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Wrapping his long arms around my upper legs, he steps back from the counter. Slowly, I slide down him, but instead of dropping my feet, I wrap my legs around his waist. He gently sets me on the counter in front of him, remaining between my legs. He’s wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt, another pair of sweatpants, and socks. He’s so cozy and yummy, and I lean in and hug him with my head resting on his shoulder. This morning he smells like fabric softener and forever.
Sigh.
When’s the next time we’ll be together? Does he even want to see me again? For all I know, he could just be giving himself a twenty-four-hour reprieve.
Beside us, Moose barks, and I giggle. Clay pulls away, smiles, and then wraps his hands around my face and presses his warm lips to mine. My heart flutters. He doesn’t deepen the kiss; it’s just a sweet one, and I know at this point I’ll do just about anything to have more mornings like this one.
“I’ll be right back,” he says as he picks me up and sets me on the floor. I mean I could have jumped off, but I’ll never say no to having his hands on me.
Leaning against the counter, I watch as the two of them go around the corner to the mudroom. I hear Clay slipping on his snow boots and grabbing his jacket off the hook. Moose is making tons of noise as he’s excited to go out, and then they are gone.
Finding my phone, I check the message, and sure enough, my house is all set for me to move back in. While I’d like to stay here longer, there’s no reason for me to, so I make my cup of coffee and head downstairs to pack.
A couple of hours later, after Clay has dropped me off at my house, I’m sitting on my couch, booking my flight back to New York when I suck up my nerves and shoot him a text.
Best New Year’s ever. Thank you again for letting me stay with you.
He immediately replies.
Any time.
An instant smile takes over my face. We didn’t make plans to see each other again, but when I said, “I’ll see you soon?” he smiled at me and nodded. Looks like I might have completed step one, and now on to step two! He doesn’t know it, but we’re about to become the best of friends.
20
CLAY
“Someone needs to explain to me why I agreed to come here and help you.” My shirt is soaked, there’s a band of sweat all the way around the baseball hat I’m wearing, and my hands and back are sore from carrying boxes to the pod outside.
“What do you mean? You’re my brother. It’s like you have a familial obligation to help me pack,” Juliet says as she folds more of Bryce’s clothes and puts them in the box in front of her. We’ve gone through most of the rooms, saving his for last. She thought this would be less traumatizing for him, if his stuff was still present the longest.
“What about Ash? He’s family, but you didn’t drag him here.” I lift the bottom of my shirt and wipe off my face.
“He’s busy,” she states as if she knows more about him than I do.
“Doing what?” I reach for the gallon of water I brought with me. It may be cold outside, but it’s not in here, and I’m dying.
She stands up, runs her hands across her pants, and very bluntly says, “His wife,” at the exact moment I take a sip of water.
Water flies from my mouth and I start coughing while glancing toward Bryce. He’s too young to know what she’s talking about, but I shoot her anAre you kiddingme?glare anyway. She laughs.
“But seriously, we could have hired movers to do this for you. Instead, we’re both here sweating our asses off for hours doing something that isn’t fun.”
“Uncle Clay, you said a bad word and owe the jar a dollar,” Bryce says, chiming in while packing up the toys from his closet.
“I’m feeling like I need to prepay the jar,” I tell Juliet, giving her a blank stare.
She stretches her arms over her head and then reaches for her own water. “You’re looking at this from the wrong angle. Packing is fun. It’s a time to clean out, a time to reminisce, and a time to say goodbye.” She glances toward the bag of clothes she plans on giving to a clothing drive.
I continue to stare at her because she’s got to be kidding.
“What?” she asks, slinging some attitude my way.
I throw my arm out toward the six boxes she has sitting next to the door. “What do you need all those baby clothes for? You having another one I don’t know about?”
She purses her lips and runs her hand over her head. “Just stop. You’ll understand one day when you have kids.”
“I doubt that.” Not that I plan on having one any time in the foreseeable future.
