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The soft snores of Palmer reminded Kent they were getting up this early for a reason. He hated to wake her, but they had something to cross off their list today. He stretched, threw the covers back, and placed his bare feet on the threadbare carpet. Kent and Palmer were at an inn near the Chatham Lighthouse, where they planned to watch the sunrise. Palmer called the inn “quintessential New England” and had fallen in love with the photos online. They’d booked one room with two beds. It wasn’t because they were trying to save money but because Kent didn’t want Palmer out of his sight. If she seized in the middle of the night, he wanted to be there to help her. At first, she’d balked. They barely knew each other, but she came around after Kent showed her how many hours they would spend together in the week’s course, not to mention the duration of their trip.
They had left the bathroom light on, in case Palmer needed to get up in the middle of the night, and the glow that peeked out from the barely open door gave Kent the opportunity to stare at Palmer without her sticking her tongue out or asking him what he was doing. He wanted a moment to take her all in.
When they’d checked into the inn and opened the door to their room, Kent was a bit sad that there were two beds. He wanted an easy excuse to sleep next to her, to be close to her, even though his thoughts were on a ridiculous level. They were friends. He was there to support her in her time of need, not explore these new feelings he had.
Except, he couldn’t stop his thoughts. She was naturally beautiful. Kent noticed that the first time he’d met her at the bank. Whereas most of the women he knew wore makeup, Palmer didn’t. Her cheeks had the perfect pinkish hue, turning red when she was embarrassed, and embarrassing her was quickly becoming a favorite trick of Kent’s. He loved it when Palmer ducked her head shyly or turned away because she didn’t want him to see her smile.
She wasn’t very good about hiding things from him either. Her brown eyes were expressive and full of life despite her battles. Kent could look into them for hours, and he swore he’d be able to see her soul if she gave him the chance.
Kent stood and tiptoed to Palmer’s bed. He touched her shoulder and whispered her name. “It’s time to get up,” he said. He then went to the bathroom they shared with the room next door. He didn’t like the sharing part and was thankful that they’d be in a hotel when they got to Boston. This was only one night, and soon they’d be on the road heading back to the city.
He turned on the light and waited for his eyes to adjust. He used the facilities, washed his hands, splashed some water onto his face, and then brushed his teeth. When he came out of the bathroom, Palmer had turned on the bedside lamp and was moving about the room.
“It’s so early,” she said quietly, as if to not wake the neighbors. “I never got up this early when I had to go to work.”
“The only reason I’d be awake at this hour is if I had a call.” He went to his suitcase and pulled out a pair of sweats and a sweatshirt. “I’m sorry. I forgot about the time change. I should’ve planned this for tomorrow so we could adjust.”
“Nothing a nap won’t cure,” she said as she passed by him. Palmer went into the bathroom, and Kent finished dressing for the beach. The weather app on his phone told him it was chilly out, and he was concerned for Palmer. She was cold all the time. It didn’t matter what the temperature was outside. She always wore a sweater. Kent grabbed another sweatshirt from his suitcase and found an extra blanket in the closet.
“I need coffee,” Palmer said when she came out of the bathroom. “I think the owner said they have some downstairs.”
“We can check,” Kent said, needing a cup as well. There wasn’t a coffee maker in the room, which didn’t surprise him. What caught him off guard was that there wasn’t a Dunkin’ on every street corner. The nearest was a three-mile drive away from where they wanted to be.
Kent prepared Palmer’s meds and gave them to her with a bottle of water. While she took them, he checked her pulse. Satisfied with the results, he asked if she was ready to go.
They walked quietly down the hall and cringed when they hit a creaky step or two on the staircase. Halfway down, Kent could smell coffee, bacon, and something fruity. Palmer’s stomach growled, and she placed her hand over it to dampen the loud rumble.
