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It didn’t quite happen that way.Sure, I managed to squeeze in time for a handful of dates over this long stretch.But none got even close to serious.And after four long years, I was almost at that point where I figured my libido had died a complete and thorough death.
Until right now.
Because this feelsso good.
It’s just a split second, but the moment is frozen in time for me.I can feel his breath against my lips, warm and soft, and hinting of Coke or Pepsi or maybe even Dr.Pepper.I can’t help wondering if I’ll ever take a sip of any of the above without remembering this moment.
He immediately rolls off of me.Nuts.
“Sorry about that,” Harris says.
“Cool,” my son exclaims, running over to us.“You saved Mom from the missile attack.Are you a SEAL?”
I pull myself from my hormone-induced stupor.“Honey, just because a guy is good in a snowball fight doesn’t mean he’s a SEAL.”
“The last two guys who rented that apartment were SEALs,” my son points out.And he’s right.Mrs.Marshall clearly favors renters with that Trident on their uniform.
I can’t say that I blame her.Her selection of renters over the years has become a bit legendary in this neighborhood.
“Yes, but—”
“Actually, I used to be,” he cuts me off as he stands, then reaching out a hand to help me out of the snow.“But I got injured and never really got back to my old self.”
My eyes fill with concern at his statement as he pulls me upward, and when he lets go of my hand, I simply don’t want him to.
Strange, that.It’s like every square inch of my skin is somehow starved for attention.
“I’m so sorry,” I reply.
He chuckles.“It’s okay.It could have been a lot worse.They’ve stuck me in intelligence now.”
“Cool.Like with the FBI and CIA?”Nicholas asks.
When Harris smiles, his teeth practically sparkle like the way the sun reflects on the snow on the ground.“Not quite.But we work with them sometimes.”
Curiosity seems to give me a nudge.“So I, uh, have to ask…”
“Why is a guy like me making a snowman?”he finishes for me.
I laugh.“Yeah, a former Navy SEAL, present-day intelligence officer doesn’t really give off the snowman-making kind of vibe.”
“To say the least.It’s for a friend,” he explains.“She’s got someone in mind for renting this apartment after the Navy makes me move in six months.And she’s convinced that if she had a picture of the house with a snowman in front of it, it would be an easy sell.”
My brow creases.“Really?Huh.”
“Weird, right?”A frown touches his lips.“Something’s a little, well, off-kilter with her since she got pregnant.”
I can’t help laughing.“Oh, well, everything was off-kilter with me when I was pregnant.So it’s nice of you to play along with it.”
“She and her husband are kind of like family, so I put up with it.Mason Adler,” he adds.“He lived here before they got married.”
My eyes widen.“Mason?”Yeah, I might remember him.In fact, like most of the renters who have traipsed into Mrs.Marshall’s basement apartment, I have a hard time forgetting him.Me—and every woman in our sleepy little community.
My son’s face brightens.“Mr.Mason was super cool.He bought a butt-ton of popcorn from me for my troop fundraiser.”
My shoulders slump.“Honey, don’t saybutt-ton.”
“Why not?It’s not like it’s a bad word.Everybody’s got a butt.”
