Page 82 of And Now, Back to You

He lifts his hand and fixes some of my hair that’s tangled under my hat. “I don’t think you’re stupid, Delilah.”

My nose crinkles. “All right.”

“Did you not listen to my lamp speech? I thought I explained it.”

“You did.”

“Not well enough, apparently.” His hands firm over my shoulders and he shakes me a little bit. “Tell me you believe me, or I’ll say it again. Weird metaphor and everything.”

My stomach hollows out, something warm curling low. I try to fight my smile, but it can’t be helped. I grin at him. “Please don’t repeat your weird metaphor. Once was enough.”

A deep groove forms in his cheek as his smile grows. “You’re sure?”

“Yeah.” I rub my gloved fingers over my nose. “I may have . . . overreacted just then.”

He shakes his head. “You didn’t. Like you said, this day has been . . . unexpected. I think we’re both trying to recalibrate.”

What we’re doing is tiptoeing around the issue instead of addressing it. I shared the high-level notes from my Keith call with Jackson as soon as he got back to the room. I told him Keith said it was fine, as long as we focused on the weather. I didn’t mention anything about being a puff piece.

I scuff my boots against the faded rug in the lobby. “I think I’m carrying around a lot of frustration about how I’m treated.”

“Good.” He nods. “You deserve better. It’s time you start asking for it.”

“And now?” I step closer. “Can I ask for this? You sledding with me?”

He looks patiently amused. “I will watch you sled.”

I shake my head. “Nope, that’s not the deal. If you come outside, you sled.” I dig one finger in the middle of his chest. “Those are the rules.”

He grabs my finger.

“Ah, how can I resist that?” He folds our hands together, holding my palm over his chest. Right over the steady thump thump thump of his heart. He grins at me. “You know how much I love rules.”

WEATHER ADVISORY FOR DEEP CREEK LAKE AND SURROUNDING AREAS: LOCAL ROADS CLOSED DUE TO LOW VISIBILITY. HIGH WINDS AND HEAVY PRECIPITATION TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE NIGHT. SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.

CHAPTER 20

DELILAH

Jackson was right about the wind surges. Each gust rolls into the next, making me feel like I’m standing in front of a turbine. I’ve never felt wind like this before. The kind that burrows in between any crack it can find, stinging at my cheeks and stealing my breath. It whips at us where we’re huddled together on my little bunny hill before howling through the trees, a dull roar that builds and builds the longer we’re out here. The sky feels alive, heavy clouds hiding the moon and all the stars but holding their light, seeming to glow.

And right next to me is Jackson, his big body wedged in the middle of a doughnut inner tube.

I can’t stop laughing long enough to get a good grip on the handle, bent in half behind him as the storm twists around us.

“Pull yourself together,” Jackson yells, his head angled back so he can see me. His eyes are unreal out here beneath a sky that’s not truly dark. Snowflakes spin wild out of the endless, yawning sky above us, falling in thick clumps.

Jackson’s patience is wearing thin.

And I’m having the time of my life.

“Okay, okay.” I grip the handle with both hands and take a bracing breath, snickering at the look on his face. I had to do some coaxing to get him into the sled, but not as much as anticipated. I took three solo trips down the hill before he finally agreed, reluctantly climbing into the center of it with his knees tucked to his chest.

I wish I brought my phone. I want this as my wallpaper.

“Delilah!” Jackson snaps again.

“All right!” I rock back and then use the momentum to push forward, moving him approximately two inches. “Are you ready?”