Page 19 of Rain Delay

“Just a little cream. No sugar.”

She walked into the kitchen and instructed me to sit and relax. Finn jumped up beside me as I settled onto the couch and rested his head on my thigh. I turned on the TV and decided something light-hearted was a better choice than the weather and foundTed Lassoon Apple TV.

Just after the opening credits, she brought me a mug of coffee, just the way I like it.

“Thank you.”

She smiled and offered a mock curtsy.

“You are more than welcome, sir.”

That said, she returned to the kitchen and soon the smell of bacon filled the air.

The past couple days have felt so domestic, which would normally make me nervous. I once dated a woman for nine months and almost freaked out when she asked to leave some things at my place. We broke up shortly after that when she realized we had two totally different ideas about our relationship.

It was just two days ago I turned around in the shower and found Ivy Sherman staring at me. My opinion of her has done a complete one-eighty since then and I know it’s ridiculous, but I can’t stop thinking about where we can go from here.

I’m not sure how my mom and Sam will feel about us dating, but if we can handle them being together, they should give us the same courtesy. It’s not like we were raised together. Hell, we barely knew each other until now.

“What do you think buddy?” Finn lifted his eyes at the sound of my voice. “Do you think your mom would be willing to give us a try?” His tail thumped against the couch, which I took as a good sign, even though he’s most likely just reacting to my tone of voice rather than my actual words. “I guess I’ll just have to ask her then, huh?”

* * *

Ivy

It had taken some convincing,but thankfully Finn had finally used the litter box Rusty created for him. The storm had intensified, so as predicted, going outside is not an option. Once he did his business, I sprinkled baking soda over it. That seems to be working to both keep the smell down and absorb the moisture so I don’t have to change the blanket every time he goes. Then we headed back upstairs. When I reached the top, Rusty met me with a glass of wine.

“Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome.”

We’d spent the day binge watchingTed Lassoand snacking, while Finn happily chomped on his bone. But the power had gone out a little while ago, so no more TV for us. We could have left some of the lights on, but Rusty had turned them all off and placed lit candles throughout the room.

He followed me into the living room and sat, pulling me down onto his lap. He shifted beneath me until my butt rested on the couch with my back against the armrest, my legs over his. I felt his gaze on me as I took a sip of wine.

He’s been watching me intently all day, as though he has something important to say. Or maybe I’m just projecting my feelings onto him. There’s a lot I want to say, but I’m not really sure where to begin.

The thoughts running through my head are crazy. We’ve only known each other, really known each other, for two days. And no matter what’s happening here in our little isolated world, it’s nuts to think it would last when we get back to our real lives.

“I want to talk to you about something,” he said, looking so nervous, my heart began to pound.

“Okay.” I leaned forward and placed my glass on the coffee table.

“This thing…” He trailed off and I watched his Adam’s apple bob up and down as he swallowed. Weaving our fingers together, he rested our joined hands against my legs and met my gaze again. “This thing between us is crazy. Three days ago, if someone mentioned the name Ivy Sherman, my mother’s boyfriend’s flighty daughter is the only thing that would come to mind.”

I’m really not sure what to say to that, so I remained silent and silently urged him to continue. I must have done a good job because he started speaking again.

“But now, I’d think of the amazing, smart, funny, sexy woman who sings to her dog and gets soaked in a thunderstorm so he doesn’t have to go to the bathroom alone.”

His image blurred as I listened to his words. No one has ever thought of me like that, not even my father.

“I’ve never felt this way about anyone. Emotionally, mentally, physically, you just do it for me and it feels right. More right than anything I’ve ever felt. And I know we’re here under extreme circumstances, but I doubt that if I’d found another woman ogling me in the shower the other night, I’d feel the same way. It’s you.”

I smiled and sniffed. Rusty reached up and wiped his thumb across my cheek to clear away a tear that had escaped.

“I don’t know where this will go, but I want to explore it beyond this house, beyond this city. I know you and Finn live in Aspen but we can see each other when I’m out that way playing or when I have a couple days off in a row. We can video chat in between, then get together again once the season ends.”

“You’d do that for me?”

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