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Jen answered. “Palmer, what’s going on? We saw a big truck pull into the driveway and then leave a couple of minutes later.”
“That was Tim; he’s the husband of my friend, Terri. They own a bed and breakfast in town and I called to see if they had any rooms available for Ashley. Tim offered to come pick her up since he has a truck that can weather the storm.”
“And she went with him?” Jen asked in a shocked voice.
“She did indeed, but it wasn’t an easy task. Something isn’t right, Jen. I have a terrible feeling about that woman.”
“I agree, and so does Dan. Is Mason on his way back over to the house?”
I glanced at the sleeping man on my couch and internally sighed. Even while sleeping he was still handsome.
“Well, he kind of sat down on the sofa, leaned his head back, closed his eyes, and fell asleep. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a person fall asleep so fast. And he’s in a deep sleep. Snoring like all get out.”
Jen let out a laugh. “I’m not surprised. That boy has never had a problem falling asleep anywhere. Especially when he’s tired and stressed. I think it’s a coping mechanism, if I’m being honest.”
“Really?” I asked.
“Yep. You should have seen me trying to wake him up for school some mornings after he was up nearly all night studying. I don’t know how an alarm ever wakes him up.”
“What should I do?” I asked. There was no way Mason could spend the night in my house.
“You can leave him there; he’ll probably sleep like a log on your sofa.”
“He can’t stay here!” I practically shouted the words. Lowering my voice, I added, “I mean, that wouldn’t look right. I work for him. What if people found out?”
Jen chuckled. “What people? It’s a blizzard and your house is behind his. No one would even know he was there.”
I brought my thumb up to my mouth and instantly started to chew on my nail. I hadn’t really been worried about people finding out, more like I had been worried I would be tempted to join him, and sleeping wasn’t on my mind. “I think I’m going to try and wake him up. Maybe spraying some water on his face will do the trick.”
The line was silent for a few moments before Jen replied, “Maybe.”
“Okay, well, I’ll give it a try.”
“Sounds good. I’ll go ahead and put your number in my phone—it’s good for Dan and me to have it, anyway, since you’re watching Charlie and all. And because we’re most likely moving here, we’ll want to keep in touch, I’m sure. For Charlie’s sake, I mean.”
I could totally hear the sarcasm in her voice.
“Send me a text, and I’ll add yours to my phone as well.”
“Will do! Enjoy your evening.”
Before I could even come up with a response to that, she hung up. A second later, I got a text that simply said HI. I saved it and added her name to my contacts.
“Okay,” I said as I turned and faced Mason. “Time to wake you up.”
For the next fifteen minutes, I tried, and failed, to wake up Mason. I was even tempted to slap him across the face at one point.
“You leave me no choice. You have to leave.”
I filled up a cup of water, dipped my fingers into it, and then started flicking it onto Mason’s face.
He stirred and mumbled something about five more minutes.
Leaning down in front of him, I grabbed his shoulders and started to shake him.
“Mason! Wake up! You need to wake up!”
His eyes flew open, and he popped his head up. He looked around, then back to me.
I could see the confusion on his face, so I said, “You fell asleep on my sofa.”
I dropped my hands from his shoulders, stood back, and watched as he ran both his hands down his face and moaned.
“I’m so sorry, Palmer.”
“It’s okay,” I said, kicking at nothing on the floor. “You should probably head back to your house and get some sleep.”
He nodded and stood. “Yeah, probably. Thanks again for helping me with Ashley.”
Smiling, I felt a weird little zip of something run through me. What was that? I couldn’t place exactly what it was, so I pushed it aside. “Sure thing. I’m just sorry she caused stress for your family on Christmas.”
He sighed. “I think this is only the beginning.”
I reached for his hands and held them in mine. The rush of energy that sizzled between our bodies caused my breath to catch in my throat. “If it helps, I’m here for you and Charlie.”
Mason’s eyes turned dark as he stared down at me, and my entire body responded in ways I had never experienced before. I felt hot even while I shivered under the intensity of his stare. My stomach pulled with something I couldn’t name. It wasn’t desire or lust. It was more like a longing. A need. I slowly drew in a breath and held it for a moment, praying I could keep my feet firmly on the ground.
