kitchen from the garage, he gave me a toe-curling kiss. Then he touched his forehead on mine and stared in my eyes. “I don’t ever want you to be ashamed of the people you came from or who you became. Hayley, you are a beautiful person inside and out, and I meant all of those things I said back there. You are a wonderful, beautiful human being and it is a privilege to know you.”

I said a tiny thank you but kissed him again, hoping I could communicate more that way.

When his lips left mine, he smiled. “Just so you know, I don’t have any fancy hot cocoa. I just have the stuff in packets.” I was reminded of our discussion at the Copper Kettle when they’dserved me hot chocolate the same way. So much had changed since then. “But I make mine a little special.”

“You do, huh?”

“Yep—but you’re just gonna have to wait and see.” He picked up a water kettle off the stove and filled it at the sink. “Would you mind keeping an eye on the water while I get a fire started?”

“Sure will.”

After touching my nose with his finger, he walked out the backdoor, and I nearly giggled. Why did I find it exciting that, even if for just a few seconds, I was in his house alone? Was it silly of me to get such a thrill out of that moment or did it really emphasize that we were moving into another stage in our relationship?

Moments later, he came back in holding a big stack of wood. “Would you mind shutting the door for me?”

“Got it.”

The water still wasn’t boiling or even making simmering sounds, so I came around the corner to watch him at the fireplace. He started by crumpling up some papers and then stacking some kindling on top. After he lit the paper, he placed a couple of small logs on the flames when I remembered I was supposed to be paying attention to the water.

But I couldn’t help how excited I felt that I was going to snuggle with him in front of the fire.

Finally, the water was simmering and I peeked around the corner again in time to see flames flickering in earnest. I said, “The water’s almost ready to boil. Do you want me to get out some mugs and mix up the cocoa?”

When he turned to look at me, his face seemed almost angelic. His eyes were soft and the glow of the fire beginning to grow behind him almost created a halo around his head. “Sure. Just don’t fill the mugs to the top.”

“Okay.” I grinned at him and then turned, eager to explore his cabinets to find what I was looking for. The mugs were easy to find. After setting them on the counter, I found a spoon in one of the drawers. It was the hot cocoa that took a bit as I searched behind one cabinet door after another. But soon I found a blue box next to a round red container of coffee, and I removed two packets before closing the door. After pouring hot water in the mugs—not to the top as Wolf had requested—the scent of the cocoa wafted into my nose, making my mouth water. I’d missed having a piece of my mother’s pie, something sweet, but joining Wolf in the kitchen to wash the dishes had been better than giving into her demands.

As I thought back over the day’s events, I wondered if maybe I was too hard on my mom. She wasn’t a horrible person, especially if I didn’t dwell too long on my childhood. Even with that, she was a decent human being who loved me—even though she’d jeopardized my life a time or two—but I knew she had a lot of insecurities and plenty of issues of her own.

Maybe I need to be more forgiving and accepting…kind of like Wolf had been in his assessment.

As if he knew I was thinking about him again, he entered the kitchen. “Smells good in here.” He opened several cabinets, slowly acquiring different items before placing them next to the mugs of cocoa. “Here’s where we perform the magic, bird.” Picking up the bottle of peppermint schnapps, he tipped it so he could pour a small amount of the clear liquid into each mug. “Just a teaspoon or so, depending on how strong you like it. It gives the cocoa a minty flavor. Then you takethese,” he said, opening up a jar that held sticks of cinnamon and pulling out two, “and use them to stir your cocoa. Even if you just let them sit in the mug, they add a hint of cinnamon. Last but not least.” He held up a can of whipped cream and removed the lid. “Put a little bit of this on top to add more sweetness.” After he swirled acloud of it on my mug and then on his, he set down the can and said, “Try it.”

I picked up the mug and allowed the mingled flavors to fill my nostrils. Again, my mouth watered as I brought the mug to my lips. Although the liquid was hot and the whipped cream clung to my upper lip, the sip told me the entire mug would be better than any dessert I would have eaten at my mother’s house.

Wolf asked, “What do you think?”

“Delicious.”

---