Page 47 of More Than Words
What the hell were we going to tell her?
I stared at Delaney for a moment, the expression on her face matching the thoughts swirling through my head.
Nothing, I decided.We weren’t going to tell Quinn anything.At least not yet.Not until I knew for sure that this thing with Delaney was more than a storm and being snowed in together.
I blinked and put a smile on my face.“I’m sure she had a great time at the inn last night with Reid and Avery, and no doubt she’ll want to stay.But she tends to worry about me.”
“Of course she does.”The worry slipped from Delaney’s face.
We’d have to talk about…well,everything.But it would have to wait.
“You have coffee, right?”
She smiled again, sleepy and soft.“You know I do.But I’m afraid that’s probably all I have as far as breakfast goes.”
“Coffee is perfect.”I bent and kissed her once more, reluctant to leave her and this moment together.“I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Before I caved in completely and climbed back into bed with her, I forced myself to get up, find my clothes, and face the world outside.
How wassomething that looked so light and fluffy so damn heavy?
I heaved another shovel of wet snow out of my path and, after what felt like hours, made my way to the back door of the brewery.
My gloves were soaked, and I was sweating so much I hardly needed a jacket against the sharp morning air by the time I unlocked the door.
The plows would be by to clear the back alley and most of the plaza, thank goodness, because I didn’t know whether I could face the prospect of digging out the entire shop front, too.
As heavy and problematic as a heavy snowstorm was, I had to admit, it was pretty.
There was nothing quite as serene as the morning after a fresh snow, and this one was no exception.
The thick, white blanket coated every surface in white crystals that sparkled in the sunshine.It looked like a postcard.
Beautiful, yes.
But still a giant pain in my ass.
Once I finally made it inside, I stamped the snow off my boots and shed my jacket, hanging it over a stack of kegs.The faint hum of the backup generators still filled the air around me and made me smile.
The tanks would be just fine despite my total negligence the night before.
A quick check proved me right.
Temperatures held steady, and the pressure gauges were right where they should be.
I took a few minutes to move through the brewery, checking lines, making notes and doing my usual morning duties.
I was doing everything I was supposed to do.Things I’d done hundreds of times before.But I was totally on autopilot, because the only thing I could concentrate on was the one thing, or rather, one person, I’d left next door.
Delaney.
My mind continued to travel back to the image of her curled up under the blankets: cozy, warm, and…deliciously naked.
The smile on her face when I kissed her.Like she was just as happy with the new development in our relationship as I was.
I shook my head, dragging a hand over my jaw and the stubble that over the last few weeks had started to become a full-on beard.I was really and truly settling into mountain life.
I laughed at myself and was still chuckling a moment later when my phone rang and I answered my brother’s call.
