Page 10 of The Inn

We say goodnight and Dakota offers to walk me back to my cabin. But I decline. Instead, I opt to borrow a coat and a flashlight. I could use the silence and fresh air. As I step outside, the abrupt drop in temperature catches me off guard, sending a shiver down my spine.

I start my walk and my mind whirls with the revelations of this evening.There’s another brother. A twin. Jameson’s twin. He wasn’t always this way.It’s all so sad. I wonder what the close-knit family felt in the wake of his loss. I consider the fact that I don’t even have anyone to lose. At least not in the same way the Findlays do.

I step on the path and the moon is bright enough to illuminate my way. Every emotion washes over me, but not anxiety. There’s a peace in the silence out here that keeps my fear at bay. The night air wraps around me, heavy with the weight of an impending storm.

When I make it to the inn, I turn on the lights and step inside. The smoldering embers in the wood burning stove produce enough heat to warm me and I make a cup of hot tea. It was sweet of Jameson to make sure I wouldn’t be cold tonight. I wonder if he would take back the gesture if he were given the chance.

As I sit reflecting, a heavy sadness crawls over me. If he has his way, I might never see Jameson again. The thought is deeply unsettling. I didn’t mean to pry. Or rather, I did mean to pry but only because it’s my job. But that isn’t exactly true either. I pried because I want to know everything about Jameson Findlay and his family. I’m completely taken by him and all he wants is to put as much space between the two of us as possible.

I lay on my bed and flip through my notebook. I have enough here to write an article, but somehow that doesn’t seem important anymore. All that matters is fixing things with him, but I have no idea how to do that when I’m not the one who walked out of the room to begin with.

Maybe I can wake up before him, march over to his house, and… and what? Demand that he apologize? Demand that he fall in love with me before I leave the country?I’m losing my mind. The truth is, Jameson doesn’t owe me anything.

My heart sinks. I’m overwhelmed with the desire to comfort him, to make sure he’s okay. I’m overwhelmed with the need to stay. But instead, I’m going to respect his wishes. I’ll be out of here first thing in the morning.

CHAPTER6

JAMESON

Even before Iopen my eyes and peel myself out of bed the next morning, I can sense it in the air. It’s snow, my arch-nemesis, and the source of my left knee’s relentless grumbles. My body has an uncanny weather-sensing ability. If I was going to get a superpower, I’m kind of pissed off that it was wasted on this. Snow has the audacity to show up again and this time it’s completely out of season. It’ll wreak havoc on the crops, the animals, and the gardens too.

I reluctantly throw off the covers and prepare to face the hot mess its created outside. I can’t help but sigh when pull myself out of bed and get dressed. I’m still buttoning up the front of my heavy red and black flannel when I take a step toward the window.

I had hoped that the delicate dusting of powder we received last night would magically transform into a sunny day. But as i suspected, I’m looking out at a winter wonderland. As my gaze lands outside, another thought stops me in my tracks. I wonder if CC was warm enough last night.

I immediately brush the thought away.Don’t you do that to yourself, man. Don’t you dare.It isn’tmy jobto care if Summer was warm enough last night. So what if I fell asleep with the thought of her hands on my body and her tits in my mouth? So what if I woke up hard as a rock? She doesn’t know that and I don’t intend to tell her.

I shouldn’t have snapped at her like that last night, but she shouldn’t have brought up things I’m not ready to talk about. Jake is the reason I know I can’t keep the people I love safe. It’s the reason I haven’t been with anyone serious since. I take in the icicles dangling from the oak trees. It isn’t right this time of year. But something in the distance catches my eye. I cock my head and squint at the figure walking through the snow. It’s CC. She’s got her bag slung over her shoulder and she’s heading for her Jeep.

“What kind of fresh hell is this?”

I watch her sink one step at a time into the snow up to her knees. It takes her a full six minutes to walk the short path and reach her door handle. The footsteps in the snow tell me this must not be her first trip this morning.

I chuckle to myself when a white blanket of snow from the top of her Jeep slides down her top messing up the hairstyle I’m sure she spent a long time doing. I’ll bet those nipples are like popsicles right now. After more than a little struggle, she manages to get her door open. Then she climbs inside.

If I had to guess, I’d say she needs another outfit from her backseat. While I’m at it, I’d say it’s probably something with flowers on it. But then, I see her headlights turn on and hear her engine fire up. When the Jeep moves forward an inch or so and I spring into action. “Dammit CC, you’re determined to get yourself hurt out here, aren’t you?”

Pulling on my boots, I hurry out of my front door and down the steps of my porch. Her Jeep slips and slides and the way the brake lights illuminate on the white snow tells me she isn’t doing it on purpose. CC has somehow lost control on our wide open field.

Thankfully there’s nothing to crash into out here but what the hell is going to happen if she gets on our narrow country roads?

I make my way over to her with incredible speed. When her Jeep comes to a standstill, I pound on the glass of her driver’s side window before she has a chance to fire it up again. CC looks over at me with a start.

Her cheeks are red from the raging winds. Her hair is a mess. Her clothing is soaked from the falling snow. The woman’s never been more attractive. But the damp streams on her face are what concern me. I wonder if she’s anxious about sliding on the ice or if I caused those tears.

“What the hell are you doing?” I bark at her through the glass.

She rolls the window down, but only two inches and I don’t know why she has to make everything so difficult. I’m not even sure if she’s trying to avoid me or if she’s avoiding the snow. It doesn’t really matter because she’s failing on both accounts.

“I’m doing what you asked of me and getting out of here with the sun. I set an alarm to get up in the actual morning. I don’t know who you think I am, but I would never want to hurt you.”

“I know that, I’m a fool and I overreacted. I’m sorry. But let me get this straight, you’re driving home in this weather. You’re telling me you’re driving home with the sun when there isn’t any damn sun to be seen.” I blink at her.

“Yes.” She tilts her chin away from me and crosses her arms.

Rage bubbles through me. “No the hell you’re not. You won’t make it half a mile before you slide off the road. Then I’ll have to get out there in my old truck and tow you back here anyway. And you know what, that doesn’t sound like fun. Open the door.”

She rolls her eyes then rolls her window all the way down. “I don’t have a choice. I have to leave. For starters, I don’t want to cause you any more stress than I already have. You like your alone time, remember? Besides, I’m out of clean clothes because my suitcase sprang open and drenched everything I brought when I tried to drag it out here earlier. But also, I have a life to get back to and I have a Jeep. They’re made for snow.” She turns up her pert nose at me and places both hands on the wheel.

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