I expect her to pull away and roll to her side of the bed, but she shocks me when she pulls her hand away and places it against my heart. I rest my chin on top of her head and before I can fall asleep she’s already out, her soft breaths puffing against my chest. I smile to myself as I hold her.
And here she said she wasn’t going to cuddle me.
Hope surges inside me. I haven’t completely lost her. I have a chance and I’m going to grip onto that possibility for as long as I can.
CHAPTER 27
EBBA
Before I know it,we’re catching our flight to California for Noah and Sabrina’s wedding weekend. I can’t believe how quickly the past two weeks went by and how much I enjoyed Fisher’s company. He cooked me dinner the last few nights and I had to admit to myself that I could get used to having him around.
I was a little hurt the night he denied me when I tried to initiate something between us, but I also recognized his point and it’s annoyingly gentlemanly of him. I know I could all too easily convince myself that things are purely physical with us if we went down that path.
Fisher isn’t just talking a talk. Hewantsto prove to me that we’re the right match.
When we land in San Francisco a car takes the four of us to a small town nearby—a quaint little place Noah and Sabrina fell in love with on a vacation a while back. The drive is mostly quiet as the car winds around the busy roads.
Soon, we’re arriving in the small town with a view of the Golden Gate Bridge.
“I wonder how they found this place?” my brother muses as the car pulls up to an inn on the bay.
“Sabrina said they were looking for unique vacation spots,” I reply, waiting for the minivan door to slide entirely open before stepping out with my cane. Travel days really do a number on my leg. The lack of movement with being confined allows for stiffness to settle in. I’ll try to take a short walk later to help stretch the muscle.
Fisher climbs out from the third row—gracious enough to give Whimsy and I the middle while Elias sat up front with the driver.
“How’s your leg?” he asks in a hushed whisper.
A few weeks ago, him asking that question would’ve made me bristle, but now I appreciate him checking in.
“Tired,” I reply. “But I’m going to go for a walk later to try to stretch.”
“I’ll come with you.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him that’s not necessary, but I swallow down the urge. I promised him I’d give this a real shot and I’m trying. That means sometimes swallowing down the urge that first overtakes me. “Sounds great,” I reply.
His eyes narrow slightly, like he’s searching for a trace of sarcasm in my tone but when he finds it lacking, he smiles.
A staff member from the inn comes out and gathers our bags from the car, directing us to go ahead inside.
The inn isn’t big, but it’s stunning. Right on the bay with weathered siding and large windows. Noah and Sabrina have rented out the entire inn for our stay. It’s still a few days before the wedding and I’m kind of glad that they built in a little down time.
The lobby is small and intimate, but there’s a buffet of fruits and treats waiting for all of us to snack on as we arrive. Envelopes sit in a little basket with all our names written in elegant script. I’m not at all surprised to see my name andFisher’s on the same envelope. Whimsy bumps my shoulder lightly when she notices and waggles her brows.
I shake my head at her antics.
Fisher scoops up the envelope and taps his fingers against it. He doesn’t ask me if I’m okay with this arrangement, because at this point why would I protest? Except for the first few nights, he spent almost the entirety of the last two weeks sleeping in my bed because I’m a sucker and felt bad with him on the couch. It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I sleep better when he’s in the bed with me.
“Do you want to grab a snack?” He gestures to the waiting spread.
I’m not that hungry but I grab a plate anyway. “I’ll get enough for both of us.”
I pile the plate with fruit, crackers, and cheese. We end up taking the elevator up with Whimsy and Elias, but they get off on the floor below us.
The elevator doors open again and we step outside. The breeze has my hair fluttering around my shoulders and a small shiver makes its way up my spine.
“Cold?” Fisher asks, fishing out the key from the envelope.
“I’ll be okay once we get inside.”