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My father’s thick brows narrow, and he looks toward Rowan as though he’s questioning the validity of my statement.
Rowan sighs and glances toward me before stepping past my father and into the hallway. “I’m going to get some fresh air.”
Dad looks down at me, his gaze like a heavy weight. “Was he being weird with you?”
I shake my head and watch Rowan move down the hall and out of vision. “No. He’s been so helpful.”
Dad doesn’t look satisfied with my answer, and thanks to Rowans weird exit, I don’t wonder why.
What is he thinking, and why do I wish he would come back and lay next to me?
Chapter Six
Rowan
There’s a pair of snowshoes in my truck that I’m tempted to strap on and use. I could get down the mountain by morning. I’d bet the inn has some space for me. Then again, I could make a little igloo house in the forest and call it a night. At this point, I think I’d have better luck with a menacing grizzly than I would in that cabin. I’ve never been good at hiding my emotions. That’s part of why I choose not to have many.
What do I do with them once I feel them? What’s the point? Whatever I feel only muddles things, especially in this situation.
I lean back the seat in my truck and crank up the music before closing my eyes. I’m hoping to drown out my feelings but the song that’s playing only makes it worse. I click the radio off and sit in silence.
People say snow doesn’t have a sound, but it does. Even light snow like this has a sound. It’s muffled and peaceful, like you’re wearing an old set of headphones that hush the world with soft static.
I try to stay in the present. The way the light filters in through the trees, the way the truck smells, the way my jeans feel against my palms. Instead, all of those things only remind me of Bailey. The light is coming in through her window, I should’ve twisted the shades. The way the truck still smells likeher, cinnamon and vanilla. My jeans and the way her small hands felt against my leg on the ride home yesterday.
Fuck!
I suck in a deep breath and blow it out slowly. I’d have told her father right then and there that I had feelings for her. We could’ve cleared this whole thing up and been free to move forward however we choose. But that’s not what she wants, and I have to respect that. I have to respect that, in spite of the sickness I feel about anyone else taking her virginity.
No one would be careful with her like I would. They wouldn’t respect her. They wouldn’t hold her afterward. They wouldn’t appreciate the gift they were getting. They wouldn’t feel for her like I feel.
What the hell is wrong with me?
When I realize that dozing off isn’t going to do the trick, I pull out my phone and call my father to check in on the guys. He answers on the first ring. “Yes…”
“Checking in.”
“Still snowing here, but the CB radio says there’s a plow coming up your side of the mountain. You should be able to leave today. How are things with the game warden?”
“We’re making do. Her father is here now, so I’ll head out when the plow comes by.” My chest tightens at the thought of leaving Bailey under anyone’s care but my own.
“I’ll have Hudson meet you down on Main Street with the sled. It’s only a thirty-minute ride from there. You can leave your truck in the back lot at the diner.”
I grunt out some reply of approval as the rumble of a plow echoes in the distance. “I hear it now. I’ll be out of here in the next twenty minutes. Call you when I’m on Main.”
“Copy that. Stay safe.” He hangs up the line and I stare out at the road as the plow pushes through heavy piles of snow. It’s slow moving and there’s now a hard, heavy mountain of ice atthe end of the driveway I should’ve anticipated. I would’ve had my heart not been lingering on how to say goodbye to Bailey.
I’ll see her again. God knows she’ll do whatever she needs to keep this bear safe, but there won’t be another moment like this. A moment where we’re so close to being real. A moment where our hearts are in the same place, and fate has pushed us together.
The heat from the truck has my eyes feeling heavy, and while I know I need to get out and shovel the end of the driveway, I close my eyes and lean against the window instead. A few minutes of shut eye will do me good.
*******
What feels like a minute later, there’s a heavy knock at the truck window followed by two lighter ones.
My eyes flick open quickly and I jump forward at attention. For a second, I’m not sure where I am or how I got there. It’s dark outside and I’m in a snowbank. No, I’m hunting.
I turn toward my window and see Bailey’s face. She’s shivering, wearing only a long sleeve t-shirt and boots.
