“Okay. We’ll do favorites,” Kellan agreed.
They exchanged their favorite things for over an hour, snacking on some of the food out of boredom more than hunger. Then, it came time to figure out the sleeping arrangements. They had their jackets, the sleeping bag, and the one sweater Kellan had brought. Reese had the two hand warmers inside her jacket at Kellan’s insistence. Kellan had a few more inside the emergency kit. She was getting cold and was trying to decide if it was better for them to keep the sleeping bag between their bodies and the cold rocks or if it would be better to lie on them and have it over them when Reese rolled onto her side to face her with tired eyes.
“I was mad at myself because I knew I shouldn’t be out here that late,” she half-whispered. “I knew I’d get scared when we were talking and watching the sun go down, but I didn’t say anything then.”
“Why not?” Kellan whispered.
“Because I didn’t want to ruin it.”
“Ruin what?”
“Our date,” Reese confessed. Kellan wondered if the alcohol was lowering her inhibitions or if she was admitting this because she actually felt comfortable enough to share it with her. “I was having so much fun with you. This has been the first real date I’ve been on in forever. It was going so well. I worried that if I ended it early, you’d be upset and wouldn’t want to go out again.”
“Well, that was dumb,” Kellan stated with a chuckle and ran her hand quickly up and down Reese’s back over her jacket in an attempt to keep the woman warm. “If you would have told me, we could have gone. I still would have had a good time with you.”
“So, are you mad we’re stuck out here?” Reese asked.
“This is one of the best dates I’ve ever been on.”
“Really?” Reese seemed surprised.
“You don’t believe me?”
“I guess I need convincing.” Reese smiled at her.
“Let’s start at the worst date I’ve ever had and work our way up, shall we?” Kellan rolled onto her back and began, “I had a third date once where we had just had sex and decided to hop in the shower afterward. It was supposed to be for round two, but we heard the bathroom door open, and her girlfriend rushed in.”
“Her girlfriend?”
“Yes, her current girlfriend.” Kellan laughed lightly. “She was just as surprised as I was. Apparently, she was supposed to be out of town. I had no idea she existed and promptly grabbed my clothes to run out of the bathroom while they argued loudly. I threw on my jeans without my underwear, and my shirt without my bra, and didn’t even slide my shoes on before I headed out the door.”
“Oh, my God! What happened after that?” Reese laughed wildly.
“Nothing. I was mortified. I’d just had sex with the woman for the first time and was about to do it for the second, and her girlfriend showed up.” She couldn’t help but laugh more at Reese’s enjoyment than at her recollection of the events. “She called me like an hour later to apologize. I didn’t answer. But she left a message and then a few follow-up texts.”
“So, no fourth date?” Reese was still laughing.
“No fourth date,” she confirmed.
Their conversation continued with each of them taking a turn at revealing their worst dates over the years. Reese had been lucky, in Kellan’s opinion, and her bad dates couldn’t compare to Kellan’s.
“So, she left you there?” Kellan asked.
“Truckee is in North Lake. I drove all the way up there to meet her because Stacy’s husband knew her from work and thought we’d hit it off. She’d gotten there before me, ran into someone she’d already been on a few dates with, and decided she’d rather spend the night with her, turned me down and left.”
They’d laughed for a while after that reveal, and then they both grew quiet at the same time while they stared up at the stars. Kellan didn’t want to interrupt their shared silence or break the sense of intense connection she felt with Reese in this moment. This was truly the strangest date she’d ever been on. She’d never intended it to go like this, but she didn’t regret it as she heard steady, slow breathing from the woman at her side. She rolled over to face her and watched Reese sleep for a few minutes before she closed her own eyes and allowed herself to fall asleep alongside her.
◆◆◆
Kellan wasn’t sure how long she’d been asleep, but her eyes opened and snapped to attention when she felt an unbearable coldness. She’d placed her arm over Reese’s hand. It was so cold. She lifted her own hand and placed it on Reese’s cheek. She was freezing, and Kellan grew concerned. They’d both fallen asleep with the sleeping bag under them and only their jackets to keep them warm.
“Reese.” Kellan ran her hand over Reese’s cheek in an attempt to wake her. “Reese?”
“Huh?” Reese’s eyes opened slowly.
“You’re freezing.”
“I am?” Reese asked softly.
“Yes, you are. Come here.” Kellan first pulled Reese to her and wrapped both arms around her, running them up and down her back in an attempt to get the woman warm. “God, you’re so cold. Are you okay?”
“I don’t know,” Reese let out; and again, her response was so soft.
“Okay. Hold on.”
Kellan let go of Reese and moved to remove her own jacket. She placed it over Reese’s frozen legs in the interim while she pulled the hand warmers out of Reese’s pockets. They were good for six hours and still had a little heat left in them. She unzipped Reese’s jacket, stuffed them inside, and zipped it back up while she moved to her pack to grab all the rest. She tore at their packages and placed one on each of Reese’s legs, shoved a couple into her boots, and moved the rest to her upper body. Reese remained in place and said nothing while she worked quickly.
She had one option and unzipped the jacket Reese was wearing, pulling her arms out of it but leaving it under her body because Reese was still unmoving. She removed her own shoes, then Reese’s boots, and reached for one side of the sleeping bag and then the other. Quickly, she slid her body next to Reese’s and had no choice but to lie half on top of her while she worked with the zipper on the sleeping bag and drew it up as high as it would go with both of them squeezing inside.
“Kellan?”
“Hey, you’re hypothermic, I think.” Kellan’s arms wrapped around Reese’s back, and she felt the heat from the warmers on her own hands. “I need to get you warm, okay?”
“You’re trying to take advantage of me.” Reese let out a small laugh.
“Yes, this is exactly how I pictured our first time together.”
“So, you’ve pictured our first time?” Reese laughed a little louder, and Kellan’s worry diminished a little.
Kellan laughed and slid her hand that was now warm under Reese’s shirt to provide her skin on skin contact to warm faster. She lifted her own shirt slightly and did the same with Reese’s hands, pressing their bodies back together. She rested her head in the crook of Reese’s neck, and a moment later, relaxed a little when Reese’s arm found its way to her back and began rubbing Kellan’s skin. Reese’s hand was still freezing, but the fact that she was moving and talking was enough.
“Can I take your shirt all the way off if I promise I’m not trying to take advantage of you?” Kellan asked.
“Your shirt too?” Reese managed.
“Yes, you need body heat.”
“I thought about taking your shirt off, you know?” Reese jested. “When you were playing football on the beach.”
“Yeah?” Kellan lifted herself as much as she could and pulled her own shirt over her head, placing it under Reese’s on top of the sweatshirt. “Can you lift yourself a little?”
“You looked so good in that tight shirt and those pants,” she continued, and Kellan smiled and then shook herself out of it as Reese lifted herself up slightly. “I thought about peeling it off you after the game.”
“Oh, yeah?” Kellan distracted Reese while pulling her shirt over her head and placing it under Reese
to add to her support.
“I had this whole thing pictured. It was after a game, but not that game.”
“What?” Kellan asked and moved back to lie down half on top of Reese, but Reese shifted her position. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” She moved so that she could lie on top of Kellan instead. “So, it was a different game.” She placed her head on Kellan’s chest while Kellan moved their makeshift pillow under her own head. “You were playing with everyone, but I was playing, too.” Her arm went across Kellan’s now bare stomach, and Kellan suddenly felt very warm. “We were together already; I don’t know. When the game ended, we went to get our stuff. I pulled your shirt over your head. You had a sports bra on. I kissed you,” she finished.
“We were together?” Kellan checked and ran her hand up and down Reese’s back.
“Yeah,” she answered softly.
“That’s nice.” Kellan pressed her palm to Reese’s back and was happy to feel it was beginning to warm up.
“Yeah,” Reese repeated.
CHAPTER 11
Reese heard something. She couldn’t register what it was while still being half asleep and also, apparently, half on top of someone. Her eyes shot open. She lifted her head quickly to look down at a very much awake Kellan Cobb, who was wearing only a sports bra. She looked down at her own shirtless chest and realized she, too, was only in a bra.
“Hi,” Reese offered with tired eyes.
“Good morning. We should get going. The sun’s up,” Kellan explained. Reese felt Kellan’s hand move up and down her back comfortingly. “We’re kind of zipped in. Hold on.” She laughed and moved to unzip them from their sleeping bag prison.
“God, it’s hot in that thing,” Reese exclaimed once free.
“That was the idea.” Kellan removed her shirt and Reese’s from under her head and tossed Reese hers. “You were freezing. Do you remember?” She threw her own shirt on over her head.
“I remember you waking me up and trying to take my shirt off.” Reese smirked over at Kellan after donning her own shirt and pulling her cell phone out of her jeans. “How did I sleep with this thing in my pocket?”
“I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure I have an iPhone-shaped indentation on my thigh,” Kellan offered in reply.
“Sorry.” Reese checked the time. “It’s after six. We should get going.” She stood and stretched her entire body while Kellan watched. “You had me pressed against you all night, and you didn’t even try to get to second base?” she joked as she finished her stretch.
“I was a perfect gentlelady.” Kellan stood.
“I bet you were.” Reese grabbed at the jackets that had been tossed aside. “I probably wouldn’t have been.” She winked at her. “Thank you for taking care of me last night. Sometimes, I don’t know how cold or hot I am.” She tried to make out Kellan’s expression.
“What’s that about?” Kellan slid the backpack over her shoulders but appeared to be taking Reese’s comment as an offhanded one.
“I don’t know. Just happens sometimes. Thank you though,” she replied.
“I was really worried about you there for a while.” She moved toward Reese and placed both hands on her hips. “How are you now?”
“I’m good.” Reese smiled at her.
Kellan leaned in. Reese waited for the press of Kellan’s lips to her own. She considered for a moment that she hadn’t brushed her teeth. Kellan’s lips didn’t meet Reese’s though. They met Reese’s forehead instead. It was a brief, chaste kiss that ended too quickly. Then, Kellan pulled back.
Reese wasn’t sure what to make of that kiss. She struggled to remember everything they’d talked about before she’d fallen asleep and everything she’d said after they’d moved into the sleeping bag. She couldn’t think of anything that would cause Kellan to pull away from her or miss out on the perfect opportunity to share a first kiss.
They made their way slowly down the rocks, noticing that the morning dew had created a slippery path. Reese was glad they hadn’t gone down the same rocks at night. She’d been right to make the decision to err on the side of caution. She hadn’t anticipated nearly freezing, though. She found herself smiling as Kellan tried to row them to shore covertly. They didn’t speak as they pulled the canoe ashore together. Reese helped Kellan load everything into the car and waited for her as Kellan returned the canoe to the rental outpost.
“I promise, I’ll get you home so you can do whatever you need to do. Then, I’ll drive you to work since you left your car there,” Kellan told her as she started the car.
“Thanks,” Reese replied.
Kellan appeared to be all business now, when just a few hours ago, she’d been snuggling up next to Reese, joking about their bad dates. Now, Kellan was pulling the car into her driveway. Reese hopped out to head inside.
“Well, hey there.” Remy emerged from the house with her bag in tow, dressed for work.
“Hey.” Reese closed the door of the car behind her and glanced at Kellan. “Give me ten minutes?”
“No problem,” Kellan said and seemed a little confused.
“Hey, Rem,” Reese said as she approached her sister. “Do not say anything,” she said softly once she was close enough that Kellan couldn’t hear.
“About what? Your sleepover date with the hot tourist? I never do.” She winked at Reese.
“You always do, and it’s not like that,” she returned. “I left my car at the school. She’s going to drive me to work.”
“Call in a substitute, take the day and continue whatever you two were doing last night.”
“I can’t call in a sub.”
“Well, at least invite the girl in. You’re just going to leave her outside while you change after you were probably all over each other?”
“We weren’t–” Reese stopped herself. “Is the house all set up?” she asked more softly, and Remy met her concerned glance.
“Oh.” She looked past Reese toward Kellan. “Hey, football star! I’ll hang back and drop this one off at the school. I don’t have a patient for another hour,” she said to Kellan.
“Oh, okay,” Kellan replied.
Reese turned to see Kellan staring at her. She made her way back over to the car and placed her hands on the side of the Jeep’s door.
“Sorry, I didn’t know she’d still be home. She can run me in.”
Kellan started the car again and replied, “I should go.”
“Okay.” Reese was standing a few feet away from Kellan, but it felt like miles. “Can you maybe turn your phone on for me?”
“I guess. Why?” Kellan asked with a small smile.
“Because I’d like to call it.”
“I think I can make that sacrifice for you,” she joked.
“Put it in.” Reese handed her phone to Kellan, who entered her contact information. “I’ll text you later so that you have mine.” She turned back to see an inquisitive sister staring at their exchange. “I have to go, or I’ll be late.”
“Call me?”
“I will.” Reese smiled at her and turned to make her way back toward her sister. “Not a word, Rem,” she said as she passed her and walked into the house.
“What do you mean not a word?” Remy followed her back inside and closed the door behind them. “Did you stay at her place last night? I’m guessing you guys hooked up, because you don’t exactly look like you got much sleep; and neither did she.”
“We didn’t hook up. We fell asleep.”
“How adorable!” Remy exclaimed in a high-pitched voice, tossing her bag onto the sofa. “So, it was a good date?”
“I nearly froze to death and didn’t realize it,” Reese explained as she rushed into her room.
“You what?” Remy followed her inside. “Hey, talk to me. What happened?” Remy sat on her sister’s bed while Reese tore through her drawers for something to wear.
“We went to the island. We stayed too late. I was terrified of trying to hike down in the dark. We had to sleep out the
re. I woke up to Kellan trying to get me warm because I was hypothermic and had no idea.” She pulled out a shirt and a fresh pair of underwear. “Funny thing about it, though, is that it’s the best time I’ve had on a date in years.”
“Oh, Reese,” she returned empathetically. “Are you okay?”
“She took care of me, Rem.”
“She knows?”
“She knows about the fall, and the infection, and my time in the hospital. She knows I’ve been hesitant to get active.”
“But she doesn’t know everything?”
“I just met her. I never told Morgan, and we were together for three years.” Reese opened the door to her bathroom and headed in. “We were friends for much longer than that. I never told her.” She reached for her toothbrush and toothpaste and began to brush while she continued talking through it. “We had such a good time last night, Rem. Besides the obvious, I was so honest with her. I’m never that honest with women on a first date. Hell, I was honest with her before our first date.”
“What do you mean?”
She finished her brushing and turned on the shower, dropping her clothes to the floor quickly and stepping inside before the water had even begun to get warm. It didn’t matter. She needed to shower quickly and head to the school.
“I told her I liked her. I told her I wanted to go out with her. And I told her it wasn’t a good idea. Then, I said I wanted to go out anyway. Normally, I’d see the complication of this whole thing, and I wouldn’t bother.” She ran shampoo through her hair and was grateful for its length. It would air dry on the way to school. “I conquered a few fears with her last night. I was honest with her about being scared of hiking down in the dark.”
“You hate admitting you’re scared of stuff,” Remy said.
“She didn’t make me feel bad at all; and we set up this camp out there.” Reese covered her body with soap. “She’s easy to talk to. She doesn’t make me feel weird about the whole thing.”
“She also doesn’t exactly know the whole thing either, Reese.”
“I can’t just tell her exactly, can I?”
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