Page 51 of Clashing Moon
“Including you?”
“Especially me,” I said, my voice a little rough.
She smiled, and we fell into a comfortable silence, watching the Montana landscape roll by as we passed rivers frozen over and ranch lands lying dormant under patches of melting snow. The light was shifting, growing warmer as we drove on, casting a golden glow across the foothills and valleys. I’d driven this route a hundred times, but somehow, this time, it felt different.
As we drew closer to Bluefern, a few stray snowflakes began to drift down, soft and quiet, against the windshield.
“Looks like we might be in for some more snow,” I said, glancing over at her.
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she pulled up the weather forecast on her phone. “Yep, they’re predicting at least another six inches in the next few hours.”
We were quiet again, both of us watching the world around us change as the light dimmed and the snow began to fall heavier, blanketing the road in a thin layer of white. By the time we reached Bluefern, the snow was coming down hard enough that the idea of pushing through to Stella and Jasper’s didn’t sit well with me.
“How would you feel about hunkering down at my place tonight? We can cook something warm. Cozy up by the fire. I think we’ve had enough of snowstorms for a while, don’t you?”
A slight smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. “I can’t think of anything I’d like more,” she said softly, glancing at me from under her lashes.
“I’m a terrible cook, so I hope you don’t mind something from a can.”
“A meal from a can is how this whole thing started, so I say, bring it on.”
“I can’t believeI’ve never been here.” Arabella sat at the counter in my kitchen, sipping a glass of wine while I put some premade meatballs into the oven.
The house I’d rented when I moved back was nothing special, but it did the job. Kept me warm in the winter and cool in the summer. I’d not really bothered to decorate, so I had little furniture. Regardless, it suited me for the time being. Most of the social and family time were at my family members’ homes, so it wasn’t as if I needed a place to entertain. Someday, I wanted to find a house of my own or have one built, but I hadn’t come upon the right opportunity. “Hopefully, the right house or property will fall into my lap at some point.”
“I happen to know of one,” she said, clearly referring to her house. “But I hear the furnace doesn’t work.”
“And you’re sure you want to sell?”
She nodded. “I don’t have any good memories there. And I have no interest in running a small ranch. It’s better to start fresh. But I’ll take my five acres and have the perfect house built. Anyway, people like us should always have a new dream or project to work on.”
“I suppose that’s true.” I had a new dream, and she was sitting right in front of me.
The water in the pot on the cooktop boiled, ready for the spaghetti noodles we were having with our meatballs. I stuck them into the water and stirred, a memory creeping up the back stairs of my mind. I smiled as an image of Pop and Mama dancing in the kitchen played before my eyes. “My parents usedto dance in the kitchen. We always groaned and rolled our eyes, but I secretly loved it.”
“I would have loved that too.” She gestured toward the Bluetooth speaker on the counter. “Put on some music. I think we should dance right now.”
“What? Really?”
“Yes, something slow, so you have to hold me extra tight.”
I couldn’t punch a playlist into my phone fast enough. Seconds later, the music connected to the speaker, filling the room. The first song was too fast, but I quickly found a country ballad.
With a shy grin on her face, she stood and extended a hand toward me. “Dance with me, Dr. Rafferty.”
I took her hand and pulled her to me. She wrapped her arms around my neck, swaying slightly to the music. “I always wished you’d have asked me to dance. When we were in high school.”
I placed my hands at her waist, feeling the warmth of her body against mine, her cheek pressed to my chest. “You’re kidding? I thought you hated me.”
“I’ve been thinking about that over the last few days. You hated me, so I had to pretend I hated you. Inside, though, I thought you were the best thing that had ever happened to the world. I’d have given anything to know that someday I’d be in your kitchen, dancing with the handsome, smart Rafferty Moon. I’d have told shy, chubby Arabella to hold on. Her life would someday be better than she could ever imagine.”
“I’m glad it’s me you want to dance with.”
“You’re not going to break my heart, are you?” Arabella asked against my chest.
“Not if I can help it.”
“If I give you my heart, you’ll keep it safe?”