Page 18 of Meeting Me, Loving You (Hearts of Maple Lake #1)
JULIET
T his morning, when I woke up, I was sure I had been kidnapped and placed in a commercial-sized freezer to die.
There were little slits of light coming through the window, but it was silent as death and as cold as a winter wasteland.
The only small amount of warmth I felt came from Dax cuddled against my body, his soft muzzle resting between my shoulder and neck, gentle puppy breaths blowing wisps of hair across my face.
Dax always sleeps with me, but in that moment, I wondered, is this what it feels like to be truly loved.
Is this what unconditional love feels like?
To know you’re someone’s person? Dax isn’t human, but he’s my baby all the same.
I imagine this is what it feels like for a mother to cuddle her child, to wake up with her little one in her bed after a long night of sickness or nightmares.
Only, my baby is covered in fur and has some terrible doggy morning breath.
Once I got out of bed and slipped into my warm slippers and the biggest, fluffiest bathrobe I have, I realized the power was out.
And that is why my whole apartment feels like an igloo .
No lights, no heat, no stove.
It’s Friday, which is my day off, but I thought about heading into the hospital anyway to check on my patients and make sure they’re getting the best care possible.
Many of my patients are children, and I don’t want them to miss me, or get worried if I’m not there.
They get used to seeing familiar faces coming in and out of their rooms; it helps to encourage and calm them.
On my days off, I’m always left feeling like there’s somewhere else I should be.
Of all the patients with heart conditions, it’s the hardest to see the children.
They’re so little and always so scared. Some of them only need to be monitored for a short time because a doctor saw an irregularity on a scan.
But some have had a procedure and have to be in the hospital for several days, regularly being checked by EKGs and hooked up to IV medications.
And then there are the emergencies that are, thankfully, not frequent. But that doesn’t mean they don’t happen. Sometimes a child gets sick while healing from a procedure, or a surgery isn’t successful.
It’s hard to see those sweet little faces suffering. But they’re also the reason I’ve worked so hard to become a nurse. Those patients, those children, are the reason I love my job and why I push myself every day to get out of bed.
Although I feel my own heart pulled toward the hospital, I know they’re in good hands with the other nurses.
My plan for today is to study for an important exam I have in two weeks and, if I want to pass it with an exceptional grade rather than a just-slipping-by grade, I need to stick to my agenda.
I’ve been sipping on flat Sprite—because I forgot to cap the bottle last night—wishing it was hot coffee.
I have no milk or juice, and very little in the way of edible food.
I really should have done my grocery shopping before the weather locked me in.
I’ve spent all morning bundled up on the couch with every blanket I own, skimming digital study cards on my laptop.
And, after digging through the pantry to find that most of my chips are stale, I settled on string cheese from the fridge and a few cherry tomatoes.
Honestly, this is a great snack and I’m completely content, aside from the whole freezing-to-death-in-my-own-home part.
Oh, and outside of my home too, of course, since I’m the crazy girl who has a dog and needs to walk him, even in the snow. I really could use that sunny beach right now.
At least Dax was having the time of his life, leaping over the heaps of snow and sticking his nose in the fluffy snowdrifts.
He looked so cute with little snowflakes stuck to his eyebrows.
Thankfully, Main Street had been plowed and some of the sidewalks were shoveled clear before I woke, otherwise I don’t know how I would have taken Dax for a walk.
I say walk, but really it was more of a turn and burn.
I stepped out the main door, hardly getting my snow boots wet, while my good boy found a lamppost to desecrate.
He doesn’t require a leash, always looking back at me to check for commands.
After giving him a couple of minutes to do his thing and jump in and out of the snowbanks, I whistled and he ran straight back, bounding in the doorway and straight through the lobby to our apartment.
It’s been a good four hours since then and I haven’t moved from my spot, cozy and keeping as warm as I can.
The pillows behind my back keep me from laying down, ensuring I don’t fall asleep, and Dax lays on my feet, which are outstretched toward the other end of the couch.
He’s sharing his body heat, adding a layer of peace to my usual feeling of loneliness.
To keep him warm in return, I’ve draped a blanket over him as well.
My eyes are starting to get sore, feeling dry and tired from staring at the computer screen, when my phone rings. I look at the caller ID and smile, swiping my thumb across the screen to answer.
“Hey, Mom!”
“Hi, Honey! How are you holding up? I saw on the weather app that you’re getting a lot of snow up there!” Mom and Dad are in Florida soaking up the sun while I’m here freezing my butt off.
“I’m fine,” I lie. “The power was out when I woke up, but I’ve been studying all day and?—”
“You have no power? Jules, I’m sorry. Are you warm enough?”
“Yeah, I’m warm enough. Don’t worry about me, Mom. I have Dax to cuddle with. It’s actually been kinda nice to have no distractions from schoolwork today.”
“Well, that’s good. I talked to your brother earlier.” I already know what she’s going to say, and I wish I was the first to tell her before Ty beat me to it. “Tyler said you’ve seen Cameron Dunne, and that he moved back?”
“Yeah! We ran into each other outside of Le Fou. Apparently he moved back in August and he’s teaching at the high school.”
I can hear Mom’s smile through the phone, her voice sweet. “He was always such a good kid, I’m sure his students love him. And he was always so nice to help you with your math homework. I bet he’s a wonderful teacher.”
We continue to talk about Cam, what little I know of him anyway, and she tells me about their time in Florida. After a few minutes, Dad’s voice chimes in from the background.
“We miss you!” he shouts.
I smile. “I miss you too, Dad. I wish you were here.”
“I wish we were too, Sweetheart,” he says.
“But while we’re not there, just remember that we think about you all the time and we’re proud of you.
” Dad is always giving me the same pep talk, but I know he means well.
I wait silently for his final parting words that I know by heart.
“Just make sure to take some time for yourself.”
And there it is, without fail.
“I know, Dad, I’m just busy. But I do take a little time for myself now and then. Dax and I take hikes, it’s just been too cold lately.”
Three light taps sound at my door. That’s odd, I’m not expecting anyone.
“Mom, Dad, I have to go. Someone’s at the door. It could be Ali, or it might be the landlord with news about the power outage.”
“Oh, go, go,” Mom chirps. “Don’t keep them waiting. That could be important. Hopefully they say the power’s getting fixed. We love you!”
“I love you guys, too. Bye!” I hang up as a tired sigh escapes me. I rub my eyes with my fingertips, setting my laptop on the coffee table and swinging my feet to the floor.
Dax raises his head as I struggle with the number of blankets wrapped around my body, trying to get off the couch and to the door quickly without falling over. Once my feet are free, Dax jumps down from his spot as well. We both reach the door and I stand on my tiptoes to look through the peephole.
I instantly feel both dread and delight swirl in my gut. It’s a strange mix of emotions, but I’ll have to decipher them later.
My clothes are not cute, my teeth aren’t clean.
And my hair! I haven’t showered or even brushed it since yesterday. It’s a literal rat’s nest.
I glance again through the peephole, unsure if this is just my imagination playing tricks on me. Maybe I’m going into hypothermic shock. That’s a thing, right? Hallucinations? Maybe my body is shutting down .
But no, through the tiny peephole in my door, I see a very large, very hot Cameron Dunne.
I will myself to take a few deep breaths and smooth down my flyaway hairs.
Tightening the bow on my bathrobe, I silently pray to the good Lord above that it’s baggy enough that Cam won’t notice I’m not wearing a bra, and I unbolt the door.
I open it wide in one quick movement, startling him as he takes a step back.
“Hi!” I say with a little too much enthusiasm.
“Hey,” Cam says. His hands are stuffed in the pockets of his jeans, and he’s wearing his brown plaid overcoat with a tan beanie.
“I wanted to check on you, see how you were handling the storm.” His eyes roam over my hair, then down to my slippers, and quickly back up where they meet my gaze.
A knowing gleam in his eye matches his lopsided grin that says, I knew you still dressed like this .
But instead, he says, “Nice robe.” His voice is rough and gravelly.
I wrap one arm around my waist and use the other hand to try to flatten down the loose hairs hanging around my face. I laugh nervously, unsure of what to say and, more importantly, why he’s here.
“Thanks,” I say hesitantly. It’s unclear if he wants to come in, and I’m not even certain if I want him to. “The apartment doesn’t have power, so I’ve been trying to stay warm. Do you want to come in? I can’t offer you any hot drinks, but I have flat soda and water.”