Page 50 of The Love Dose

“Friendly? No way. We need something to wager.” I pause to think. “Whoever loses has to shovel the walkway.”

He smirks. “You’re not going to do it no matter who wins. That’s my job.”

“Old-fashioned gentleman?”

“I’ve been called worse,” he says, smiling.

“Then what should we bet?”

He takes a moment then lifts a finger. “Got it. Loser has to make a snow angel in the front yard.”

“What’s so awful about that?”

“In his or her underwear.”

I look at his face, his game face. “You’re serious.”

“As a frozen derrière.” His eyes burn through me.

I clear my throat. I stick out my hand and we shake. “Bring it on!”

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Calvin

The game board is filled with tiles. We haven’t finished but we’re both exhausted. We decide to call it a tie.

Caroline says, “I guess no snow angels, then?”

“I’m okay with that,” I say, though I’m devising a plan as we speak.

I stand. “We can finish in the morning. That is, if the roads aren’t clear yet.”

Outside, the snow is slower than before but still coming at a steady pace. The odds that I'll be able to drive back to New York in the morning are slim.

Caroline yawns and clears away our plates of cookie crumbs and emptied glasses of milk. “Well, I guess I’ll call it a night,” she says.

“Good night.”

We both make for the doorway at the same time, our bodies squeezing closer together.

“Excuse me,” I say but neither one of us budges. We look at each other, our gaze lingering. My entire body is on fire. I wait in silent anticipation for her to say something. Something about friendship and family. Something about us. About the song I wrote years before meeting Caroline that proved prophetic.

“See you in the morning,” she says, without moving an inch.

“Good night,” I say, frozen in place. “Your room or mine?”

Caroline’s jaw drops. “W-what?”

The words were not intended as they sound but now that they’re out there, I can’t help but hope.

Her face is flushed, her eyes wide and . . . curious.

Knowing I need to reel it in, I look away and glance down at our four feet. Rezy is on hind legs, snug in the space between us “I mean, do you wantRezyin your room or mine?”

“Oh.” Caroline’s face turns two shades redder.

Rezy lets out a tiny bark. It’s both jarring and adorable. He’s staring up at us.