Page 56 of The Leaving Road

I was tired of being angry about it, and it seemedkarmahadhelped me out a bit—not that I would ever wish that on anyone. Iunderstoodwhere he was coming from, evenif Ididn’tagree with it.I made the decision to leave without an explanation, and I was wrong for leaving the way I did.But nowI’m ready to move on.

I finished my tasks, and of course, ended up back where Sloan was, sitting on the recliner, but the sofa was left free. I got to the task of taking off the cushions to set up the bed.

“Uh…Magnolia? Usually those are more comfortablewiththe cushions left on.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle as I threw one of the pillows I’d grabbed at him. “It turns into a bed, genius.”

Realizing he hadn’t hit me back with a smart remark, I found myself looking up at him, only to be met with an intense stare. There was absolutelynomistaking the heat behind his gaze.

“Bed…right.” He licked his lips while looking me over, and I couldn’t help but wonder what those lips would taste like.

I shook my head, breaking me out of my stupor. “Nice try, Sloan. We have enough pillows for a wall.”

Now it was his turn to burst out in laughter. “Are we twelve again, Magnolia?” Try as I may, I couldn’t help the fact that my body was breaking out in goosebumps over the husky tone in his voice.

“If you don’t want to spend the night in that recliner or thefloor, pillow wall it will have to be.”

He held his hands up in surrender. “I solemnly swear that I’mnotup to no good.” He winked at me; of course he would quote one of my all-time favorite movies. I shouldn’t have been secretly happy at the fact that he remembered it since it was such astupid,smalldetail, but still, my heart did a little flip inside my chest.

He pointed at the side closest to the outside door. “I’m sleeping on that side, no debates.”

“Uh actually, that’s the side I was going to be on. It’s just closer to the animals,” I protested.

“No, it’s closer to the outside door.” He shot me a look, letting me know this was one thing he wouldnotbe negotiating.

And once again my heart did a stupid little flip.

“Fine, you win…this time.” I pointed at him, letting him know I was watching him, and he just stood there, smiling at me almost dreamily while I climbed into bed.

“You going to get in?” I questioned.

He shook his head as if my voice brought him back from somewhere, and he gave me a lazy grin which I’d forgotten about.

Flip, flip, flip.

He settled in, the pillow wall making it feel like he was too close but also too far at the same time.

“Do you still snore?” he teased me.

“I. Do. Not. Snore,” I ground out at him.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, love.”

I turned the light off, thinking it would take me hours to fall asleep, but I think I fell asleep before my head even hit the pillow.

I was warm, so warm and comfy, and I felt like I was floating.

Somethingsmelledso good,like musk, and woods,pine, manly.

I sighed in content; this was thebest dream.

A clearing of a throat pulled me from my happy dream-like state, and I was about to whine about it until I heard a sternerclearing of a throat.

“Five more minutes,Lex, please,”I whispered and snuggled even deeper into the warmness andyummysmells.

“Magnolia.” Louise’s whisper made me jerk up in surprise, and I shook my head and hair out as my eyes adjusted to the light.

---