Page 47 of Blindly Yours

“Um…” No. Not one bit.

He chuckles. “Well, it’s about burnt out already, so you can leave it and head to your room whenever. I’ll be back out to check on it before I go to bed.”

“Alright.” I smile genuinely at him, and it’s an odd feeling. “Thanks for dinner.”

He nods and turns to leave, serious again. “Not a problem. Night.”

“Goodnight,” I reply quietly.

EIGHT

Rose

Surprisingly, I sleep pretty well. Like Kara warned, the bed is firm, but the room is soquiet. I’m used to hearing sirens and car horns throughout the night, but out here in the country, it’ssilent.

The first thing I do when I open my eyes is reach over to grab my phone from the nightstand and check for service, but to my dismay, it still hasn’t been restored. So, I rub my eyes and climb out of bed to peer out the window. The ground is covered by multiple feet of snow, and it’s still falling gently from the sky. My car must be nearly buried by now. Apparently, spring has decided to hold off, and I wonder how long it’ll take street crews to get the roads plowed all the way out here in the middle of nowhere.

I decide I should take a quick shower before bothering Nate about getting me back to my car, so I grab my bag of toiletries and head down the hall to the bathroom. There’s a fresh set of purple towels on the counter. Kara must have picked them out for me. I run my hand across the soft fibers and smile.

The bathroom is dated, and the water pressure leaves a little to be desired, but it’s steaming hot, so I stand in the stream for just a few extra minutes before I step out and wrap a towel around myself. I didn’t bother to wash my hair, so I try to brush some semblance of a style into it and then apply my makeup in the mirror.

It's only when I’m finished that I realize I didn’t bring a change of clothes with me into the bathroom. It’s a stupid mistake, and now I’m stuck either changing back into my pajamas or sneaking to my room in my towel. It’s only two doors down, so I stick my head out and check the hallway. When I’m sure the coast is clear, I wrap my towel more tightly around myself, tiptoe out, and make a B-line toward my room. But just when I think I’m going to make it, another door opens abruptly, and I slam into the only broad chest in this house.

Nate grabs my bare shoulders before I lose my balance, and for an instant, I’m pressed into his shirt, and he smells like cinnamon and soap, just like he did in my office.

“Oh my God, I’m sorry!” I gasp into his chest. He’s so warm, and I don’t know why that stands out to me, but heat emits from him like a furnace. I step back quickly, remembering I’m wearing almost nothing, and tug my towel tighter.

“No problem…um...” He lets go of my shoulders as his eyes dart to my bare skin. He clears his throat and blinks away, moving aside so I can move past him. “I’m, ah, sorry.”

I blush and shuffle by. “Sorry,” I say again, breathlessly. Where did all the air go in this hallway?

I dart inside my room and lean against the closed door, groaning quietly. I’m not sure why I thought prancing through the home of an almost stranger in nothing but a towel was a good idea. He was so kind to let me spend the night, eat his food, and use his hot water, he’d probably appreciate a little prudence around his daughter. I glance down at my chest. It’s heaving even further over the towel than I thought.

I groan again and bring my hand to my forehead.Classy, Rose.

But I try to push the horrifying exchange from my mind as I change into my skirt and suit coat for my meeting with Mrs. Evangaline. I slip my flats back on too. The snow is still going to be an issue, so I’ll change into my heels once I get to St. Cloud.

As I wipe the lingering blush off my cheeks, I enter the kitchen to find Kara at the table and Nate at the stove.

“Good morning, Miss Rose!” Kara beams.

I sit down next to her. “Morning, Kara. You know, you can just call me Rose.” I glance at Nate. “If your dad’s ok with that.”

Nate shrugs but doesn’t look at me. “Sure.”

Kara grins like she just got invited into a secret club. “Did you see all the snow? We haven’t gotten this much all year!”

Nate turns around with a pan and puts two pancakes on my plate. As I pour myself a glass of orange juice from the pitcher on the table, I clear my throat. “When do you think we can head back to my car this morning?”

He shakes his head as he plates a pancake for Kara. “We’re not going anywhere today. Truck’s all blocked in. And they won’t be by to clear the streets ‘til tomorrow at least.”

I blink at him, confused. “But I thought your truck could handle the snow?”

He laughs as he sits down at his spot. “Not three feet of snow. We’re stuck here for now.”

I set my glass down and stare at my plate. “I’ll miss my meeting…”

“You’ll have to reschedule,” he says simply.

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