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“I’m fine,” he said again, the hard edge from his voice gone now.
Now is a good time to go. Lauren swallowed, comprehension hitting her full on. Nate sat virtually naked just inches away. Thanks to her extra bright flashlight she saw every bare inch of him in magnificent detail. Despite the little voice telling her otherwise, Lauren let her gaze roam from his face across his shoulders and chest and down his torso. Not an extra ounce of flesh existed on him. Reversing the track her eyes had just taken, she spotted the Marine insignia tattoo—the eagle, anchor, and globe—on his upper right bicep near his shoulder. Back in high school she never would’ve guessed he’d get a tattoo, yet it looked good on him. Almost natural, if that was possible.
“Thanks.” Nate’s voice washed over her, tugging her back to reality. His hand moved down her arm creating goosebumps on her skin.
Lauren met his hazel-blue eyes, unable to look away. For a moment it felt as if the clock had turned back fifteen years. As if drawn by a pulley, she leaned forward intent on one thing, kissing him again. A sudden shift on the mattress when JoJo leaped on the bed broke whatever spell she’d fallen under. With a jerk, Lauren pulled her arm away and jumped up. Unable to look at him again, Lauren focused on the wall behind him. “The power went out. There is a flashlight in the bureau if you need it.” She sensed that he wanted to say something, so she didn’t give him the opportunity. “I’m going back to bed. See you in the morning.” Lauren took a few steps toward the door, but when JoJo didn’t follow she stopped. “Come on, JoJo. Bed.” The dog looked up in response to her name, but she didn’t get off the bed. Instead she settled her head on her paws. Prepared to pull the dog off the bed, she moved toward her. “Come on, you silly goose. He doesn’t want you to sleep in here tonight.”
“She can stay if she wants.”
Lauren’s hand paused above the dog’s collar. “Are you sure? She likes to hog the bed.”
“Positive. Leave her.”
Don’t argue. Leave while you still can. After she gave JoJo one final pat, she retreated back to her own room and away from the temptation that Nate presented.
***
With one hand she covered a yawn while the other poured an extra-large mug of coffee. After the restless sleep she’d had, she needed all the caffeine she could get. Thank goodness the power was back on. Before doing anything else, she took a long swallow of the French-vanilla coffee. Combined with a splash of milk and two sugars, it was the perfect mix of sweet and creamy. The warm liquid washed through her body, warming her as well. While the power had come back on a good fifteen minutes earlier, the house still remained on the chilly side. It would probably take another hour or so before it reached her preferred temperature.
After a few more sips she moved on, prepared to tackle breakfast. The weekends were the only time she put extra effort into cooking breakfast. During the week she opted for things like cereal with fruit or yogurt mixed with granola. On Saturdays and Sundays though, she didn’t need to rush, so French toast or homemade waffles often made the menu.
So far she’d heard nothing from the spare bedroom. In case that meant Nate still slept, she tried to be quiet as she moved around the kitchen. After living alone for so long, she’d gotten used to not worrying about waking someone else up. Even if she didn’t wake him, at some point he’d make an appearance. Then what? Should she bring up the scene last night or let it go? He’d brushed the dream off as nothing. The expression on his face said otherwise. Granted, people experienced nightmares all the time, yet a tiny voice said the dream he had last night was much more and something that happened often.
It’s none of my business. Lauren cracked a few eggs into a bowl and then added some vanilla and milk. Nate had family and friends to talk to. He didn’t need her interference. Besides, if she tried to help he may interpret it in the wrong way. Right now she didn’t need that complication. Things with Kevin were going well. Too much interaction with Nate could jeopardize that relationship. With more force than necessary, Lauren beat the eggs together with the vanilla and milk before adding sugar and cinnamon to the mixture. Once satisfied, she set the bowl aside, dug out her skillet, and turned on the stove. All the while though, she kept an ear tuned for any movement in the spare bedroom. If he didn’t wake up on his own soon, JoJo was sure to wake him. JoJo always woke her on the weekends when her bladder could wait no longer.
Nate felt the last remnants of sleep drift away. With reluctance, he opened his eyes. An unfamiliar room surrounded him, and a black dog slept with its head resting on the other pillow. Instantly his brain kicked in. Memories from the day before flashed through his head. Lauren’s house. In one motion he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood. Without even bothering to grab his jeans, he moved to the window. A winter wonderland greeted him. Snow no longer fell, but at least a foot of the white stuff covered the backyard. If he hoped to leave anytime soon he had some shoveling to do. Despite knowing what he needed to do, he stood at the window. It had been a while since he’d seen snow like this. If the temperature stayed as cold as it had been, this snow would be around past April Fool’s Day.
Enough watching the scenery. Get your ass moving. Turning back toward the bed, Nate snatched up his jeans. Once dressed, he still held back. Sounds from the kitchen told him Lauren was up. He’d faced down enemies with weapons, yet a deep unease made him reluctant to face her this morning. Shame burned a hole in his chest, a bit like a flame burning its way through paper. No one knew about his nightmares. They’d started more than a year ago. Some weeks they came every night. Other times he’d go weeks between them. Every time they came he handled them in the same way. He’d stuff all the emotions they evoked back into the little box where they belonged and consider himself damn lucky. So many of his buddies suffered in ways much worse than dreams. If he had to deal with a few dreams every once in a while, he wouldn’t complain.
The scene from last night wasn’t the only thing that kept him in the bedroom. He’d kissed her. Something he had no right doing. Even though she had kissed him back, he had made the first move last night, which put all the blame on his shoulders. Can’t undo it, so get your ass out there. If he could change the past, the kiss from the night before wouldn’t be the only thing he’d undo.
“Come on, JoJo. Time to get out of bed.” Nate rubbed the dog’s head. At the sound of her name, the dog stretched out all four legs then jumped to the floor.
The scent of brewed coffee and breakfast pulled him down the short hallway into the kitchen. When he walked in, Lauren stood at the stove. Her long hair remained pulled back in a haphazard braid, and she wore pink fleece pants and a cotton top. She looked comfortable and relaxed as she worked. Even though he’d stopped to admire the view, JoJo darted past him. The dog sat down beside Lauren and looked up at her.
“I bet you want to go out,” Lauren said as she put down the spatula in her hand.
“I’ll let her out.” Nate crossed the kitchen and opened the sliding glass door that led to the backyard. The dog didn’t pause. She bounded down the stairs and across the snow-covered yard. Nate watched the dog run through the snow then turned away from the door. “Where do you keep the shovel?”
Lauren looked up from the stove. “Don’t worry about it. A plow comes for the driveway.” She didn’t hold his gaze for long before turning her attention back to the food in the pan. “Breakfast is just about ready, anyway. Help yourself to some coffee. The mugs are in the corner cabinet.”
An argument about shoveling could wait. He was hungry, and from here it looked like she’d made French toast, his favorite breakfast food. “You need a refill?” Nate held up the coffee pot.
“I’m good for now. Have a seat.” Lauren gestured toward a bar stool with the hand holding the plate piled high with food. The hint of cinnamon apples drifted toward him, and his mouth watered. “Don’t wait for me. Start eating.”
Before sitting, Nate let the dog back in. Snow clung to her face, especially around the muzzle. “Looks like someone likes the snow.”
Lauren laughed, and the sound eased the tension in his chest. “JoJo’s a bit of snow bunny,” she said.
Nate took another sip of his coffee. For now, he’d wait and let her pick a topic of conversation. Last night he’d tried and had ended up arguing with her. He didn’t want to argue with Lauren. “This looks great. Thanks.” He picked up his fork with a small smile on his face. His plate was piled high with French toast covered with caramelized apples, just the way he liked it. He’d bet that she’d added cinnamon and nutmeg to the French toast, too. Nate took his first bite. The combination of flavors exploded in his mouth and sent his mind reeling back to all the times his mother had made French toast just like this. Living next door, Lauren would often stop over in the morning on the weekends and join them. She always complained that her mom thought the only breakfast foods in the world either came from a cereal box or fit inside a toaster.
