He shrugged. “Might as well.”
He leaned back and shoved a pillow under his head while Meg opened the metal fireplace door. “So, you’re not really a camper. What did you like to do growing up?” he asked.
“It was just me and Dad after Mom died. When I was lonely, I made up songs. When I got to be a little older, I wrote them down.”
“You’re not just a singer then, you’re a songwriter? That’s cool. What kinds of songs do you write?”
Meg’s cheeks flushed pink. “Just stupid stuff. I don’t know. I’ve never really shared them with anyone.”
Cade turned to stare at her. “No one?” He wanted to add, “Not even your husband?” But the words wouldn’t come out. They sounded rude.
She shook her head. “It’s a part of me that’s hard to share.”
“Oh. Then you write songs for just you, not like something you’d ever sing to an audience?”
Meg picked at a thread on one of the blankets. “I don’t know. I guess deep down I don’t really think I’ll ever have a singing career, so I don’t worry about it.”
Cade could see the longing in Meg’s eyes, and it kind of broke his heart to see her not believing in herself. He patted her shoulder. “Don’t give up on your dreams.”
She nodded and gave him a little smile, although it didn’t reach her eyes. “You’re right. I’ve let Travis get in my head too much. I have to get rid of his voice telling me I’m no good.”
Cade withdrew his hand, mostly because he wanted to clench his fists. “Don’t let anyone ever tell you that again.” He didn’t mean for it to come out so passionately.
Meg blinked and leaned back on the pile of blankets and pillows. She didn’t say anything for a while, but finally, she spoke. “Thanks, Cade. I needed that.”
“You deserve someone who will treat you right.”
Meg sighed and closed her eyes. “I know,” she said softly.
The crackling of the fire and the warmth of the blankets were making his eyes feel heavy. He pulled one of the blankets over him and closed his eyes. “What happened to your mom?”
She shifted. “Cancer.” Her voice was getting quieter, harder to hear.
“I’m sorry,” he said. He reached over to find her hand. When his fingers touched hers, electricity zapped up his arm. She was warm and her skin soft.
“That’s okay,” she mumbled.
Cade wondered if they should just sleep there since the upstairs was cold, but before he could voice the thought, Meg’s even breathing told him she was already ahead of him. He snuggled into the blankets and was asleep a few seconds later.
***
MEG HEARD A QUIET SCRATCHINGnoise. What was that? It was interrupting her nice dream. She was dancing with Cade at a fancy ball, in a large mansion. A gorgeous chandelier hung down, the crystals sending tiny rainbows throughout the room. Cade’s solid chest was warm, and she snuggled into it. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her close. He smelled like the outdoors with a hint of soap. A rugged smell. Manly. It was making her heart pound.
The scratching noise came again, and Meg slowly became aware of herself. Where was she? This wasn’t her bed. Then the events of the last couple of days came to her. Oh. She was with Cade in the mountains. She must have fallen asleep in the great room by the fire.
She opened her eyes and realized the warmth she was feeling was Cade. She’d been sleeping on his chest. His arm was wrapped around her. Sunlight streamed in the windows. What time was it? She didn’t want to wake Cade, so she moved slowly. His arm dropped off her shoulders and she sat up.
Something moved in her peripheral vision and she turned to look. A baby raccoon sitting in the corner of the room stared back at her.
Meg screamed, and Cade flew up so fast he knocked her over. “What? What is it?” Meg scrambled to her feet while the raccoon dashed across the room. Cade saw it and picked up a blanket. He tossed it, but it missed, and the raccoon ran under the couch.
“What kind of a house is this?” Meg hopped up on one of the chairs, her legs shaking so much she thought her knees were going to knock together.
“It’s been abandoned for two years.”
“Well, where did he come in from?”
“Oops.”