Page 29 of Falling Inn Love
Call Sam and ask about my car.
Go over my finances, make a firmer budget.
Get a part-time job in town in the evening?
I consider the last one. Getting away from the inn could keep me from falling for Evan…
I need to be careful. He’s amazing; he’s hot and kind and exactly the guy I’d fall for if I wasn’t so broken. The problem is that I feel myself falling already.
I’m hoping if I keep him at arms’ length and leave after the agreed-upon sixty days, I will protect us both from a future of pain and hurt. Everything I touch breaks, at least that’s how I feel. Someday, I know he’ll understand this.
I fall asleep dreaming of Evan and wondering what it would feel like to fall asleep with him holding me.
* * *
When I wake up the next morning, I reach for my phone. I realize I’ve actually slept in. I hear a knock, and without thinking, I open the door to find Evan leaning against the door jam.
My eyes widen. “Oh, no,” I say before I quickly run and dive back under the covers again. Evan lets himself in. He’s in a good mood.
“No! You can’t see me like this! I just woke up. I’m a mess. I don’t even have pants on!” I shriek, embarrassed.
He laughs. “I come bearing gifts.” He pulls a cart in behind him with an assortment of breakfast treats and a coffee carafe.
“Are you trying to get into my pants? Coffee and food are how you get into my pants,” I joke.
His eyes widen but then he laughs again. “But you’re not wearing any pants…”
“Ugh, you know what I mean.”
“Okay, noted,” he says, his tone teasing. “Look, you missed breakfast, so I figured I’d bring you something to eat. I wanted to do something nice for you.”
He pours coffee into a mug and adds cream to the top. He places it down on my bedside table.
I poke my head out from under the covers in time to see a pillow come sailing at my face. I duck back under for a moment to avoid the pillow crashing into me, but I force myself out of hiding to get my desperately-needed cup of coffee.
“How do you know how I take my coffee?” I ask, eyeing the mug suspiciously.
“I pay attention,” he says.
My heart warms hearing that. I am still not standing up from under these covers, though. The first issue is the no pants situation. But also, I so badly want to kiss him, and if I stand up, I might just make the move, but I haven’t even brushed my teeth.
“It’s time to get up,” he says. “You’re sleeping away one of my precious sixty days. I haven’t made you fall in love with New Hampshire yet. I’m committed to that. It’s time to go explore. We’re going on a hike, dress comfortably and be ready in ten minutes.”
“Ten minutes? Are you out of your mind? I need at least twenty. Probably thirty.” I thrust my arm out from under the comforter to grab my coffee.
“Fine, nine now,” he says, tone playful. “Better get moving.”
I sit up, now really wishing I’d gotten up earlier and called Cara. I need to talk to her about all of this. She would know what to say.
But with only eight minutes left, I get up, take a quick shower, and pull on jeans, a t-shirt, a flannel, and my comfy hiking boots before I head out.
I don’t see Evan when I get to the front, but I do see Kase and Margie playing with the puppies.
“Good morning,” I tell them as I approach.
“Hey, honey. Did you have fun last night?” Margie asks.
“Yes, a lot of fun,” I reply. Truthfully, it was the best night I’ve had in years. “How about you guys?” I bend down to tussle Kase’s hair and pet the puppies. A sting hits me in the heart every time I’m around him, but it's becoming a little easier every day. I shake my gloomy thoughts away and focus instead on the conversation.
