“So basically, you’re saying we have this cabin all to ourselves for the next two or three days.”
“Even longer if you’d like, though we really should go back to the house to get some more supplies. I could use a shower, and you seriously need some other clothes.”
“I don’t know,” she said as the canted her head to the side.
“I like your hair the way it is. It’s more natural.”
“When it’s frizzy?”
“Wavy,” she corrected me. “I’ve always liked it that way, but then you straighten it and… man, I would’ve killed to have hair like yours when I was a kid. It isn’t exactly brown but not honey-colored, either. It’s somewhere in between, and when you have the waves, it’s extra shiny. I don’t know. I’ve just always liked the look of it.”
“I’ve honestly never noticed that before,” I said as I scrutinized my reflection in the front door. “I just know the waves got in the way of my eyes most of the time, especially when I haven’t had a chance to straighten it yet.”
“Like right now?” she asked with a touch of laughter in her voice.
“Pretty much. Anyway, I’m gonna go out there, clear the snow, and hopefully be back with some more wood in twenty minutes. I’ll clear a path to the outhouse first in case you need to use it, but I shouldn’t be long.”
With that, I stepped outside and closed the front door behind me. Even with the door placed between us, I could still feel her eyes on me. Usually, it was a distraction, only now, it made me smile. She was watching after me, likely fretting the entire time as I slowly started to shovel a path.
Knowing this, I continued on my way, thinking about Sam as I did.
We spent the rest of the morning cuddling in front of the fire. By the time we reached the house, it was almost three in the afternoon. The walk had taken longer than usual, but it wasn’t because of the snow. Under all of her complaints about the cold and damp air, Sam still found the time to start a snowball fight. I won, of course, but it was loads of fun.
As soon as we walked into the house, we received a stern talking to from my mom, but even she smiled through the tirade, probably because of the snow caked on our clothes and in our hair.
“Get out of those clothes and throw them in the dryer,”
Mom said as she headed back toward the kitchen. “Food’s ready.”
Sam and I thanked her, then did as she asked, retreating to our separate rooms to change. Peeling off my wet pants, I couldn’t help thinking about the time we’d spent together last night. I wondered then if things would’ve turned out differently if we’d stayed here instead. If anything, we would’ve met in the hall, maybe share a kiss, then end up in the same place we already were.
If not last night, then maybe tonight. Tomorrow. The next day. Definitely bef
ore our vacation was up, and I was thankful it happened a lot sooner than I’d anticipated because I needed it—to kiss her, to fall into her embrace, and to hold her against me.
It hadn’t exactly been a goal during this entire trip, though it had crossed my mind. What I hadn’t expected, however, was for Sam to beat me to the punch. As hard as she tried to plan everything out, that kiss was completely random. Random and perfect in its own way.
Knowing we had a little time, I wet down my hair and tamed it the best I could. However, when I went to pull it back, Sam’s voice popped into my head.
‘I like your hair the way it is.’
I frowned at the waves I worked so hard to hide, then let them be, smiling when I practically walked into Sam in the hallway.
The huge grin on her face was all I needed to get over my frizzy, wild hair.
No doubt my mom would say something about it at the table, though that probably wasn’t the only thing she’d notice.
Considering how much Sam smiled at me then, our kiss and our night at the cabin wouldn’t be a secret for very long.
By the time we reached the kitchen table, Mom had several plates full of warm food waiting for us. Looking around, it seemed as though my sister had already come and gone.
Much to my relief, my parents left us alone. I blamed it on their respective food comas and Brad’s need to keep an eye on the game more than anything else.
Using the loud television as cover, I took Sam’s hand in mine and smiled. “Was it anything like you expected?”
“Pretty low-key, actually,” she said from her place at the table. “Don’t give me that look. You hyped it up to be this terrible thing, but it honestly hasn’t been that bad.” Lowering her voice, she added, “Especially at the cabin.”
My cheeks warmed at the sound of her voice. “You’re going to be the end of me.”