Page 64 of Lucky in Love
“Yeah. That part sucks.”
“But you’ll keep traveling?”
“Honestly, even before they canned me, I was planning on doing less. I don’t mean to sound like an ingrate, but it gets monotonous.”
“But you must see so many beautiful things, meet all kinds of people, and have such great experiences. Other than a few big cities on the East Coast and one spring break trip to Cancun, I haven’t been out of Green Valley Falls.”
“It’s been a wonderful ride, and I don’t take it for granted. I’ve loved every minute of it. I’m just saying, I’d like to cut back a little.”
“They do say once you get past a certain age, all you want to do is watch birds and the weather channel.”
“Ha. Ha.” He slid from his seat to put another log on the fire, and she watched the firelight bounce off his gloriously handsome face as he used the poker to push around the wood.
“If you could revisit anywhere you’ve been, where would you go?” she asked.
“Whew. That’s a toughie.” He paused to think. “Montenegro, the Maldives, wine country in France. I can’t pick just one. What about you? What’s your dream vacation?”
“Beats me. It’s one of those you don’t know what you don’t know situations. Any pretty beach looks inviting.”
He moved back to the couch, slinging his arm around her again.
“You think your lack of travel has anything to do with your mom?”
She’d thought of this before. Was she a homebody just to spite Blossom?
“Maybe. Probably.” She shrugged. “It’s like whatever she wants, I have to want the opposite, solely on principle. Which is silly. It only hurts me.”
“No, I get it,” he said. Alex doubted that, but it was nice of him to pretend.
“How’s your relationship with your parents? Do they drive you crazy?”
“Pretty good, I guess. My mom and I are close. She lives in Hartford. My dad passed away when I was twelve.”
“Oh, Brody. I’m sorry.” She squeezed his knee. Of course he got along with his mom. Was there anything not perfect about him?
“It’s okay. It’s been just me and Mom for a long time now. I’m used to it. What about your dad?”
“No idea,” Alex said. “Blossom never mentioned him other than to say it was ‘complicated,’ which I took to mean he was married, and not to her.”
“Hmm.” He stared into the fire. “So, I was thinking. It’s going to get pretty cold tonight, and I wouldn’t want you to freeze.”
“Oh, yeah. What are you suggesting?”
“Tess taught us about using body heat to stay warm.”
Alex smiled. “Tess does know her stuff. It might be the only way to survive the night.”
“It would be silly to freeze to death if we could avoid it.”
“Very silly indeed.” She had no intention of sleeping with him, but wasn’t above some flirting.
“I’m here if you need me.” His smile said he was just teasing too.
“How very gallant of you.”
In the end, they dragged the top mattress off her bed and into the living room and slept in front of the fire. There was cuddling, but it didn’t get cold enough to warrant emergency measures of skin-on-skin contact.
In the morning, they woke to bright sunlight beaming through the windows. The fire had died, and it was frigid!
