Page 43 of The Lucky Heart (Jamison Valley 3)
“Sorry, that’s all I have to report. And I miss you too. Promise to come visit me soon?”
“As soon as the dastardly snow and ice disappear, I’ll be there.”
“Okay,” I sighed. “Call me next week?”
“It’s a date. Love you, lady.”
“Right back atcha.” I made a kiss-kiss sound and hung up.
Standing from my cozy espresso leather sectional in the living room, I walked to one of the large windows that overlooked my small front yard. The snow we’d gotten last night had blanketed everything and I’d forgotten how peaceful and dreamlike the winters here could be.
“Get to work, Felicity,” I told myself.
It was Saturday and I had planned on catching up on some overdue tasks. Instead, I’d been procrastinating. Work wasn’t giving me the satisfaction it used to. The excitement I used to find from the fast-paced, crazed environment now just felt stressful, which made the hellish hours I’d been putting in miserable.
Screw it. There was no way I was going to work today so I bundled up and went outside to shovel snow.
Thirty minutes later, I was halfway done with my own driveway and working my way up my seventy-three-year-old neighbor’s.
“Ugh,” I grunted as I heaved a large scoop off Mrs. Porter’s driveway. “Damn, that’s heavy.” I stood and wiped a bead of sweat from my forehead.
It was below freezing, but my entire body was sticky and the hair under my hat was matted. I rested for a moment, taking a deep breath of the cold, dry air.
“Hey,” a deep voice said behind me.
“Ahh!” I jumped and screamed. The snow in my shovel went flying through the air, coming right back down on my head.
Silas started chuckling as I spun around and glared. “Give a girl some warning, would you?” I bent down and picked up a handful of snow. Balling it, I threw it at his face but he dodged my shot.
“Where have you been?” I snapped.
“Working. Why? Did you miss me?”
Yes. “No.”
He smirked. “Sure you didn’t.”
“Whatever. What are you doing here?”
“Came to take you to a party. The Slaters are having a small gathering to celebrate the opening of Nick’s new garage.”
I frowned. “I’m not going to crash a party. I wasn’t invited.”
“It’s not crashing when you’re with me because I was invited.”
“Well, I’m disgusting. I can’t go looking like this and I’m not done shoveling yet.”
He stepped closer. “Just go with it. I’ll finish this.”
I held my breath as he took the shovel from my hands. When his body was that close to mine, I had trouble remembering our relationship was platonic. At this very moment, all I wanted was to invite him inside to share my shower. I imagined his big hands soaping me up, his strong fingers shampooing my hair and his chiseled torso glistening with water droplets.
“Are you okay?” he asked, pulling me out of my fantasy.
“Huh? Oh, yeah. Just hot from the shoveling,” I lied. “I’ll be ready in a bit. Just come on in and make yourself at home.”
He nodded and I darted around him, glad to put some distance between us. The butterflies in my stomach were fluttering with abandon just because he had come over. I had to get myself under control. I couldn’t keep having these sexual thoughts about Silas. It was just begging for trouble.
I had always initiated sex with Silas. He’d never once made the first move. What would happen to my heart if I made a move and he didn’t return it? Staying friends was safer. Besides, he didn’t seem to be affected by me like I was him, so I had to push those desires aside.
