“Really?” More tears glistened in Courtney’s eyes, but this time she didn’t blink them away. One slipped out and trailed down her cheek, followed by another.
Mitch’s thumb moved to her cheek, wiping the tear away. “Really.”
She sniffed and blinked away the tears. “Then why did you kiss me on the forehead earlier? I wanted it to be a real kiss, you know? And when you didn’t—I thought it meant that you didn’t care. At least not as much as I did.”
Her words worked their way into Mitch’s heart, filling and expanding it. Not wanting to waste another second or let this moment pass, he dipped his head and covered her lips with his, showing her just how much he did care. Her arms wound around his back and her fingers clung to his shirt as she responded in a way Mitch could have never imagined possible.
Her lips moved against his with increased pressure, searching, seeking, and tasting. A feeling of exhilaration flowed through Mitch’s body, filling him with an amazing energy. It was a kiss unlike any he’d ever known. Nothing had ever felt so good, so right. Courtney belonged here, in his arms—not in New York or California or anywhere else, but here, with him.
She couldn’t leave again. She couldn’t.
Courtney finally drew back, looking up at him with an expression filled with warmth and joy. Mitch smiled as his fingers traced along her jaw line. “If you only knew how long I’ve wanted to do that.”
“If you only knew how long I’ve wanted you to do that.”
He chuckled and leaned in for one more kiss, more lightly this time then led her out of the den and to the great room, where he closed the blinds, dimmed the lights, and started a fire in the fireplace. They spent the rest of the evening snuggling, talking, and kissing.
When the sun finally approached the horizon close to midnight, Mitch took Courtney outside to the front porch. He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her close as the sun slowly disappeared behind the mountains, marking an end to one of the longest, and now best, days of the year.
Courtney relaxed against him and rested her hand on his arms. “This is the most perfect ending to any day I’ve ever had.”
Mitch couldn’t agree more.
Chapter Eight
Mouth-watering smells of homemade cinnamon rolls filled Courtney’s senses as her eyes blinked open. She stretched her arms over her head and smiled at her bedroom ceiling. With dreams of Mitch and a new plot for a book fresh in her mind, it was easy to leave her bed behind and make her way to the kitchen, where her parents and Hannah were eating breakfast.
Her father eyed her from over the top of his paper. “What time did you get in last night?”
“Around one.”
Hannah wiggled her eyebrows. “Was Mitch trying to make a new Guinness world record or something, because that had to be the longest June solstice date ever.”
Courtney only smiled. She dropped a huge cinnamon roll on her plate and slid her chair in next to her mother’s. “Thanks for breakfast, Mom.”
“You sure look happy this morning,” her mother commented.
A giddy feeling zipped through Courtney’s body as she pulled apart the roll and popped a piece into her mouth. Morning had never been so cheery and bright, and cinnamon rolls had never tasted so good. “Probably because I’m happy,” she mumbled between bites.
Hannah and her mother gave each other knowing smiles, and Hannah started chanting, “Courtney and Mitch, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G—”
“We were in his house, not a tree,” Courtney corrected.
Hannah burst out laughing while her father lowered his paper once more, giving Courtney a you’ve-got-some-explaining-to-do look. “You went out with Mitch Winters?” A man of few words, he’d always been a little behind when it came to keeping up with his daughters’ social agendas.
“We won The Meltdown Match.”
Her father harrumphed as her mother said, “So... you and Mitch...”
“Will be spending a lot more time together,” Courtney finished. “In fact, I’m heading to his house this morning to get some writing done. Since he’s got to work, it will be quiet there, and wow, you should see his new place. It’s gorgeous!”
Her mother nodded, lips twitching. “I take it you’ve settled on a plot for your next story, then?”
“I won’t know for sure until I get it down on paper, but yeah, I think so.”
“Let me guess,” Hannah said dryly. “Mitch gave you the idea.”
Courtney couldn’t help the grin that sprang to her face as she nodded. She felt like a silly, twitterpated teenager who couldn’t control her emotions. “Let’s just say he’s definitely inspiring.”
Hannah and her mother exchanged another look, making Hannah giggle. “Somebody’s in love,” she said in a singsong voice, swirling her juice.
Although Courtney rolled her eyes, a warm feeling spread through her chest, making her wonder if her sister was right. What she felt for Mitch was definitely stronger than anything she’d ever felt before, but was it the always and forever kind of love? The kind she’d written and dreamed about?
It sure felt like it.
An hour later, Courtney knocked on Mitch’s front door. When no one answered, she pulled out the spare key he’d given her from her pocket and let herself inside. Her footsteps echoed off the hardwood floor as she made her way to the kitchen, where she put a bag of groceries in the fridge and set a plate of her mom’s cinnamon rolls on the counter. Adjusting the strap of her bag with her netbook on her shoulder, she walked to the den. The double doors were already open, the blinds raised, and the chair beckoning. Courtney inhaled the smell of paper and ink, mixed with a hint of Mitch, and smiled. Then she sat down and got to work.
The story came together like no other story had before. Scene after scene played out in her mind, and characters became fully formed as her fingers flew over the keys, failing to keep up with her thoughts. Although she’d always been told to write what she knew, Alaska had never seemed that exciting of a place to set a book before. But now, it was perfect.
As the hours passed, her stomach started rumbling. Courtney leaned back in her chair and stretched her arms over her head in satisfaction. Then she rose and went to the kitchen, where she pulled out the bag of groceries and chopped vegetables for gourmet hoagie sandwiches. Mitch had mentioned that he sometimes came home for lunch, and she wanted to have something ready for him, just in case.
Soon the rumblings of the garage door sounded, followed by Mitch walking in the door. He tossed his keys on the counter and headed straight to her, taking her in his arms and kissing her soundly enough to make her toes curl. How many times had she dreamed of this happening? Mitch holding her, kissing her, wanting to be with her.
Too many times to count.
Excited flutters ran through her stomach as she smiled against his lips. “I could really get used to this,” she murmured.
“Me too.” He drew back and ran his fingers up and down her arms. “Get much done on your story?”
She nodded. “I practically have the whole thing outlined, and I owe it all to you. Not only did you inspire me with the idea, but you gave me the most wonderful place to write it.”
“Yeah, well, don’t think it doesn’t come with strings attached,” Mitch said, pulling her close.
“What kind of strings?” She nodded her head toward the counter. “Because I brought you some of my mom’s cinnamon rolls and made you the best sandwich you will ever taste in your life.”
His gaze flicked toward the table and back to her. “That should cover about half.”
“Only half? Well, that won’t work.” Her fingers traveled from his waist to his chest to the back of his neck, where they interlocked. She backed him against the counter and pulled his mouth to hers in a kiss that hopefully made up for the other half. When she finally pulled back, she felt weak and had to tuck her head against his chest as she struggled to catch her breath.
His arms tightened
around her back, and he rested his chin against the top of her head. “Wow, Salt, that was really... wow,” he said. “I’ll take one of those anytime.”
She poked him in the ribs. “Not if you keep calling me that.”
He chuckled. “But it fits so well. I mean, think about it. Salt makes almost everything taste better, the same way you make my life better.”
Courtney muffled her laughter in the fabric of his shirt before peeking up at him and shaking her head. “Nice try, but my name is Courtney. Say it with me now. Court—ney.”
“But that doesn’t have the same ring to it,” he joked, dipping his head to try and kiss her again.
“I don’t think so.” She broke free and took a few steps back, pointing her finger at him. “Just wait until I come up with an equally fitting nickname for you. You’re going to be sorry you ever called me Salt.”
He pulled out a barstool, sat down, and reached for one of the hoagies. “I’m quivering with fear.”
Chapter Nine
Courtney entered the city offices and took the stairs two at a time. Only thirty minutes earlier, she’d officially finished her rough draft, and it was time to celebrate by taking Mitch out for lunch. The book was coming together quicker than any of her others, and although she still had mountains of revision ahead of her, she’d reached a huge milestone and couldn’t wait to tell Mitch the news.
Ever since The Meltdown Match, her scattered life and question mark of a future had become a little less scattered and a little more certain. For the first time since she’d left for college, she wasn’t afraid to stay in Heimel permanently. In fact, she wanted nothing more than to sink her roots more deeply into the place she’d never really pulled them from and continue to live the life Mitch had shown her during the past couple of months.
Every day had been as close to perfection as she could have hoped. Filled to the bursting point with inspiration, she’d spent her days writing, and the evenings hanging out with Mitch. They did everything together. Fishing, 4-wheeling, biking, hiking, shopping, rappelling, swimming—even hunting, although Courtney wouldn’t let him actually shoot anything, so it was more like animal watching. They played games, cooked dinner, hung out with both of their families, and read books together. The added romance had catapulted a good friendship into something truly amazing, and Courtney had never felt more connected to anyone. Which was exactly why she couldn’t wait to see him now.
She rounded a corner and smiled when she spied Mitch’s secretary. “Hey, Alyssa, how are you?”
Alyssa twirled a pen between her fingers as she returned the smile. “Better and better, thanks to you.”
“Me?” Courtney asked, unsure as to why she’d been given credit for Alyssa’s good day.
“Thanks to you, I now have the happiest, most pleasant boss in the world.” Her eyes narrowed as she peered at Courtney through her glasses. “Don’t you ever dump him, or I might kill you.”
Courtney laughed. Only yesterday, Hannah had pretty much told Mitch the same thing. “Why would I dump him? According to the sun, he’s my perfect match.”
“The sun and a whole lot of salt,” Alyssa said dryly, returning her attention to the paperwork on her desk.
Courtney’s smile faltered as she tried to make sense of Alyssa’s words. Did she mean Salt, as in her, or the stuff people dumped on French fries? Either way, it didn’t make sense. “What does salt have to do with anything?”
Alyssa glanced up. “Didn’t Mitch tell you? We added salt to the water to make your vases melt faster.”
“Oh.” Courtney strained to keep a semblance of a smile on her face while Alyssa continued talking, saying words like romantic and sweet. Courtney’s head felt foggy all of a sudden, as though she’d taken too much cold medicine. She couldn’t think clearly.
It suddenly felt as though she were eight years old on Christmas Eve, when Courtney finally got to stay up and see Santa Claus instead of having to go to bed. She’d looked forward to the moment for years, envisioning how magical and life-changing it be. Would Santa bring some of his elves? Would she get to see Rudolf and his glowing nose? Would he give her a hug, set her favorite toy under the tree, and tell her she’d been a really good girl?
Turned out it was none of the above, because Santa wasn’t real. Just like The Meltdown Match.
Her heart felt as though it had been poked with a pin, and now it slowly deflated, wrinkling like a balloon.
“Courtney, are you okay?” Alyssa’s voice sounded through the fog.
Voices approached from somewhere down the hall, and two men appeared—Mitch and someone else.
“Hey, beautiful, what are you doing here?” Mitch put an arm around her and kissed her cheek before making introductions. Courtney was vaguely aware of trying to smile and shake the man’s hand before he left, his footsteps sounding loud on the hard, marble stairs.
Courtney turned to Mitch, trying to talk herself out of her emotions. The Meltdown Match was just a silly contest. It didn’t mean anything. She and Mitch were meant to be together because they were meant to be together, not because some huge ball of fire decreed it so. No one in their right mind would place any stock in it at all.
No one except someone stupidly romantic and superstitious, like her.
Mitch rubbed his hand up and down her arm. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
Courtney shook her head slowly, trying to clear it.
“I, uh, need to go make some copies.” Alyssa was out of her seat and down the hall in seconds.
Unable to put a stop to her overreaction, Courtney blinked at Mitch, needing to say something. “The Meltdown Match... you added salt... to the water?”
His face took on a sheepish expression as he nodded. “I guess I needed a reason to finally have the courage to ask you out. You’re not mad, are you?”
“No.” What she felt didn’t resemble anger, more like a keen disappointment that she didn’t quite understand. She wasn’t eight anymore. She was twenty-seven and should know better than to believe in something like The Meltdown Match.
Why, then, did she suddenly find herself questioning everything? Was her relationship with Mitch even real? Had she conjured up intense feelings because she thought the universe had said she should feel this way? And what about Heimel and her well of inspiration? Would that run dry yet again? She’d been so confident about everything only moments before, but now, not so much.
More than ever, she hated the nickname “Salt.”
Courtney drew in a deep breath and took a step back. She needed to get away from Mitch, away from everyone. She needed fresh air to breathe and time to figure out what in the heck had just happened. “I’m sorry, but I’ve got to go. I just remembered I have to do something.”
Mitch moved toward her, but then he stopped. His expression reflected confusion and concern, but he didn’t try to stop her from leaving. “I’ll call you when I get off work.”
Courtney nodded then turned and made her exit as quickly as she’d come. Only this time, instead of her spirits rising with each excited leap up, they plummeted with each step down.
Chapter Ten
When Mitch called after work, Courtney didn’t answer. When he called again ten minutes later, she rolled to her side and curled into a ball, hugging her pillow as she gripped her phone, still unsure of what to say. Her cell buzzed with a new text.
I’m coming over.
Her fingers reacted quickly. Now’s not a good time.
A few minutes passed before the phone buzzed again. We need to talk.
She stared at the words. Mitch deserved an explanation—he did—but what could she say? Her feelings still felt so jumbled and cloudy. We do, and we will. Later. I just need some time.
This is killing me.
Sorry. It was all she could write. And she was. Very sorry. But even after spending all afternoon trying to talk herself out of feeling this way, she couldn’t keep the doubting questions or worries at bay. There were no threatening tear
s, no emotional outbursts. She simply felt empty inside, as though part of her soul had up and left.
A knock sounded at her door before it opened, and Hannah’s voice echoed through the quiet room. “Hey, you sick or something? You’ve been in here for hours.”
Courtney said nothing, just gripped her pillow and clutched her phone as if it were her last link to sanity. Her bed moved as Hannah sat down. “What’s wrong with you?”
“I’m a mess,” Courtney mumbled into her pillow.
A pause. “Wanna talk about it?”
“No.”
“Fine, I’ll go get Mom. No wait—make that Dad.”
Courtney twisted around and glared at her sister. “Don’t you dare.”
“Me or him—take your pick.” Hannah shifted, making herself comfortable. “But since I already know you’re messed up, I’m probably the lesser of the two evils, so I’d choose me if I were you.”
Courtney sighed and pulled herself up, hugging her knees to her chest. Maybe talking it through with someone would help, and Hannah was the preferred choice. “I just found out that Mitch made our vases out of salt water so they’d melt faster.”
Hannah’s eyes widened at the same time her smile did. “Are you serious? That’s awesome!”
“No,” Courtney said. “Not awesome. All this time I’ve been thinking that we were, you know... destined to be together or whatever, and now it turns out we’re like every other couple out there who met randomly and happened to make a connection.”
The smile faded from Hannah’s face, replaced with a look of disbelief. “You can’t be serious. Court—hello! You make love sound like an everyday occurrence, when you, of all people, should know better. You’ve dated and walked away from a lot of guys in the past, but now you’re finally with Mitch—a guy you’ve always liked—and you’ve never been happier. Don’t you dare walk away from him just because you weren’t really matched up by the sun.” She threw up her hands. “I can’t believe I had to say that. Now you’re making me sound crazy.”
A Timeless Romance Anthology: Summer Wedding Collection Page 14
