Page 32 of Snowed In With You

My truck purred to life and I breathed a sigh of relief, now for the hard part – convincing the woman who loved me that I loved her back.

The journey to her apartment was a blur and I took it as a good sign that the earlier traffic had cleared up. Except, I hadn’t had nearly enough time to figure out what I was going to say to her yet. I didn’t want to wing it but I thought maybe I’d know what to say when I saw her. Or I’d freeze up again.No, that was just the shock. You’ve got this.

I took several deep breaths as I pulled into her driveway. I was sweating again, I didn’t get it, I’dneverbeen a nervous sweater – just another way that Sara had turned my life upside down. Should I play something on the aux to calm myself down first? I needed to be at my best and could have used a littleAdeleright about now.

I winced, the aux was in the rental.I guess there’s no more delaying.I pushed open the car door, humming Rolling in the Deep under my breath to hype myself up a bit as I rang the bell.

No answer.

I rang it again and then realised I’d left her stuff in my car, should I go and get it? What if she opened the door while I was gone and thought it was a prank? I hesitated but when no footsteps approached I jogged back to the car and pulled out her bags. She had to answer. If I had to annoy her into it then I would. Now I understood why the guys in movies used boomboxes – if you had to annoy someone into talking to you, it was better to serenade them with music than the sound of a doorbell.

I placed her bags on the doorstep and leaned on the bell, a mixture of apprehension and dread curling in my throat when I heard the rapid patter of footsteps and Sara opened the door. Her red hair was in disarray and she had chocolate ice-cream smeared on her mouth, a grey tee fell to her mid-thigh and her hands curled on the hem when she saw me at the door.

Her eyes dropped to the bags on the front step and her voice was croaky when she spoke, ‘Oh, you brought my stuff back. Thanks, that was nice of you.’

My heart ached at the puffiness of her eyes and the wetness clinging to her lashes. God damn I was an idiot. ‘Of course. I’m sorry, I should have brought flowers or whisky or maybe a rifle, I don’t know, but please let me in so we can talk?’

She bit her lip, indecision clearly warring within her as her body still blocked the doorway even as her eyes scanned me from head to toe. ‘What is there to talk about?’

Time to wing it, I guess.I looked into her face and took a slow step forward, she stayed where she was and I felt my hands loosen. I cupped her face, ‘How about how I’m the biggest idiot to have ever walked the Earth? Or how ridiculously lucky I am to have someone like you in my life?’ I took a breath, looked deep into her bright green eyes and said what I needed to. ‘Someone who loves me just as much as I love them.’

In another situation I might have laughed at how wide her eyes became.

‘You love me too?’ she whispered the words as if worried that I might freeze again and I wiped the chocolate from her face with my thumb, bringing it to my lips and tasting it.

‘Yes,’ I said, moving closer so that I was almost inside the door, our bodies were so close I could feel the warmth rising off of her as I lowered my lips to hers, ‘I love you, Sara.’

She sighed against my mouth and I let my tongue twine around hers, revelling in her moan as I swept her up and into my arms. Her legs wrapped around my waist and I would have taken her right then and there if not for the fact that the door was still open, her bags outside, and goosebumps were running up and down her calves. I stroked a hand over one leg and slid her down my body and back onto the floor.

I grabbed her bags and closed the door, setting them down on the floor before I turned back to her. The smile on her face made my breath catch. I took her hands in mine, ‘Tell me again.’

She smiled as I leaned in for another kiss, ‘I love you, Fletcher.’

‘No more running,’ I mumbled against her and she gave a laugh that warmed me right to my bones.

‘No more running,’ she agreed and I lost myself in our kisses and the feel of her skin.

Epilogue

Sara

Fletcher laughed as Cammie threw a toy at my head while I tried to wipe milk-puke off of my top. I held the squirming baby out to Fletcher in desperation and he took her with no complaints. Rob and Tanya had gone on a weekend break, leaving their six-month-old daughter in my – okay, Fletch’s – capable hands. Rob had needed to drag Tanya away after I’d made an off-hand comment about babies and alcohol, I wasn’t really that stupid, I knew they couldn’t drink until they were at least like, fifteen. Rob had rolled his eyes at me but smiled. A lot had changed. Most of it good.

The truth was, I had very little experience with babies. They were cute, but I hadn’t realised just howstickythey could be. Or how prone to puke. Fletcher took everything in stride, how he didn’t worry about their floppy heads and tiny little bodies, I had no clue. Every time Cammie was in my arms I had an existential crisis at the fragility of her squishy body. Fletcher said that was my maternal instincts but it felt a lot more like anxiety.

Either way, I was much more prepared to be Fun Aunt Sara than Responsible Aunt Sara. That was why Fletcher had been a godsend. He’d moved in with me just before Cammie was born, I adored his apartment but my place was simply bigger. Tibs had adjusted well, though he wasn’t quite sure what to make of the baby yet, prodding at Cammie’s chubby hands with one carefulpaw and running away before she could get a hold of his tail or ears.

Cammie cooed in Fletcher’s arms and his eyes were soft as he rocked her in whooshing movements from side to side, making her giggle in delight. At least we knew at this early age that she was already more fun than Rob – though he’d lightened up a lot since Tanya had become pregnant, he’d even laughed when I’d said that to him. Shocking.

Our Mom had been thrilled with Cammie’s arrival and I knew she was sad to have missed out on babysitting her this weekend but Rob had declared it was my turn and I had nervously agreed.

Things between Fletcher and I had been amazing. Almost too good to be true, sometimes I found myself waiting for the other shoe to drop and I’d discover he had some weird hobby that would drive us apart. Yet so far, we were far too similar for our own good – except for music, he was a staunch ballad fan where I’d rather listen to… anything else really.

Oddly enough, we all looked back on the lodge fondly – though I wouldn’t be going back any time soon – Tanya had even debated calling the baby Mack after the bay. Rob had talked her out of that one by flying her to Paris. I guessed he’d really hated the name.

Cammie had her head snuggled beneath Fletch’s chin, her dark hair looking sweet with small curls springing up at the back and I tugged on one lightly as I went over to stand next to them.

‘Surely it’s time for her nap now?’ I asked somewhat desperately. I definitely wasn’t ready for one of these sweet monsters, but the practicing was definitely appealing.

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