Shelter Me: A Frazier Falls Novel

by Collins, Kelly

  I woke with a start, a heavy arm across my chest, preventing me from moving. I turned my head to the right and found Eli fast asleep, his limbs spread out like a man who was most definitely used to having the bed to himself.

  It made me giggle despite my attempt to stay silent.

  I glanced out the window. Everything was quiet. No snow. No wind. No sun either.

  There was no telling what time it was—it could have been nine in the morning or four in the afternoon. I rolled out of bed and gently padded from his room to the adjoining bathroom to freshen up. Under my eyes were dark smudges left from the mascara I hadn’t removed the day before.

  “Been a while since I’ve gone to bed with makeup on,” I mumbled as I cleaned my face. It wasn’t as if there would have been a right time to interrupt my evening with Eli in order to take it off. I suppressed a laugh as I thought about it. “Hey, Eli, care to get off me for a moment so I can wipe off my mascara? I swear it won’t ruin the mood.”

  “Are you talking to yourself?” Eli called from the bed, causing me to flinch and grow red.

  “Yes,” I left the bathroom to rejoin him in bed. I suddenly felt shy without any clothes on and held the duvet up against my chest to keep myself covered. He watched me with a curious look on his face.

  “There’s no point in being modest after last night. The two of us indulged, like, four times.”

  I smiled bashfully in response; hearing the exact number of times we’d had sex last night made everything seem far more real.

  “I guess not,” I said. “What time is it?”

  “After ten. Do you want some coffee?”

  “I’d kill for it.”

  “No murder required.” He rolled out of bed and tugged on his jeans, zipping them, but leaving the button undone. “Hang tight, and I’ll make us some.” While I enjoyed all views of Eli, him walking out with low slung jeans to get me coffee was pretty great.

  Eli was gone for almost ten minutes, during which time I inspected his room. It was clean and organized with a large wooden dresser that no doubt held all of his clothes. On the wall by the window hung a photo of what I assumed to be his entire family from when he was a boy. I climbed out of bed, hugging the comforter around my shoulders to look closer. Owen and Eli looked like clones of their dad. Paxton stood out against them, but then I saw their mom’s blond hair and understood where he’d inherited his looks.

  “I bet he was a mommy’s boy,” I said as Eli returned with my shirt and bra hung over his arm as he carried a tray holding coffee and toast.

  “Who? Paxton?” Eli asked.

  I nodded.

  “Absolutely. That was probably because of all the adoption jokes, though.”

  “You guys were awful to him, weren’t you?” I smiled in thanks when I returned to the bed, and Eli handed me a cup of coffee. I inhaled the fresh aroma with a contented hum.

  “He certainly makes up for it now, so it’s all good.”

  “What, by being annoying?”

  “Exactly.”

  We ate and drank in companionable, near-naked silence for a while, then, with a heavy sigh, I located my clothes and got dressed.

  Disappointment covered Eli’s face.

  “Leaving so soon?”

  I walked over to look out the window. The thick blanket of dark clouds promised more snow sooner rather than later.

  “I think it’s best for my ma if you can get me and the groceries back as soon as possible.”

  He joined me by the window, snaking an arm around my waist as he kissed my neck. “I can’t tempt you to stay for another half-hour?”

  I shook my head, though the kisses Eli planted along my collarbone begged me to reconsider. “I need to get back to look after her, and I need to work out how to fix the car.”

  His mouth tipped into a confident smile. “Leave that to me. I’ll get my tools from the office and see what I can do. When I get it running, I’ll bring it to your mom’s. Does that work for you?”

  “Eli, that’s … thank you. You’ve helped me out so much already. Is there anything I can do in return?”

  He raised a suggestive brow.

  “That doesn’t involve getting undressed?” I added on, chuckling.

  He pretended to think for a moment. “How about a date?”

  “A date? Didn’t we technically just have one? Albeit, accidentally.”

  “I mean a date somewhere else. Not in either of our houses. And not in Frazier Falls if we can manage it.”

  I looked out the window at the clouds, which seemed to be pressing down upon us. “I’m not sure that would be possible, given the weather.”

  “How about we set it for a week from now, and if the weather clears up, then great? If not, I guess we’ll have to make do with getting naked in front of the fire.”

  I burst out laughing. “Sounds tempting.” I tallied up the date in my head, then frowned at him. “A week from now is Valentine’s Day.”

  He looked surprised. “Is it? Crap, February is flying by. We can change the date if that’s too corny for you.”

  I smiled. “No, the date’s fine.” I reminded myself that I had to leave for Los Angeles a few days later so I wouldn’t lose my job. It crossed my mind to turn him down. A Valentine’s Day date was for lovers. Eli was … I couldn’t say. He was more than a friend, but he was also temporary. That thought made my heart ache, which meant I cared for him more than I wanted to. He knew as well as I did that I had to leave. At least the date could end whatever our relationship had become on a positive note.

  “Do you have anywhere in mind? For the date, I mean.”

  He shrugged. “I have a few ideas. Leave it to me. It’s not as if you know the area well enough to plan something, anyway.”

  “Harsh, but true.” I turned to him. It killed me to ask because he was sexy wearing a pair of jeans hanging off his hips, but I had to. “Care to get dressed and help me with the groceries? I somehow doubt you want a particular body part of yours to get frostbitten.”

  “That would be correct.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Eli drove me to my mom’s house. He helped me get the groceries to the porch, then carried them through to the kitchen after I unlocked the front door. Mom sat at the breakfast bar with a bowl of cereal and yesterday’s newspaper. Her eyes lit up when she saw the two of us.

  “Emily. I was getting worried.” She looked at Eli. “How are you? Thank you so much for taking care of my little girl. Did the two of you have a good night?”

  “That’s between me and Eli, Ma,” I replied, kissing her on the cheek as I began to put the groceries away.

  “We did, thank you, Judy,” Eli answered.

  I rolled my eyes. “Kiss ass.”

  “I think it’s great you’ve found yourself an honest man, sweetheart. I don’t have to be worried about you if you’re with him.”

  “You never had to worry about me when I was by myself, either.”

  She made a noise but otherwise didn’t respond.

  I filled the kettle and put it on to boil without asking if she wanted tea, since she always wanted tea.

  I glanced at Eli. “Would you like some tea?”

  “I’d love to stay, but I have to get to the office.”

  “You need to come around for dinner again,” my mother added.

  He glanced at me. “I guess that’s up to Emily.”

  I hesitated for a moment, but there was no point in being coy or playing hard-to-get. “You could come tonight … you’re bringing the car later, anyway. We could make enchiladas.”

  Eli leaned forward as if he was going to kiss me, but then thought better of it and shifted back.

  “That would be great.”

  “I hope you’re not expecting me to eat those enchi-whatevers,” my mom said.

  I laughed. “No, Ma. Do you want mac and cheese?”

  “Oh, that sounds wonderful. Okay, go and show your man out and then make me that tea.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” I rep
lied sarcastically, giving Eli a push. When we reached the front door, he grabbed me, by the front of my shirt, and kissed me, hard.

  I pushed him against the door in response, leaning into the kiss as much as I could. I ran a hand along the stubble of his jaw and up into his hair, pulling a low moan from his mouth against my lips.

  “Stop that, Flanagan.” He glanced down at his growing erection. “I can’t go to the office in this state.”

  I smirked. “You started it.”

  He kissed me lightly and pushed me away. “And now, unfortunately, I have to finish it.”

  I rolled out my bottom lip. “And here I was thinking we could get a quickie in before you left.”

  “Really?” He looked conflicted for a moment.

  “I was joking. Kind of. My ma wants tea, and I can’t keep her waiting. What time works for dinner tonight?”

  “Seven?”

  “Seven works for me. I’ll see you then.”

  After another quick kiss, he left.

  I stood by the front door for a minute or so, wondering when it was going to sink in that we had slept together. Who was I kidding, sleep wasn’t actually part of the equation. He’d made my body heat for him all night long.

  When I returned to the kitchen, mom was fiddling with the teapot.

  “What are you doing?” I rushed over to the stove. “Let me do that.”

  She glanced at me. “I can make a cup of tea, for goodness’ sake.”

  I opened the lid and looked inside. There was no tea bag. It was all hot water. I suppressed a laugh as I brought out the tea bags I’d bought yesterday.

  “I finally managed to get a hold of those classic tea bags you like, so no more making do with Earl Grey.”

  “I was starting to get fond of it, actually.”

  “I can make it if you’d like.”

  My mom’s eyes widened in horror. “Absolutely not. Nothing beats a good cup of strong, English tea.”

  “English tea that comes from India, Sri Lanka, and Africa.”

  She waved a hand. “You and your silly geography.”

  “Yes, having a solid understanding of imports and exports is merely a silly hobby. Heaven forbid, the knowledge is useful.”

  “Speaking of geography,” she said, ignoring my jibe. “Any update on the weather? It didn’t look too bad this morning.”

  “I’m not sure, actually.” I was immediately curious. “Let’s go check on the TV.”

  I plopped myself down on the armrest of the sofa as I flicked through the channels, stopping when I reached a local weather station. I watched intently, taking in everything that was said, then pulled out my phone to check a few other forecasts.

  “What’s the consensus?” she asked.

  “Seems like they think this week should be the last of the storms. A warm front is coming in from the south. That should help melt the snow.”

  “That’s great news for you. You’ll be able to get back with no worries about your job.”

  “Yeah … no worries at all.”

  I was happy that I’d be able to finally make it back to work. Getting back to Los Angeles was all I had wanted for the past six weeks. But now, with the weather forecast telling me that I’d finally be able to leave, my stomach twisted, and my heart ached. Leaving felt … wrong.

  If the forecast was right, I’d be in California a day or two after my date with Eli, which suddenly seemed far too soon. I’d thought I’d have until the twentieth, like Don had said. The reality was that I had to get back to my job, my apartment, my friends, and my life.

  It looked like my first official date with Eli Cooper would also be the last.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Eli

  My stomach churned non-stop from the moment I woke up. I was all frayed edges and nerves trying to make tomorrow’s date with Emily perfect.

  The weather had slowly but surely improved, and the snow was finally melting. That meant Emily would be leaving soon, and our first date would likely be our last.

  On the upside, the end of the heavy snowfall meant that Owen and Rich finally returned to Frazier Falls. I walked the line between ecstatic and unhappy.

  We were having dinner at Owen’s tonight to celebrate, but as I readied myself to leave, I wished it were another day. Spending time with my family meant I wasn’t spending time with Emily.

  No doubt, I was acting like an idiot, worrying over the details of our date. A date that shouldn’t matter because it would ultimately lead to nothing. It wasn’t like I was asking Emily to marry me, or heaven forbid, move to Frazier Falls. No, it was simply an overnight stay at a hotel and spa an hour or so out of town.

  Suddenly, I wanted to keep the plans for the date a surprise, which was why I hadn’t told Emily to pack a bathing suit. And what if she hadn’t brought one with her to Frazier Falls? Why would she in the middle of winter?

  Nonetheless, I had to let her know. If she didn’t have one, we’d have to find somewhere to buy one, which didn’t seem likely in February. Suddenly my plan felt short-sighted and poorly executed.

  I quickly pulled out my phone and called her. She picked up on the third ring.

  “Eli? What’s up?”

  “Do you have a bathing suit?”

  She hesitated for a moment before asking, “Do you mean in general, or in Frazier Falls?”

  “Frazier Falls. Do you have one?”

  “As a matter of fact, I do. I brought one with me in case the recreation center was open.”

  “It closed down two years ago.”

  “Yeah, I heard. Guess I wasn’t ever invested enough to know that,” she replied off-handedly.

  “Regardless, bring it with you tomorrow.”

  I could almost hear her brain working, the cogs churning with every possible scenario where a swimsuit would be required. “You’re not going to force me to go swimming in the creek, are you? Because I’m sure as hell not going near it.”

  “Why would I do that? Pack a bathing suit, and don’t ask any more questions.”

  “Fine, but your behavior warrants my suspicion.”

  Like me, Emily was a storyteller, and I’m sure she’d already come up with a few potential blockbusters ranging from a polar bear dip in the creek to a jet on the nearest runway waiting to take us to a tropical island. “Just trust me. I’ll pick you up at noon tomorrow.”

  “Fine, fine,” Emily grumbled. “Tomorrow at noon with my bathing suit packed. I’ll see you then.”

  The call ended with a click. But no sooner had I put my phone back in my pocket than it began to ring again, so back out it came. I brought the phone to my ear without checking who was calling. I had a fairly good guess, after all.

  “What do you need, Owen?” I asked, looking at the clock. I was due to be at his house in five minutes. “I’m on my way.”

  “You can start by replacing Carla’s beers that you drank,” he said.

  I smiled slightly at the comment. “I guess I could do that. Anything else?”

  “She’s asking if you can drop by Wilkes’ and see if they have any cocoa powder back in stock.” There was a muffled sound as if he’d placed his hand over the receiver. “What was that, Pax?” Owen’s voice trailed off as our youngest brother murmured something to him. Owen sighed. “Pax wants ice cream. Feel free to ignore that, though.”

  “What flavor?” I asked as I pulled on my jacket. I grabbed a Tupperware container full of biscuits.

  “No, seriously,” Owen said, “don’t indulge him. He’s not a kid.”

  But I could hear Pax shout out ‘cookie dough,’ so after saying goodbye to Owen, I drove over to Wilkes’. Nobody was there except for Rachel, who sat behind the register. The store was quiet but for the incessant humming of the space heater behind the counter.

  I picked up a couple of six-packs of beer and an obnoxiously large tub of ice cream—simply to annoy Owen, who would have to find space for it in his freezer, and then I headed over to Rachel to pay.

  She raise
d a silver eyebrow. “Night in with Judy’s daughter?”

  Glancing down at what I was buying, I burst out laughing at Rachel’s assumption. Of course, it looked as if I was planning a night in with a girlfriend.

  I shook my head. “Night in with my brothers—and Carla—hang on a second.” I rushed away from the counter to look for cocoa powder. It had thankfully been restocked, which meant Carla would deem me her savior once I got to Owen’s. I grabbed a box of the stuff and headed back to pay the bill. Rachel glanced at the cocoa in my hand.

  “Are you sure you’re not spending the night with Emily?”

  “Hardly. This is for Carla.”

  Rachel’s eyes lit up. “It’s not long until her and Owen’s wedding.”

  “It’s still a while away,” I reasoned. “The end of May … oh lord, that’s barely three months from now.”

  “You might be good with numbers, Eli,” she laughed as I gave her the exact change for the groceries, “but you sure are bad with dates. Have a lovely evening with your brothers.”

  “I can try,” I called out over my shoulder as I left the store, rushing back to my car before the wind could cut through my clothes. Though the weather was letting up, it was still damn cold, and I wanted nothing more than to get back inside a warm house.

  The roads were covered in an icy slurry as I carefully drove to Owen’s. It made for dangerous driving, especially now that the sun had set. Everything would surely turn to ice.

  It was with some relief that I made it without slipping once, though I couldn’t help myself from laughing when I left my car and had to grab onto the door in order to stop from falling face-first onto the slick pavement. With care, I retrieved the groceries from the trunk and made my way to Owen’s front door.

  I didn’t knock. I never did. We were family, so I let myself in.

  “Close the door, close the door!” Pax called out. “You’re letting all the heat out.” He reached for the throw on the arm of the couch and covered himself.

  “I guess I’ll leave with this massive tub of ice cream, then.”

  Pax tossed off the blanket and leaped over the couch to pluck the bucket from my hands. He grinned like a kid in a candy shop as he moved to the kitchen to get a spoon.