Page 16

CHAPTER 16

CASPIAN

I close my front door and lean against it, my heart still racing and my lips tingling from Nate’s kisses. For a moment, I just stand there in the dark entryway, touching my fingers to my mouth and grinning like an idiot. The house is quiet except for my slightly uneven breathing, and I can still feel the ghost of his hands on my waist and in my hair.

“Fuck, you kiss well, Nathan Stone,” I whisper to myself.

I fumble for the light switch, blinking as warm light floods the room. My coat is still dusted with melting snow, and I shrug it off, hanging it up with hands that aren’t quite steady. The entire evening feels dreamlike— Lottie’s birthday party, the Wishing Tree, and then…that kiss. Those kisses, plural, my brain helpfully corrects.

I’m halfway to the kitchen when my phone starts blaring “Walking on Sunshine”—Marcus’s personally selected ringtone. The timing is so perfect I almost laugh out loud. Of course my best friend would somehow sense that my carefully constructed world just tilted on its axis.

“You’re alive!” Marcus’s voice booms through the speaker before I can even say hello. “I was starting to think you’d frozen solid in that small-town winter wonderland of yours.”

“I’m fine,” I say, unable to keep the smile out of my voice. “Just been busy with the coffee shop.”

“Busy? Cas, it’s been radio silence since you left Phoenix. I was about to send out a search party.” There’s a pause, and I can practically hear the gears turning in his head. “Wait a minute. What’s wrong with your voice?”

“Nothing’s wrong with my voice,” I protest, but even I can hear the breathless quality in my words.

“Oh my god.” Marcus’s tone shifts from accusatory to delighted in an instant. “You met someone.”

“I did not?—”

“Don’t even try to lie to me, Caspian James Lane. I’ve known you since we were twelve. That’s your I just got kissed and I’m trying not to be obvious about it voice.”

I sink onto my couch, running a hand through my snow-damp hair. “How do I even have a specific voice for that?”

“Because you’re transparent as hell when you’re into someone. Remember that guy from college? What was his name? Elijah. You sounded exactly like this after your first date.” Marcus’s smugness radiates through the phone. “So, spill. Who is he? Please tell me it’s not some flannel-wearing lumberjack type.”

I bite my lip, thinking of Nate’s perfectly fitted sweater from tonight. “He’s…not exactly a lumberjack.”

“But there is a he! I knew it!” Marcus crows triumphantly. “Details. Now. And don’t you dare try to change the subject.”

“It’s complicated,” I hedge, even as my eyes drift to the window, where I can just make out the warm glow of lights from Nate’s house. “He’s my neighbor, actually.”

“Your neighbor?” Marcus’s voice rises an octave. “Hold up! You move to small-town USA and immediately fall for the guy next door? This is getting more Hallmark by the minute.”

I groan, sliding farther down into the couch cushions. “He’s… Well, he’s a forest product technician. And he was definitely off-limits. Is off-limits. Was. I don’t even know anymore.”

“A what now?” Marcus asks. “What the hell is a forest product technician?”

“He basically works with wood products and sustainable forestry practices. You know, making sure the forests are managed properly, testing wood quality, that kind of thing.”

“Something tells me those limits just got seriously tested,” Marcus says, and I can hear the grin in his voice. “What happened to ‘I’m just going to focus on the coffee shop and avoid complications?’”

“That was the plan,” I admit, touching my lips again unconsciously. “But then he took me to this Wishing Tree tonight, and it was snowing, and…”

“A Wishing Tree? God, that town really is straight out of a Hallmark movie, isn’t it?”

“Shut up,” I bark, but there’s no heat in it. “It’s actually really beautiful. The whole city park is lit with these tiny lights, and people hang their wishes on this huge fir tree during the Winter Wishes Festival. It’s…magical.”

“Magical enough to make you forget about being careful, apparently,” Marcus observes. “So, was it worth breaking your own rules?”

The memory of Nate’s hands on me sends a fresh wave of warmth through my body. “Yeah,” I breathe. “Definitely worth it.”

“Oh man, you’ve got it bad,” Marcus chuckles. “I haven’t heard you sound like this since… Well, ever, actually.”

I stand and start pacing, nervous energy making it impossible to sit still. “I know, I know. It’s just… He’s different, Marcus. He’s genuine and kind, and he has this amazing family. I just spent the evening at his niece’s birthday party, and they’re all so…” I trail off, searching for the right words.

“Real?” Marcus supplies softly.

“Yeah,” I say, pausing by the window again. “Real. And tonight, when he took me to the Wishing Tree… God, Marcus, the way he looked at me. Like he’d been holding back just as much as I had.”

“So what’s the problem? Because I’m hearing a lot of good things here, but I know that tone. There’s a ‘but’ coming.”

I press my forehead against the cool glass, watching snowflakes drift past. “But we’re neighbors. And he’s connected to practically everyone in town. If this goes wrong… Marcus, his mom was my mom’s childhood best friend. She’s the only real connection I have left to her. If things don’t work out with Nate, I could lose more than just him. I could lose that connection to my mom, this friendship we’ve built. I don’t know if I’m ready to risk all of that.”

“And what if it goes right?” Marcus interrupts. “Listen, Cas, I love you, but you have this habit of planning for disasters before they happen. Sometimes, good things just…happen. Maybe this is one of them.”

“Maybe,” I murmur. “I just don’t want to mess this up.”

“Then don’t,” Marcus says like it’s that simple. “But don’t sabotage it before it has a chance either. Now, tell me more about this kiss. Was it just a peck, or are we talking full-on movie moment?”

I laugh, finally moving away from the window. “Definitely movie moment. Complete with falling snow and everything.”

“Of course it was. Nothing to do with the moves you played on him.”

“Hey, speaking of moves,” I say, suddenly remembering. “How are things going with New York? Last time we talked, you were looking at apartments in Manhattan.”

There’s a slight pause on the other end of the line. “Oh, you know…it’s going. Still working out some details.”

“Details?” I frown at his vague response. Usually, Marcus can’t stop talking about his plans. “What kind of details?”

“Just…logistics and stuff. Work transfer paperwork, apartment hunting from across the country. The usual headaches.” His voice sounds oddly flat.

“Are you still planning to leave Phoenix?” I press, sensing there’s something he’s not telling me.

“Oh yeah, definitely,” Marcus says quickly. “One hundred percent. I mean, I’ve been talking about getting out of here for what, two years now? It’s happening. Just…taking longer than I expected. But enough about my boring relocation drama—I want to hear more about these neighbor kisses you’ve been having.”

I roll my eyes, even though he can’t see me. “I’m not giving you a play-by-play, Marcus.”

“Come on! I’m stuck in Phoenix, living vicariously through you. The least you can do is give me some details. Promise me you’ll keep me updated on all future developments with Hot Forest Tech Guy?”

“His name is Nate.” I laugh. “And fine, yes, I promise to keep you posted. Happy?”

“Ecstatic. Now go dream about your Christmas tree romance or whatever’s happening over there.”

After we hang up, I head upstairs to get ready for bed, but my mind keeps drifting back to the evening’s events. In the bathroom mirror, I notice my cheeks are still flushed, my hair slightly mussed from where Nate’s fingers ran through it. The memory sends a shiver down my spine.

Lying in bed, all I can think about is when I’ll see him again. Tomorrow? Will he come to Special Blend? Will things be awkward, or will he kiss me again? I want him to kiss me again. I roll over, burying my face in my pillow with a groan. How am I supposed to sleep when all I can think about is the way his lips felt against mine, the way he held me like I was something precious?

“Get it together,” I mutter, but I’m still smiling as I close my eyes, letting the memory of snow, winter wishes, and coffee kisses carry me into dreams.