8 Where Am I?

Andrea felt better after her shower and after she scarfed down the cheeseburger and large fries Case had brought her. She also drank her entire soda—and it wasn’t diet. He smiled at her most of the time she was eating, as if he was impressed that such a small person could pack away so much food. She didn’t care. It wasn’t as if she was trying to impress him.

Getting up to throw her trash away, she realized her phone was ringing and answered quickly. It was her mom. “How’s Grandpa?” she said before Mom could even say hello.

“His surgery is over and he’s stable,” her mom, Karen, said. She sounded as if she were calmer than she had been in weeks. “The doctors think it will work, and his heart will be better now.”

“Thank God,” Andrea muttered with tears forming in her eyes again.

“And thank Case Meyer,” Karen said. “Where are you, honey? I thought you’d be home by now.”

“Oh, we had to stop for the night. The road was closed. Case thought it was too dangerous to try and go around.”

“That’s too bad, but at least Grandpa has had his surgery now. As long as you’re home by Christmas, you should take your time.”

“Mom, Christmas is in four days,” Andrea reminded her. “I’ll be there before that.”

“I hope so. But be safe. Where did you meet Case, anyway?”

She glanced at him. He was still sitting at the little table where they’d eaten, scrolling on his phone. “At the airport. I haven’t even asked where he was going.” He glanced up. She was so rude.

“Invite him to spend Christmas with us.”

“Mom, he doesn’t even know us.” She turned away, keeping her voice down.

“So? Ask him. Wouldn’t that be a treat!”

“Okay, Mom. I’ve got to go. If anything happens with Grandpa, let me know. I’ll call you when we leave.”

“Goodbye, honey. I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Andrea turned back to see Case looking at her. She’d put on a sweatshirt and some linen pants, not pajamas, but she was self-conscious. “Grandpa’s surgery is over, and the doctors are optimistic.”

“That’s great.”

“Thanks for your help.” She sat back down at the table, wishing she hadn’t drank all of her soda. Her throat was dry. “What’s in Seattle?”

“My parents, my sister, and my brother and their families. I live in North Carolina now, but I grew up there.”

“Oh. No wonder you know how to drive on snow.”

He smiled. “If you grew up in Wisconsin, why don’t you know how?”

“Who says I don’t?” She narrowed her eyes at him, and he laughed. “I moved to California to live with my aunt when I was seventeen.”

“To make movies.”

“That’s right.” She couldn’t tell if he was making fun or not. “We don’t get a lot of snow there.”

He grinned at her. “I’m tired. I think I’m going to go to bed.”

“Okay.” She was also tired. Eyeing the bed, she thought about the best way to make sure they didn’t infringe on each other’s personal space.

Case opened the closet door. “More pillows.” He arranged them in the center of the bed, and Andrea thought it would do nicely. There was also an extra blanket in there, so they wouldn’t have to share.

After brushing their teeth and plugging in their phones, they settled into bed with a wall of pillows between them. Andrea was glad to have the barricade, but it didn’t stop the intoxicating scent of Case Meyer from wafting through the air. He smelled like a man in every way. She might be in trouble. Big, big trouble.

Andrea rolled over on her side and closed her eyes, praying Case would get her home safely the next day, say hello to Grandpa, and then leave because the more time she spent with him, the more she liked him, and she couldn’t see herself dating Sarah Lockton’s ex, even if he did seem like a nice guy.

Sunlight filtered in through the curtains, and Andrea blinked a few times, not remembering where she was. This didn’t feel like her bed. In fact, part of it didn’t feel like a bed at all. She opened her eyes completely and looked down. Whose bare chest was she sleeping on!

Andrea flew over to her side of the bed as quickly as she could, her heart beating out of her chest. She remembered now—having to share a bed with Case. She wanted to shout at him for moving the pillow wall, but it was clear by the way they were tossed on the floor on her side of the bed that she’d done it in her sleep!

Embarrassed, she rolled over, hoping he was still asleep and hadn’t realized she was laying on top of him, so she didn’t see him open one green eye and chuckle softly to himself.