Page 72 of One Sweet Day I Found You

Nineteen

Morning sunlight peeked in through the windows of the cottage as Courtney tiptoed down the hallway. She gazed into the living room and let out a disenchanted sigh. Austin was still there, passed out on her couch, snoring like a freight train.

She straightened her shoulders. It was probably best to make some noise. He needed to get up and hit the road. She went into the kitchen and turned on the coffee maker.

Last night had been brutal, and too many drinks and too many tears had done her appearance no favors. She ran a finger along the skin under her eyes, both of which still felt swollen.

But so what? She had finally gotten the closure she’d been seeking for the greater part of a year. But the kiss—it never should have happened. Another pang of guilt made her chest continue to ache.

Nick. This would only hurt him. The last thing she’d wanted to do was hurt him.

She stared at the counter for a few seconds. It was all over between her and Austin. Truly, finally, over—thank goodness.

And nothing had really happened. The kiss was just an old habit between two people who were formerly in love. And old habits died hard. She knew it was nothing more, for either of them. And it had only lasted a few seconds. She’d put a stop to it.

He hadn’t questioned her after she’d pulled away. She’d eventually come out of her room and they’d just gone on as though nothing had happened and focused, instead, on trying to get him a ride back to the hotel. It was better forgotten, anyway. Water under the bridge.

There was no hostility left between them, but she just wanted Austin out of her life completely, now. He probably felt the same way about her.Adios, amigo.

Courtney emptied the clean silverware from the drying rack and made an extra loud clatter stacking the ceramic plates. She remembered how Austin used to be able to sleep through anything. It could take an army to wake him after a night of drinking.

She looked outside to see a gray blur race across the lawn. Ash the cat was at it again. Further ahead of him, she watched as a group of birds launched to the sky. Courtney laughed and went back to the dishes.

Austin was going paddleboarding today, something about Anderson Cove, she remembered. One of his friends had agreed to pick him up this morning and take him back to their hotel to shower and change. He said they were all heading back to Chicago tomorrow.

He had tried to get a cab last night but that was easier said than done on a Wednesday morning at two a.m. in a sleepy little town like Heritage Bay. And no drivers took the call on the rideshare app—they’d tried that, too. She’d finally said he could just crash on the couch. No big deal.

The coffee maker churned with the sounds of a fresh pot, and Courtney inhaled the distinctive aroma of the morning. When it finished, the coffee pot beeped and Austin finally roused.

He sat up and stretched. “Hey, Courtney,” he said, his voice still coarse. He looked around. “What time is it?”

“Morning, sunshine. It’s eight thirty.” She shot him a cynical grin and pulled the creamer out of the fridge.

Austin yawned.

“There’s coffee.”

“Oh, cool. Thanks.” He sat up and roughed his fingers through his hair.

“Didn’t Jon say he’d be here by nine?”

Austin reached for his phone, still blinking the sleep from his eyes, logged in, and glanced at the screen. “Yeah, nine. Hey, do you have a charger I can borrow?”

“Oh, sure.” Courtney went back into her room, unplugged her charger, and brought it back into the kitchen.

He yawned and made his way over to the counter. “Thanks.”

Courtney handed him the charger and then poured him a glass of ice water. She grabbed a coffee mug from the cabinet and set it on the counter for him.

She took a sip from her cup. She had already showered and dressed for the day. She could nap later, but for now, the coffee was doing its job. She felt as good as could be expected, given the short night of rest.

“You sleep okay?”

“Can’t complain, for a sofa,” he said. “You?”

Fifteen minutes later, Austin had thrown some water on his face and cleaned himself up. “Nice place you’ve got here, by the way, Court,” he said, coming back out to the living room where she sat, typing on her laptop. He looked refreshed.

Courtney looked up. “Thanks. I really lucked out.”

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