Don't start that again. You're supposed to be focusing.
Right. I needed to focus.
I stood up and rinsed myself off before I cleaned myself up. I took the soap and washed his back. It was almost mesmerizing watching the suds roll down his back, over his great ass, and down his sturdy legs.
"Stop that," Peter laughed.
I blinked and realized he was watching me over his shoulder. My cheeks tinted. "I can't help it. Seriously, you got so hot."
"I wasn't hot before?" He grinned.
"Oh no, you were hot, but this is like… new hot. You were this lanky little skinny thing last time I saw you and now you have muscle groups I can't even name," I sighed happily. "It's so nice."
Peter turned and took me into his arms. "You're the most ridiculous woman I've ever met."
"And you love me for it."
We kissed under the steamy water and my knees dared to buckle again. It really wasn't fair how easy it was for him to bring that out of me. When we pulled back I finished cleaning myself up before he dressed me in his clothes again. They were so warm and they smelled like him. I couldn't describe that scent. It was like wood, fire, and home. I wanted to drown in that scent and keep him near me until I curled up and went to sleep happily.
"Ready?" He asked.
I nodded. "Of course. Let's go check on the babies."
We trudged out of the house, but I noticed that the snow wasn't as bad as the day before. It had already started to melt and it was easier to walk through. That was great news, but it also made me a little sad. Pretty soon I wouldn't be holed up with Peter and I couldn't use the excuse of the blizzard to keep myself there either.
"I got a text too. Dan said he's working on your car today and it should be done soon. It doesn't seem like it was too much of a problem."
"That's great," I said as I walked after him. "That was fast."
Why does that hurt? It was so fun to hang out with Peter. Maybe I'd gotten used to him too quickly again, but who else had that kind of friendship? We hadn't seen each other in years and we'd jumped right back into being close friends. It was amazing and I missed having someone like him around.
"Want to help me with this?" Peter asked as we entered the barn and he glanced back at me.
I perked up right away. "Of course. Let's do it!"
I loved helping out with the cattle. They were huge beasts, but so sweet that I just wanted to pet and love them anyway. The more I was around them, the easier it was to take care of them. I rubbed one of the cow’s heads and it licked my hand with its huge, rough tongue. I shivered and Peter laughed at me.
"You're so cute there princess."
I flipped him off. "I don't mind but it still feels funny," I laughed. "I like them."
"I know you do."
I smiled as he worked. I realized that he liked to talk to them as he did. He greeted each of the cattle by name, petting them and treating them like beloved pets as he did. It was just another reason why I loved hanging around him. We filled up the troughs with food and fresh water before we walked back over to the house. I was cold now and Peter worked on a fire as soon as we stepped inside. I was grateful for that.
"Need some help?" He asked as I tried to maneuver out of his huge boots and clothes but fell over onto the couch.
"Maybe," I laughed. "Okay, yes. Take me out of this stuff."
Peter grinned and helped me slip out of the layers that he'd dressed me in. By the time I was down to my underwear, I felt better and the heat from the fire only fueled that sense of warmth, home, and comfort. He disappeared and came back with a huge blanket before he wrapped me up in it. Once I was comfy, he walked away again and came back with two steaming hot mugs of coffee. Mine had a healthy amount of whipped cream and chocolate on top.
"Hey, you remembered," I said as I scooped up a bit and popped it into my mouth.
"How could I not? You've always liked things way too sweet."
"Don't judge my sweet tooth," I laughed. "I can't help that sugar is a gift from God. Come on."
Peter shook his head. "Just like a child."
I hit his arm and he leaned against me. The heat and weight of his body made me want to stay stuck to the couch for the rest of the day. I opened the blanket and draped it over him too so we could snuggle up together.
My phone buzzed away on the table and interrupted our quiet cuddling. I sighed when Peter handed it to me, but I knew that the real world wouldn't wait forever. I'd just hoped that it would. Just for a little while, I wanted time to just be suspended and enjoy what I wanted to enjoy.
I checked my messages and saw Amber's number.
Of course, it was my boss. She wanted to know when I was coming back, but it was not as cleverly disguised as her asking how the snow was doing. I knew she was just waiting for it to melt so I could get back on task and get back to her as well. The kids must be driving her crazy right now. I quickly texted back that the snow was still heavy and that I couldn't leave while my car was being repaired.
I felt Peter's eyes on me and I glanced in his direction. "What?" I asked.
"Work?"
I nodded. "Yeah, Amber's kids must be having a particularly active day. As soon as they are she's ready to reach for nanny superhero of the year."
"I don't get how anyone could even want a nanny. No offense to your job, but if I had kids I'd want to be around them every day. Isn't that the point of having them?" He asked.
"I guess for some people it's just too much," I said, trying to not take a side for some reason. "Hey, you think about things like kids and stuff?"
"Yeah," he nodded. "Sometimes. Not a lot. I still haven't found anyone to even think about having kids with, but I think when you get around our age some weird thing starts happening and you get those moments of thinking about it."
"That's your biological clock," I grinned. "Someone's is ticking if you're thinking about babies."
Peter picked up a pillow and swung it at me. "Shut up. I never said I was thinking about babies. Don't be a brat."
"It's what I do best."
Amber texted again and I tried to help her out from my place on Peter's couch. It seemed like real-life was coming up faster and faster. Pretty soon I was sure it was going to consume me again.
I draped my legs over Peter's lap and his fingers automatically started to rub and massage them as if on autopilot.
I could get used to this.
I hadn't had a boyfriend in so long. I missed the small things in a relationship. Having someone to sit with quietly, doing things together, talking or sitting in silence and just enjoying each other's company.
Peter's not my boyfriend though.
I had to remind myself of that too because it felt so good to just kind of pretend for a minute. I shook that thought out of my head right away. There was really no point in pretending we were anything other than friends.
This is a fling. Nothing more.
"So," Peter asked drawing me out of my head. "Are you going back to your mom's tomorrow then?"
My stomach dropped, but I nodded anyway. "I probably should, right? Your truck can probably make it out of here now."
"The plow should be by this afternoon and cut us out even more of a path," he added. "I'm sure I'll be able to get us through. Don't worry. Did you want me to help you clean it out still?"
I toyed with my mug as I picked it up from the table. "Maybe. I know you have a lot of work to do yourself. I'm pretty sure I can handle it for the most part."
Peter waved a hand. "I'll help out if I can. I don't want you trying to lug all of that stuff around on your own, you know?"
I smiled. He cares about me. It was nice to have someone that wanted to look out for me. I nodded, not wanting to push back against him at all. Right at that moment, I just wanted to know what it was like to be cared for and have someone who could back me up. Someone who could support me.
"Thank you," I said finally. "For everything. Seriously, this has been like the vacatio
n I've been dying to have for a while. I didn't think I'd have that here, but you made it so fun."
"That's my job, remember? You always told me that my job was to keep you entertained. I think I've delivered," he grinned.
I laughed. "You've more than done your duty."
"Good, then you won't mind if we have to make another trip to my bed today."
I blinked at him. "Already? Aren't you tired by now?"
"I could never get tired of you."
Smooth bastard. I couldn't stop grinning. Yeah, Peter was more trouble than ever before.
Chapter 12
Peter
The day had a heavier feeling to it than it did the day before. We woke up and started getting ready to go. I watched Joanne pack up her things, but the same laughter that had been on her face the day before wasn't there now. I poked her gently in the side.
"Did you want some coffee to go?" I asked.
She nodded. "That would be nice."
"Are you sure you're okay?"
Jo nodded. "Yeah, I'm just a little exhausted. I guess I've been doing more than I thought on this little vacation," she laughed. "I'll be fine. Do me a favor and hand me that bag."
I passed the bag over to her and watched her go back to it.
There's something going on in that brain of hers.
I could always tell. Joanne's poker face had always been pretty good, but I knew how to read her in a way other people didn't. I also knew that if I kept asking she'd only get annoyed.
Instead of pestering her, I went into the kitchen to make coffee. I couldn't believe we'd spent the past few days together holed up in my house. It had been a perfect reunion in my eyes and I knew I wanted her to stay longer. I already knew I would offer for her to come back before she left, at least so we could hang out one more time before she disappeared back to the middle of the desert and I didn't get to see her again for a while.
I grabbed two travel mugs and poured each of us a healthy amount of coffee. I added extra whip cream in hers and carried them back out to the living room to find her dressed and ready to go. She was still wrapped up in my coat since hers was way too thin. Every time I saw her in my clothes she tugged at my heartstrings.
"All set," she said as she reached over and patted Rory's head. "I'm going to miss you."
Rory looked like he was going to miss her too. I already knew he'd be sad she wouldn’t come back. He didn't get a ton of company that wasn't me and they'd taken to each other quickly. I grabbed her bags and loaded them into the truck before I came back for her.
"Everything's all set. The road looks good. You ready?" I asked.
She nodded. "Ready," she sighed.
I ran a hand over her hair and she smiled, but it was tight.
Is it because she has to go back to her mom's place?
I knew that was a point of stress for her. On top of that, her boss wanted her back in Vegas so she didn't have forever to get the house together either. Stress on top of stress. It was probably why she seemed a little off.
I'd gotten used to waking up to her in the morning. The smell of her shampoo on my pillow and in my nose first thing in the morning was the best part of waking up now. Every time I saw her face, she smiled and usually tried to kick me out of the bed, but not this morning. She'd been up before I could even wake up fully and she'd been quiet. Too quiet. Something felt off, but I couldn't put my finger on it.
"How much is your friend going to want for fixing the car?" She asked as she scrolled on her phone. "I'll have to stop at an ATM."
I waved a hand. "Don't worry about it. I've already taken care of it."
"Peter, you didn't have to do that. I can pay you back."
"I don't need to be paid back. Your car broke down and it's my gift to you to cover getting it fixed, that's all. I haven't seen you in a long time. Let me at least do one nice thing for you while you're in town," I protested.
"You've been doing nice things for me for the past few days. Are you sure you're okay with this?"
I noted the concern on her face. I was more than okay making sure that she had what she needed. In fact, I loved that I could do things for her now. When she left I had hardly anything to my name and couldn't offer her a thing. Now, I could do things for her and take some of the stress off of her shoulders. That's what I wanted to do for so long and now that I had the means, why wouldn't I?
"More than okay," I smiled. "You know me, there are no strings attached. I just wanted to do something nice for you."
"Well thank you," she said as she touched my arm. "It means a lot. Really."
I nodded. "You just need to worry about your mom's house right now and that's it. Everything else is a bit too much. I know you still have a lot to go through."
"Man," she sighed. "Isn't that the truth? I thought I'd be a lot more okay with this than I am, but what's done is done. Once I get through everything I'm sure I'll be fine."
"I know you will. You've got this."
Joanne gave me a tight smile and went back to being quiet. We pulled up to the house and I helped her get her things inside. There still weren't any groceries at the house so I'd packed a nice little lunch and supplies for dinner just in case we started working and didn't feel like stopping. I headed inside to the kitchen whilst she snagged the keys to the car from the mailbox and went to check on her car.
"Where should we get started?" I asked when she walked into the kitchen.
"Dan left me a note, it looks like he’s installed a refurbished alternator which means it’s okay to drive for now, but he’s waiting for the shop to order the brand new one in, before it’ll be ready to take on the drive back to Vegas. So… I think I’m going to run a few errands away from the house today. I know you wanted to help, but I don't think I'll be home much today."
I turned around to look at her. She played with her fingers and wouldn't quite meet my eyes. Something was bothering her big time. I walked up to her slowly.
"Jo Jo, are you sure you're okay?"
She nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'll catch up with you later, okay?"
I frowned but nodded anyway. It was clear she was getting rid of me, I wasn't that naive to think otherwise, but I didn't understand why. We were getting along so well. And on top of that, I knew how hard going through the house would be for her. I wanted to give her my support, but I knew I couldn't force it on her.
"Sure," I said quietly. "If you need me just call or text me or something. I'll be around. I should go make some runs into town today anyway." I kissed the top of her head. "See you later."
I headed out and heard the door close and lock quietly behind me. Whatever was going through her head, I was a little worried about her. Joanne always had a tendency to close herself off when she was feeling too much and I worried that her mom's death was a bit more trying than she wanted to admit.
Instead of going straight to town, I decided to head over to the diner. We hadn't eaten breakfast since Jo had said she wasn't hungry and I was dying for something to put in my stomach to settle all the coffee I'd drank on the way to her place. I stepped inside of Molly's and headed for the counter.
"Peter, come sit over here."
Dan waved me over to a booth where he sat with a cup of coffee and a plate stacked high with food. I was glad to see him. I needed to take my mind off of things. I slipped into the booth and ordered the same as he had before he looked me over.
“What’s wrong with you?”
Should have known he'd pick up on it right away.
I'd known him for a long time and Dan could figure me out faster than anyone I knew, besides Joanne. One look and he already knew I had a lot on my mind. I sipped at the steaming hot cup of coffee that was brought to me and shrugged.
"Ah, Jo was just in a mood that's all. I don't know what's going on with her, but it seems like she's not going to tell me anytime soon," I said.
"Her mom just died right? Isn't she supposed to be upset?" He asked.
"It's not just that. I mean I
think that's part of it, but they were never all that close to begin with. Besides, everything was going pretty well during the storm. We stayed in together, she helped out with the cattle, and everything was going great until she had to get back to work on the house this morning. It could just be her mom passing, but I keep getting this nagging feeling that there's more to it."
"Did you ask her about it?"
I nodded. "Of course. I wanted to see if she was okay, but she practically shooed me out of the house this morning. I don't know what to make of it."
Dan grinned. "You have a thing for her, don't you?"
I scoffed. "A thing for Joanne? No, nothing like that. I mean we've been friends for a long time and I know her a lot better than I know just about anyone else, but that's it. We've never even thought about each other like that."
"Did you guys sleep together?"
I glared at him. "None of your business."
"That's a yes."
"Dan," I groaned and shook my head.
"It's a valid question and a valid point. If you two stayed cramped up in that house of yours all cuddled up and happy then maybe there's more going on you know?"
I shook my head. "We both agreed it was just a fun little fling. I mean it's not like either of us thinks this is going to go any further. She has a job and a home back in Vegas and I'm here. I don't think there can be much had if she's going to be gone in a few days or a week or however long it takes her to clear back out of my life," I mumbled into my cup.
"See that shit right there? You obviously care. Why don't you at least tell her what's going on in your head and maybe she'll tell you what's going on in hers."
I thought about what he said. Should I tell Joanne that I wanted her to stay? I hadn't even really considered the possibility besides a brief fluttering thought here and there. She had a life of her own and I respected that. I did miss my best friend, but that didn't mean I wanted her to change her whole life for me either. That would be ridiculous.
"It'll be okay. I'm just going to give her some space for now. I'm sure things will calm down in a little while."
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