“Either that or…” He turns me around so we’re facing each other and he looks down into my face. “We go to my house. Where we not only have a generator, but the electricity is back on and it might still be a few days before it comes on here.”
I turn to gape at him. “Well, that’s not fair.”
“I know but going to my place means…showers. Hot food. Clean clothes. You could bring your laundry so we can take care of that before I have to leave on my trip.”
There is no chance I’m going to say no. To hell with my pride—I want a shower more than almost anything.
“You realize offering me a hot shower is the sexiest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
He throws back his head and laughs. “I definitely need to up my game then but seriously—I’m right there with you. I shower two or three times a day sometimes, so this has been rough.”
“You smell okay,” I tell him, gently elbowing him in the ribs. “Or you’d be sleeping in your car.”
“And you smell like strawberries,” he murmurs, leaning over and pressing a kiss on the side of my neck.
I sigh happily. “It’s a body spray I use sometimes. I figured between that and deodorant, I wouldn’t gross you out.”
“You could never gross me out.” He pulls me close but instead of kissing me, he just wraps his arms around me.
“What’s going on with hockey? Don’t you have a road trip?”
“Looks like we’re leaving tomorrow, because there may be another arctic blast coming over the weekend.”
I can’t help rolling my eyes. “Who pissed off Mother Nature?”
He chuckles, blue eyes crinkling. “I wish I knew. Listen, I’m going to go give Rudy a hand, see if we can get that tree out of the road and get out of here.”
“Do you want a bagel before you go?”
“I’ll eat when I come back but you should pack up whatever you want to bring with you, including dirty laundry!”
I watch him pull on his shoes and windbreaker wishing I had warmer clothes for him, but my stuff would undoubtedly be too small. He’s never complained, though. Not about anything. Sleeping on the couch. Instant oatmeal. Leftover stew. Not even when Joey interrupted our sexy times.
He’s aniceguy.
Probably not the guy for me, but someone I hope I can stay friends with. I don’t know how I would have survived the last couple of days without him. Well, I would have been okay once Igot home, but I truly don’t know how I would have gotten here. In the end, I would have called Rudy, I suppose.
Even so, I’m worried about my car sitting on the highway the last two days. I can’t imagine it’s been towed since half the city is shut down, but even if it hasn’t, it’s going to be expensive to get it to a mechanic.
I should have bought something newer, but I was pregnant and had just been written off of Dusty Peaks, losing my income. I had to give back the Lexus I was leasing so I wouldn’t have a car payment. I thought I was being responsible by buying something outright. The trouble, of course, was that I got nothing for my Lexus once I ended the lease, so I had to buy something old. With no warranty. Short-term, it helped me get on my feet. Long-term, it’s biting me in the ass.
If I have to buy a new car, it’s going to force me to tighten my belt even more than I already do. Daycare is expensive and I was hoping to keep my current car until Joey starts kindergarten. That will free up a ton of money but that’s eighteen months from now, so I’m going to have to come up with a whole new budget if the Honda isn’t fixable.
“Mommy.” Joey pads into the kitchen. “Hun-gwy.”
“Okay, baby. How about oatmeal?”
“’kay.” He climbs up into his highchair and plays with a toy car as I try to get the water boiling in the wood stove. West is better at this, but I’m determined not to admit defeat.
“Mommy!” Joey calls out impatiently.
“Sorry, just a few more minutes.”
I’m flustered today and I don’t know if it’s because of what West and I did last night, the stress of the situation is getting to me, or something else.
I clean up from breakfast and get Joey dressed for the day. I pull out a suitcase and throw in clothes for the two of us. I grab my toiletries along with Joey’s toothbrush and toothpaste. Then I fill a garbage bag with our laundry. It seems like a lot but it’s been over a week since I did laundry, so it makes sense. And I have a feeling West isn’t going to care how much laundry I have.
I’m trying to decide whether I should bring anything from the pantry when West comes in, looking delightfully disheveled and sexy as hell.