Page 78 of Close to Heaven

Twenty-Two

Avery couldn’t believe she was sleeping over at Jax’s house again, and this time, it was all his sister’s doing.

Dakota rummaged around in the dresser drawers. “I know I left some sweats in here.”

Avery blanched behind Dakota’s back. “Maybe they’re in the hamper.” Of course they were, since that was where Avery had put them this morning, not knowing they’d be missed.

“Hmm. Maybe.” Dakota shut the drawer and went into the walk-in closet where the hamper was. “You’re right. They’re in here.”

“I can just wear a T-shirt to bed,” Avery said.

Dakota came back out and took an oversized Tennessee Titans T-shirt out of the dresser. “Here you go,” she said and handed it to Avery.

“Are you sure Jax doesn’t mind me staying here?” Avery said, recalling his stricken expression when Dakota had suggested it.

Dakota flapped her hand. “Of course not. You’re practically one of the family now.”

Avery’s eyes went wide.

“Don’t act so surprised. I knew once my brothers got to know you they’d fall in love with you just like I did. Well…in a friendly way, I mean.”

Avery laughed, although “friendly” wasn’t the term she would use to describe her relationship with Jax.

“Anyway, if you want to take a shower before bed, I left some shampoo and body wash in the bathroom. Knowing Jax, he probably has an extra toothbrush you can use too.”

“Thanks.”

“Do you need anything else before I go?”

Avery shook her head. “I’m all set.”

“Okay. See you in the morning. Sleep good.”

“You too,” Avery said.

Dakota slipped out the door and shut it softly behind her.

Avery stood in the middle of the room, clutching the T-shirt to her chest and listening to Dakota’s and Jax’s voices drift up from the living room. Then she heard the stairs creaking as someone climbed them.

The steps paused outside her door, and then she saw Smoky’s black nose poking underneath the door frame.

“No, buddy. You’re coming with me,” Jax scolded.

Avery laughed into her hands as Smoky’s nose retreated, and they continued down the hall. The next thing she heard was the sound of Jax’s door closing.

Then she started stripping off her clothes. First, she unbuttoned the dress and slid it off her shoulders. Then she removed her tank top and bra so she was left wearing her underwear and fuzzy socks. She’d brought the socks in her purse, thinking the boots might hurt her feet, and now she was glad she had. She slipped the T-shirt on, thinking it probably belonged to Jax. It was so big it covered her to mid-thigh, and it smelled like him. She lifted the fabric to her nose and inhaled deeply. Ahh—pine and sunshine.

Then she turned back the covers and slipped underneath the sheets. She brought the comforter up to her nose and smelled Jax there too. It was hard to believe that they’d been in this bed together the night before. There wouldn’t be a repeat tonight, though, not with Dakota sleeping downstairs. No matter what, Avery would NOT knock on the wall and invite Jax to her room. It would be way too risky. Why, then, did the idea sound so appealing?

It reminded her of the many temptations in life and how difficult it was to ignore them. For example, when her mom used to say, “No candy before dinner,” it had only made her want it more. Or when you were supposed to be quiet in church and suddenly you had the inexplicable urge to laugh out loud.

Rendezvousing with Jax would have much deeper ramifications than eating chocolate before dinner or laughing in church, though. She simply couldn’t risk it. With that in mind, she closed her eyes and forced herself to think of something else.

She mentally started generating her Christmas list, starting with her dad. She planned on giving him gifts that would be helpful and practical, such as paying for his snow-removal service or in-home groceries delivery. Then she moved on to Dakota, who was super easy to shop for since they had similar tastes. She considered scented candles and bath products, and maybe some new pajamas to replace the sweats she’d borrowed… Great! Now she was back to thinking about Jax.

She’d probably get him a gift too, maybe something from the sporting goods store in Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg. She cataloged the clothes he usually wore—flannel shirts, jeans, thermals, and boots. He always looked so ruggedly handsome in his outdoor gear, and without them too...

She wriggled against the sheets and tried to rein herself in. At this rate, she’d never get to sleep. However, the tryptophan and extra slice of pumpkin pie must have made her more tired than she thought, because, the next thing she knew, she was awakened by a loud creak outside her door.