Page 36 of Your Last First Kiss

“Matt Miller. Everyone calls me Miller.”

“Not me,” Paisley taunts.

“No. Not you,” he says with a fondness that has me watching these two with new eyes.

Miller stares at her like she could harness the sun in her rainbow one-piece snowsuit that looks like it was made for a middle schooler.

When we showed up, she was using every ounce of her body weight to drag the generator out of the garage.

Miller was out of the truck before we’d even stopped rolling. I watched from the side as they circled each other. I swear his posture changed when she finally relented and allowed him to do the heavy lifting.

“I’ve got it from here, Dillon. Can you make sure the extension cord is connected to these posts, so we don’t lose it in the snow?”

I nod and follow the bright orange cord. When I’m sure they’re all connected, I walk back to find Miller and Paisley standing close enough to be considered inappropriate, but with so much tension between them that sparks should start shooting out soon.

“I’ll meet you in the truck?” I hook my thumb toward his vehicle, but he nods and turns to follow me.

After shutting the door, he cranks the heat up higher. The noise of the fan drowns out an uncomfortable silence, but eventually, it becomes unbearably hot, and he turns it down.

“So, what’s going on with you and Paisley?”

Miller’s head snaps to mine, then, just as quickly, he returns his gaze to the road. At least, I think it’s the road. I can’t see a damned thing.

“Nothing. She owns Karma, it’s on the green. It’s a yoga studio and kickboxing gym.”

“Yoga and kickboxing? Sounds like a contradiction.”

“That’s Paisley.” His voice is ragged, and I can’t tell if his white knuckles on the steering wheel are from the dangerous driving conditions or our conversation. Since he holds my life in his hands, I let it go.

“This is Eddy’s place,” he says a little while later. We pull into what I assume is a driveway, but I can’t even see a house through the snow. “We’re on the other side of the field from Penny’s. They own the houses, and they lease the land from Remy. It used to be more common years ago when everyone was a farmer, but, well, anyway. Eddy’s always around.”

Everywhere I look is white, so I can’t get my bearings, but the fact that this tool is always within reach makes my head ache.

The overhead light turns on when Miller opens his door.

“Should I come?”

He stares at me, his eyes shifting back and forth between mine for an uncomfortable minute. “It won’t be pretty,” he finally says, “but it might give you a little insight into why Penny has twenty layers of Kevlar wrapped around her heart.”

“Would she want me to see this?” My voice is thick with emotion.

“Probably not. But you’ve been dancing around her for years, and you’re still here. I want you to understand why you have to be all in or get the fuck out. Got it?”

I nod, and he slams his door. Am I betraying Penny if I go in, knowing she wouldn’t want me to see this? Is there any way I can’t see it?

Nervous energy works through my body until I’m vibrating with it.

Blowing out a breath that has my cheeks expanding, I follow him a second later with my heart in my throat and memories of my past clawing their way to the surface.

CHAPTER11

PENNY

My eyelashes have turned into tiny little icicles that make my eyes burn. The snow is coming down too fast for Kai and me to keep up, but he’s determined to get the first path cleared, so I follow him with a second shovel. My biceps ache with each heavy load and my back feels like it’ll snap in two, but I’ve always done what was necessary, and right now, I think Kai needs this outlet.

“Mom!” Landon shouts from…somewhere. The heavy snow distorts everything, and I’ve already thought I heard him three other times. But this time, when I lift my head, his little body is peeking out of the hood of his coat, so I hurry to the porch.

“Aster called.” His chin quivers. “Mari was crying. I could hear her.”