Page 19 of Love in the Storm

“What did I miss?” he asked.

“Snow, wreckage, fallen trees, more snow.”

Asa rubbed his jaw and watched the radar.Exhaustion weighed heavy on her shoulders, but she wasn’t ready to leave Asa’s side. Knowing he was near was comforting.

He looked at her and grinned. “Get some sleep. I’ll keep an eye on things.”

“You need sleep too,” she said.

“I’ll sleep a little, but I need to check the forecast every few hours.”

She glanced over the back of the couch toward the hallway leading to the bedrooms. “You have a bedroom preference?”

“Take the one you want. I’ll have what’s left.”

She let out a big yawn that refused to be contained. “Then I’ll try to get some sleep in a comfy bed until the storm wakes me up.”

“Good night, Lyric.”

She paused and looked back at him. “Good night. Please don’t hesitate to wake me up if you need anything.”

Asa smirked playfully. “I’m not waking you up.”

She fidgeted for a moment before taking a few steps backward. “Okay. See you in the morning.”

“Sweet dreams.”

She turned and walked faster, needing to put distance between herself and the handsome man who’d be sleeping in the next room tonight. Closing herself in the first room she came to, Lyric flopped face-first onto the bed and groaned.

“This isn’t real,” she mumbled into the softcomforter. “I am not stranded in a luxury mountain cabin with Officer Handsome.”

She rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. He wouldn’t be so nice to her if he remembered her or knew about the things she’d done.

7

ASA

At four in the morning, Asa poured a cup of warm coffee from the carafe. He’d only turned on one small kitchen light, and he was focused on preventing a spill when movement to his right caught his attention.

Lyric walked into the kitchen with her arms wrapped around her middle. Her steps were silent as she padded toward him. The TV was still on the news channel, casting a dim glow over the open room.

He took the first sip and leaned against the counter, watching her move in the dark. It was the exact opposite of the way she’d come barreling into his life. There hadn’t been anything quiet in his heart about Lyric last night.

Maybe he’d learn in time, but he hadn’t figured her out yet. She was independent but not confident.She was helpful but impulsive. She was kind but still doubting herself.

“What are you doing up?” she asked. Her voice was sleepy and sultry, and it did nothing to quell his attraction to her. The robe didn’t do him any favors either.

“The storm is starting up again. I got up to check the weather.”

She pointed to his cup. “And you needed coffee for that?”

“I wasn’t planning to go back to sleep.” Not that he’d slept much anyway. Worrying about Jacob, the storm, and Lyric had kept his mind busy.

She tucked her arms closer around her. “Did you sleep at all?”

“A little. You?”

Her smirk was barely visible. “A little.”

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