AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Traitor.
“I didn’t know you had a dog either.” She bends down as Moose has all but jumped into her arms.
I’m still silent, and I watch her and Moose together while kicking off my boots. She laughs as he licks her face and snuggles up close with his whole butt wagging back and forth. He doesn’t even know her yet it’s clear he automatically loves her. Disloyal beast.
My heart pinches. I can already tell this little stay with her isn’t going to be good for me.
11
EMMA
Well, this is not how I thought I would be executing step one, but here I am, in Clay’s house.
That’s right. In. Clay’s. House. His gorgeous house, a place I truly thought I would never be but deep down really, really hoped to be.
Avery doesn’t even know what she helped set into motion. Granted, the reason for the situation is unfortunate and for a while there was downright scary as I had no idea what I was going to do. The best idea I had come up with was the snowshoes in the garage, and I was going to walk toward town, stopping at each house, hoping to find someone to help me.
But then there was Clay, and my heart leapt so hard when I saw him on the other side of the glass, so hard I was certain my chest was going to crack in two as I burst into tears.
“Clay, your home is so beautiful,” I tell him as I leave my boots and snow gear in the mudroom and follow his dog into what would be called a great room. He’s flipped the lights on, and the kitchen, living room, and dining room are all one big space, while the back wall looking over the lake is mostly windows. It’s the perfect home for entertaining, yet I don’t think he’s had anyone over. At least, Avery has never mentioned it.
“Thanks,” he mumbles, and I try not to let it get to me as he passes by and places mybags next to the stairs. He’s also stripped off all his snow gear and is wearing a pair of navy sweatpants, a white thermal shirt, and socks. His hair is sticking out everywhere, there’s a goggle ring around his eyes, and I watch as he runs his hand over them . . . a hand I also have had run over me.
Longing stretches through my stomach. What is it about this man that makes me want to rub up against him and bury my face in the crook of his neck and shoulder?
“It’s so different from your condo in Nashville,” I say, pointing out the obvious, and that’s when I spot the Christmas tree. Obviously it’s not lit up—he was probably sleeping when they called him—but it looks so sweet. It’s not that tall, maybe just a little taller than me, and from what I can see, it’s covered with red and silver balls. Did he put this up for himself or for someone else?
He doesn’t acknowledge the statement, and those nerves that sprung up out of nowhere when I saw him on the back porch of my house resurface. It was like I had just been dreaming about him coming to rescue me and then there he was all knight in shining armor. Granted, he was scowling hard, but there he was.
“Did you choose these colors or did you hire someone to help you?” I ask, walking into the living room to take a closer look at the details.
His condo in Nashville is sleek and urban, but this house fits right in with a contemporary mountain vibe. There are different shades of wood in the floor, the ceiling beams, and the kitchen table. He’s used them as accent colors along with creams and greens, and it just looks so inviting and homey.
“You should p-probably put a call in with the electric company. Once you know they are coming out, then get on the phone with a p-plumber. They can check to see if there is damage to the p-pipes,” he says, not answering my question, speaking over his shoulder as he makes his way to his gorgeous stone fireplace and turns it on. I do love a good wood-burning fireplace, but the simplicity of a gas fireplace is an amazing thing too.
My heart sinks. He isn’t going to make this easy for me at all.
“Electric company, right.”
I drop my gaze down to his dog, and my thumb rubs against the ring on my finger. On the collar, the name Moose is stitched in; that must be his name. Moose and I stare at each other, and it’s as if the dog is decoding for him and, with his sweet brown eyes, he says, “Basically what he’s saying is hurry up and figure out what’s wrong so he can get you out of here.”
I tweak my mouth at him in response.I know, buddy. I know.
The night we met Clay and Ash, Cora and I immediately knew who they were. How Avery didn’t put two and two together, we’ve never understood, but she let her guard down, and instead of bursting her bubble, we both agreed to let things unfold naturally.
The Clay at the bar was funny. He cracked one-line jokes, laughed a lot, and genuinely made sure we were having a great time. After that, the few other times we spent together, his personality seemed to be the same. He was lighthearted, thoughtful, and so easy to be around I couldn’t help but be drawn to him. But this Clay, the one he’s been over the last year, it’s the polar opposite of the guy I fell for, so different I honestly don’t know who he really is.
Walking to the kitchen island, I lay my hands on the marble and again look around the house. There are large metal and glass light fixtures hanging over the island and kitchen table, the windows that stretch from the floor to the vaulted ceiling are frosted over, and the only bright pop of color anywhere is Moose’s bed. It’s red, and if I had to guess, he didn’t pick it out.
Clay walks into the kitchen and stops on the other side of the island from me. We stare at each other for a beat, and then I ask, “Is there anything you want to show me? Or is there anything I need to know?” I’m hoping to get him to engage with me a little bit. “I really appreciate you letting me stay here.”
He frowns as he thinks about this with two little lines striking between his eyes. His hair is still sticking out everywhere, his cheeks are flushed red from the cold, and he’s so handsome it hurts to look at him.
“Not really. My bedroom is over there, and the rest of the bedrooms are downstairs. Your room will be the second door on the left. Help yourself to the kitchen.” He turns and looks at the refrigerator. “It’s stocked for now, but we can get more food later if there’s something you want. I’ll be in my office, got work to do today.”
“What kind of work?” I ask a little too excitedly. Maybe I can help him, penetrate the wall, his very thick and high wall.
A muscle in his cheek twitches. He doesn’t want to answer me, but he knows if he doesn’t, he’s being rude, and the Clay I briefly knew was never rude. “We’re working on content for a new album.”
