AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He sheepishly raises his coffee mug. “Just a refill.”
“Coming right up!” I twirl around to grab the carafe I just finished brewing and pour the steaming liquid into his cup. Before he can say anything, I add a shot of peppermint vanilla creamer and three spoonfuls of sugar.
“Thanks, Teddie.” He takes a sip as I hold my breath, waiting for his verdict. It’s strange. I never cared much about what people thought about my cooking and baking before. But every time Nate tries something I’ve made, I feel like I can’t breathe until he gives me his opinion.
“Mmm, I like it,” he moans. “You’re amazing, you know that?”
I giggle at his compliment and give him a wave as he retreats to his room. When the door clicks shut, Rose snorts, causing me to jump. I’d completely forgotten she was here.
“Geez! What’s that for?”
She crosses her arms over her chest. “Well, I may not know what Teddie in mourning looks like, but dare I say I know what Teddiein lovelooks like.” She gestures to me with a sharply raised eyebrow.
“Wha… That’s not… It isn’t…” I sputter before clearing my throat and shaking my head. “You’re so silly, Rose.”
She grunts. “I’m serious. And I’m a little worried too.”
I return to the frosting I abandoned and continue to mix the green coloring into the sugary goodness. “You have no reason to be worried. I’m not in love,” I insist.
“He’svacation people,” she explains as if that’s supposed to mean something significant.
“Um, I know…”
“Do you?” Her voice is high-pitched with worry. “He’s going to leave, Teddie. His life is elsewhere.”
My mixing gets harsher as I consider her words. “I know that, but he’s an author. Technically, he can work anywhere.”
Rose sighs and shakes her head. “But you do know that after this month, there’s a good chance he won’t work fromhere, right?”
I bristle, dropping the mixing bowl onto the counter. “I know that, Rose.” We’re both surprised by my clipped tone as I’m not usually short with her. My shoulders sag and my voice softens to a whisper. “It’s just… for now… can’t you just let me be happy?”
Rose stands and walks over to me, placing her hand on my back. “Oh, my sweet girl. I don’t want to see you get hurt. That’s all.”
I turn and wrap my arms around her in a warm hug. “I know. And I truly love you for that.”
She sighs again, then gives me a squeeze. “Okay, Teddie. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!” She playfully tugs on my hair. “But you enjoy that sexy hunk of man back there. Even for a little while.”
Laughing, I pull back and kiss her wrinkled cheek. She reminds me so much of my grandma. She stays a while longer, being my taste-tester for the frosting, as well as eating some leftover cookies. By the time she leaves, I’ve pumped her full of sugar and she’s happy, insisting she doesn’t need a take-home container because if she eats another cookie, she’ll explode.
So dramatic.
By the time noon rolls around, Nate resurfaces for lunch, and we eat on the lanai. As we dig into our chicken salad on croissants, the sun reflects off his finger-length locks, drawing my attention to him like a spotlight.
“You know,” I swallow my bite. He flicks his gaze to me, still chewing slowly. “I think your hair has gotten lighter since you’ve been here. The sun does that to some people.”
He rubs a few strands between his fingers. “Really? I hadn’t noticed.”
I shrug and go back to my sandwich, shoving it into my mouth before I accidentally say what I really want to:I noticed. I’ve noticed everything about you since you got here.
I try to stay in the moment, letting the midday rays shine down on us, and laughing when Nate gets chicken salad on his nose. But it seems like there’s a storm coming, one I can’t avoid.
Because—even if I try to pretend that isn’t the case—this time next week, Nate will be gone… and I’ll still be here, wanting to be with him.
9
Nate
Ican’t sit still.
