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“Have you looked outside, Lamise?”
I moved my head from side to side. “No. Rhys and I have been busy playing and talking.”
Banks hesitated for a moment before he declared, “There’s too much snow outside. You can’t drive home in this weather.”
I glanced down at Rhys, made sure he was okay on his spot, and stood from the floor. When I looked out the window, I realized Banks wasn’t joking. The snow was coming down like crazy; the tracks where he’d just driven were virtually impossible to see.
I wasn’t a bad driver, but that could have also been because I didn’t make stupid decisions like driving in the snow. “What am I going to do?”
Having been so caught up in what I was looking at, I hadn’t realized Banks had moved toward me. He placed his hand gently on my shoulder and said, “You can spend the night here.”
“I… I can’t?—”
“You can’t drive home in this,” he insisted.
I swallowed hard.
Banks noticed I was panicking, because he explained, “You can sleep in the spare bedroom. If there’s something you need, I’m sure I’ve got it here. If not, at least you’ll be safe.”
I looked back out the window, saw how much snow was falling, and accepted my fate.
It seemed as though I was spending the night with Banks and Rhys. Part of me was excited, but if I was honest, I was also terrified.
FIFTEEN
Lamise
“So, I guess tomorrow night is off.”
That came from me. Sadly, there was no mistaking the despondency in my tone, and that was awful. Because I didn’t want to upset Banks. I really was trying to make the best out of an unfortunate situation. Though, if I was completely honest,unfortunatewas probably not the best word to describe my current circumstances.
It was Friday night, and I was spending it with Banks and Rhys, since the snow had been bad enough to strand me here. And the truth was, spending time with Banks and Rhys was the very opposite of unfortunate.
It was wonderful.
I was well aware of the fact that things could have been much worse. I could have insisted on leaving here and wound up stranded in the snow.
So, this really wasn’t anything to complain about at all.
“What would make you say that?” Banks asked me.
My eyes dropped to the food on the table—spinach and ricotta ravioli, something Rhys was experimenting with in his highchair, too—before I returned my attention to him and explained, “Well, I just assumed that with me having dinner with the two of you tonight, we’d switch tomorrow night’s dinner plans to tonight. This way, you won’t have to worry about having me over two nights in a row for dinner.”
Admittedly, it was painful to get those words out. I was disappointed about having tomorrow’s plans canceled, but it was only because I had hoped to get myself a little done up.
Granted, I was well aware what we had planned for tomorrow wasn’t exactly a date—something I wasn’t sure either of us could handle or be prepared for—but it was still meant to be a special occasion.
“Tomorrow night is still happening, Lamise. In fact, we’re looking forward to it,” he insisted, a smile spreading across his face.
I perked up. “Really?”
“Absolutely. This is, if you ask me, just a bonus,” Banks declared.
His response was wholly unexpected, but I absolutely loved it. It was nice to feel like he enjoyed my company and was looking forward to more of it.
“Well, the food is delicious, and the company is wonderful. Maybe I should start having an appreciation for the cold weather and the snow,” I muttered.
“You’re not a fan?” he asked, his lips twitching slightly.
