Page 81 of Twice as Tempting

Chapter 26

The first thing that Kelly did when she turned out of the parking lot was to call Emma.

“Did you talk to him? What did he say?” Emma asked in a rush.

“He wasn’t there, but get this, he went Up North. Apparently, Jim owns a cabin near West Branch, and he loaned it to Damian for a few days.”

“So, let me guess, you’re on your way to West Branch.”

“Yes, assuming my boss will let me have a couple of days off,” Kelly said.

“Well, luckily you have an excellent boss!”

“Do you think it’s a mistake, Em? What if Damian doesn’t want to see me?”

“He can’t hide forever, Kell. Being alone together without any outside distractions is probably just what you two need. You’ll see.”

“I hope you’re right. Anyway, I’ll give you a call when I’m on my way home, and tell Zack not to worry.”

“I’ll tell him, but it won’t do any good. Worrying is his second job!”

About an hour into her drive, Kelly realized that she didn’t have any clothes or toiletries with her, but maybe she wouldn’t even need them. Damian could already be on his way home, or they could talk and then drive back home in the evening. Either way, she decided that there were much bigger concerns than not having a toothbrush! For the remainder of the drive, Kelly focused on the road and the scenery, and soon the flat landscape gave way to gently rolling hills and farmlands. It was amazing how quickly one could travel outside of the cities and suburbs, into the Michigan wilderness, and she welcomed it. Hadn’t she thought not long ago about wanting to travel Up North? Thanks to Damian, she’d gotten her wish, even though these were less than ideal circumstances.

Kelly kept driving until she came to the West Branch exit, where she stopped for gas and bought a sandwich and a soda. She figured she’d need her energy to confront Damian, and who knew if he had any food at the cabin. She ate and drank while she followed Jim’s directions to the cabin. West Branch was a typical Up North town that contained a smattering of shops and restaurants before giving way to widespread homes and the occasional party store. Kelly remembered what Damian had said about getting lost in the mountains, and even though there weren’t any mountains here, there were plenty of woods to get lost in.

The directions took her to Clear Lake, and she followed the gravel road around the lake until she spotted Damian’s truck parked in front of a tiny log cabin.

This is it. The moment of truth, Kelly thought when she pulled up and shut off her engine. She gathered her courage as she walked up to the front door, took a deep breath, and then knocked. The sound of her knuckles against the wood exploded in her ears compared to the peacefulness around her. Seconds later, Damian opened the door, and she felt like it had been years since she’d seen him last. He looked like he belonged in the rugged surroundings, given his torn jeans, sweatshirt imprinted with the words “Up North,” and his two-day beard growth. Neither of them spoke for a long minute, and then they both began at once.

“What are you…?”

“I came to…”

Damian stepped aside and motioned for her to come in. As she brushed past him, she caught the scent of body wash and warm male, and she wanted to fling herself into his arms. Instead, she walked into the dimly lit room and glanced around. It was a typical cabin like many she had stayed in as a child when she had travelled Up North with her parents. Knotty pine walls, scuffed wood floors, and framed prints of bears and lake scenes made up the décor in the sparsely furnished space. It was clean, charming, and rustic, the perfect getaway for a man with simple tastes. Kelly perched herself on the edge of the loveseat while Damian took the chair across from her.

They eyed each other for a few beats before Damian started again. “Ladies first,” he said, giving her the floor.

Kelly mentally thumped herself on the head for not having thought ahead about what she would say to him. Surely, that was something that Emma would have done, but Kelly had always been more spontaneous, thus the reason that she was sitting in front of him at that moment. She usually went with her instincts and trusted herself to say whatever was in her heart. Now was no different.

“Why did you react so strongly to Amanda at the Halloween party? And why did you run away instead of talking to me?”

Damian cleared his throat and ran his hands through his already disheveled hair. “God, Kell. There’s so much I want to say to you…”

“Well, start talking. I didn’t drive all the way up here to play Scrabble!”

Damian’s loud laugh filled the room, and his shoulders visibly relaxed. “Good thing, because there’s nothing in this place.”

“Except you,” she said softly.

“Except us,” he corrected.

There went the crackle in the air again, but Kelly was not to be deterred. “Talk,” she demanded.

“Ok. In answer to your first question, I think that seeing Amanda brought back a lot of the feelings that I had tramped down, and they just came spewing out. When she broke off our engagement, she gave me some really lame excuse about us not having mutual goals. What I translated that to mean is that she was afraid that I wasn’t going to amount to much. I worked at a car shop. I didn’t go to college. I didn’t have my life perfectly mapped out. I think that she was afraid that I couldn’t give her the lifestyle that she wanted.”

“And that made you feel inadequate,” Kelly finished.

“I guess so. Yes.”