by Melissa Haag
Chapter 18
With the freeze came the night Rachel thawed toward Clay-the-man.
A heavy snow started to fall just as Clay and I went to bed. His arm curled around my waist, and my head rested on his shoulder. Asking him to sleep beside me was the best decision I ever made, and it made me finally understand that I determined the pace of our relationship. He had waited patiently for me to invite him in and would wait patiently for the next step, whatever I decided that would be.
My phone rang and pulled me from my warm cocoon. I recognized the number and answered.
“Hey. I’m coming home,” Rachel said. “It’s snowing too badly to go to Peter’s.” She’d caught on that Clay spent the night often.
“Thanks for the heads up,” I said with a laugh. “We’ll see you soon.”
Clay got out of bed as I ended the call. Puzzled, I watched him dress in warm clothes. He left the room. The back door opened and closed. A minute later, I heard the rasp of a shovel on the driveway. I smiled, moved to his warm spot, and burrowed in.
The sound of the plow scraping past disrupted the silent world and kept me awake. Clay stayed outside, keeping the entrance to the driveway clear until Rachel came home. I heard her thanking Clay as they came in together. He didn’t say anything in return, but I imagined he gave her one of his rare nods.
When he returned, I flipped the covers back for him and moved out of his place.
“I was just keeping it warm for you,” I lied.
He laughed and pulled me close. Even after being outside so long, he still warmed me.
My lids grew heavy, and he kissed the top of my head.