“I adored her too.” I could still see that bright pink lipstick smile clearly in my mind. “She was a retired nurse, so caring for her husband came naturally. Maintaining the house did not.”
“If Parker wasn’t in class or drinking with us, he was at the Johnsons’ house either fixing something or picking up food,” Beck said. “We definitely ate better after Parker met his girlfriend.”
“Scandalous.” Delaney smiled at me. “Since she was already married.”
“Unfortunately her husband passed a few months after we first met.”
“For almost year”—Beck headed to the fridge and pulled out another beer—“he helped her around the house. Even took her to dinner a few times. Anyone need one?”
“I’ll take one,” Mason said.
“Unfortunately,” I said as Beck handed Mason a beer, “she passed too. Wasn’t really even sick, but I think living without him was just too hard. They were married for over sixty years.”
“Oh, man,” Delaney said. “I’m so sorry.”
I took a sip of my drink, knowing if I responded my voice would betray the ache in my chest for a woman who wasn’t even related to me but whose death had hit hard. I hadn’t lost anyone at that point in my life so had no idea how to cope.
“It’s not like you to bring the vibe down,” Pia teased Beck.
“Sorry, but Delaney has to know all of Parker’s past girlfriends.”
He was jumping the gun a bit, but I didn’t say that. It was hard to hide the fact that I was into Delaney, and it seemed she reciprocated. “Pretty sure she doesn’t,” I countered.
“Speaking of the hot tub,” Beck said, cheeky as ever, “how was it? I’m thinking it’s time to check it out.”
“Great,” Delaney said. “I mean…” She tried not to smile. “It was fine.”
“Fine, huh?” I asked, wanting to say more but also not wanting to embarrass her.
“Good enough for me. Who’s in?”
“Shit.” Everyone looked at Cole, who was staring at his phone.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“Apparently we’re getting some snow now tomorrow. No idea where that came from.”
“How long have you lived up here?” Mason asked. Since he’d grown up with Cole in Cedar Falls, it was a rhetorical question that Mason knew the answer to already.
“Snow storms and upstate New York are pretty much a thing,” Beck added, just in case Cole didn’t already know that. I smiled at the look Cole gave him, as if Beck was a wayward child and Cole was his father. Usually after a few drinks he was warmed up pretty good and let loose a bit, but uptight Cole returned pretty quickly.
I snuck a glance at Delaney next to me. She’d changed out of her bathing suit into leggings and a sweatshirt. Hair in a messy bun, the casual look suited her. Very well, actually.
She caught me staring. Delaney’s thick lashes framed the most beautiful big eyes that had begun to soften toward me, and the corners of her lips turned up ever so slightly. A half smile that was part pleasure, part allure. It was as if she was remembering that kiss. Not that I blamed her. Who could forget it?
Coming back to the conversation, I picked up that a storm was coming late morning tomorrow. Cole worried about getting back to the city in time for a Tuesday-morning class since the snow was apparently going to last all day.
“I’m already off tomorrow,” I said. “You head out in the morning. At least I’ll know what I’m talking about with the roofing guys.”
“You sure?” Cole asked.
“Positive.” I gestured to the house. “Forced to stay here another night? It’s not much of a hardship, trust me.”
Cole turned to Mason and Pia. “You guys okay with heading out on the earlier side? I’ll drop you off at the inn and hit the road from there.”
“This is why you need to move back,” Beck said, relentless in his pursuit to have all four of us together, as if staying at the inn was a permanent thing. Eventually Mason and Pia would get married, the inn’s updates would be complete, and there would be no good reason to stay.
“Be serious,” Cole said.
