Page 12 of Wrapped in Winter
“Yeah, no real talking. There was just a quickin-and-outexchange before I left for the night.”
“Quick is right,” I reply, and he guffaws. I bite my bottom lip to try to keep from smiling. His stare is intense, and I know I’m not the only one who’s been remembering that night.
“This is all very interesting news,” Blossom muses.
“Mama,” Lily cuts Blossom off and jumps to my leg, wrapping herself around it. “I have to go to the bathroom.” I brush her hair out of her face.
“Okay, baby, come on.”
I catch eyes with Drake once again as he asks, “She’s your daughter?”
I stiffen my back because I feel a bit protective of her right now. “Yes.”
His face relaxes and his eyes soften. “I should’ve known. She looks so much like you. Both gorgeous.” My lips roll in, and I take Lily by the hand.
“Thanks for bringing our stuff on time,” I call out as I walk away, because I can’t stay in his presence another minute.
“Care to share, dear sister?” Blossom corners me as I come out of the bathroom with my daughter. I push by her, narrowing my eyes before dropping them to Lily and back again. She follows hot on my heels anyway. “You better start spilling the beans.”
“You’ve been hanging out with Mom too much.” I glance around the shop. “Is he gone?”
She laughs. “Yeah, he’s gone. Now tell me, and I won't tell Mom you’re hiding something.”
I spin on her. “Don’t even think about it.”
She laughs and pushes me ahead into the main storefront.
I can't seem to compartmentalize anything about this guy the way I do everything else. It wasn’t even this difficult to do when Sean died while I was pregnant. I knew I had to push those emotions away to keep my unborn daughter safe. And when she was born, I was so busy trying to be a mom twenty-four hours a day, it was just easier to keep them locked away.
The fact I even felt something for another man when I’d written that hope off for good makes me think I’m losing my mind.
“Mom, can you watch Lily for a bit? I need to show January something in the stockroom. If a customer comes in, just yell.”
“I ran this store for years, honey, go!”
We shut the door and Blossom is bouncing on her toes. “Drake is the bathroom guy!”
I close my eyes and fall into the folding chair we have in the back. “I cannot believe this.”
“Believe it.”
“It’s just my luck that the guy I have a one-night stand with isn’t just passing through this resort town.”
She squeals again. “I think it’s fucking fantastic! I told you I wanted you to meet him. There’s something about him, isn’t there?”
There is something about him. I would normally never do what I did, but I couldn’t resist him.
“It’s so messy, Blossom.”
“Messy is our middle name. But listen, I want you to enjoy this. Just take it for what it is. There’s a reason he’s in your path again. Stop closing yourself off.”
It’s for everyone's own good that I keep to myself. They don’t need to be burdened by me. I’m present, but I don’t feel part of the family anymore. I’m not sure if it’s because I was gone for too many years and we lost that closeness. Maybe I justcan’t allow myself to get close to anyone anymore. Our family dynamics haven't really changed. Blossom is still sweet, Meadow is still wild, and Lief still thinks he knows everything. I’m still stubborn, and the wall I’ve worked years to keep up can’t just come down in a matter of days. I’ve been back in Wintervale for six months but not one brick has moved.
And one chance night with a stranger isn’t going to start the crumble.
Chapter 6
Drake