I nodded, turning my attention to Connor, who was reaching for a kitchen towel and shivering. I snuck a hand around his waist and a smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. He raised his eyebrows and pressed against me, breathing warmth against the top of my wet hair.
“Why don’t we go warm up in the shower?” I asked Connor coyly, staring up at him through my lashes. I was almost surprised at my bluntness, but Connor was different than any other man I had been interested in before. He brought out a new aspect to my personality, a way that I had never been before. He made me want to be open with myself and outright ask for what I wanted, without worrying what people would think. My shy and sweet demeanor had never gotten me far and even from the beginning, Connor made me feel as if I was more than what I thought I was.
“Sadie Harlow,” Connor grinned at my suggestion, wrapping warm arms around me in my father’s kitchen and bringing our mouths together as the rain storm raged outside of the windows. “Did I hear that right? Are you propositioning me?”
“Well, that depends on your answer,” I answered, unable to stop myself from smiling.
Suddenly, Connor and I jumped as the mud room door burst open and the smell of pizza wafted through the kitchen.
“Damn storm’s got the whole town in a tizzy.”
“Shh, Dad! Sammy is sleeping!” Oliver hissed at us from the sitting room as Sammy made a soft sound of annoyance.
My dad made a face and cringed, looking guilty as he placed the two boxes of pizza on the counter and grabbed a beer from the fridge. He handed one to Connor, staring pointedly at the arm that was still wrapped around my waist. I rolled my eyes and Connor took the beer, though he didn’t pull his arm away. I saw a hint of red spreading down his neck, and I almost laughed. I could see that my dad almost respected Connor for not backing down from touching me.
“What took you so long?” Rose asked with a wine from the doorway, running to the pizza as if she hadn’t eaten in days.
My father raised his eyebrows, huffing out a laugh as Rose took three slices from the extra cheesy pizza. “Roads were blocked off by flooding. The sheriff was rerouting traffic. It’s a mess in town. You’ll have to stay an extra day until the spillway clears. You too, Sadie, Connor.”
I shrugged, looking up at Connor who was sipping at his beer and leaning against the counter. He nodded, smiling a little. I knew he liked it here and a part of me almost wanted to stay with him here forever. Things seemed to be easier without the weight of the city hanging over us and it was almost like the whole reality show didn’t exist. It was just the two of us, slowly falling in love in the chill of a West Virginia winter.
“That’s fine,” I nodded at my dad, who grinned in response, pulling a piece of mushroom pizza from its box.
“I guess that storm was a blessing, though it looks like you two got stuck in it,” he said, glancing over our damp clothes. “At least now I’ll get to keep my grandson here for another day.”
“Yeah, I decided you can keep him and Oliver here with you,” Rose called from the sitting room where she had disappeared with her food.
My dad let out a boisterous laugh, sharing a smile with me and Connor. “Rosie, I’ll keep Sammy, but Oliver goes back with you.”
Oliver appeared in the doorway, his hair tugged into disarray and his eyes were tired and bloodshot. Despite his appearance though, Oliver grinned and shook his head. “Neither one of you guys appreciates me. Sammy is my only true ally in this house.”
“He’s days old, Oli, he doesn’t know enough to know any better,” I snorted, digging in the mudroom for dry clothes.
“You too, Sadie?” Oliver feigned shock and looked over at Connor, who raised his hands in surrender, trying hard not to smile. “And look, you’ve got poor Connor on your side.”
“I’ll always be on her side,” Connor said, and my stomach filled with excited butterflies at his flippant words. He was joking, but the sentiment was there, and I couldn’t even begin to reign in the happiness that threatened to explode out of my heart.
“Traitors,” Oliver scoffed, grabbing a few slices of pizza for himself. Our dad tousled his hair affectionately as he walked by and Oliver batted his hand away half-heartedly. They both went into the sitting room with Rose and Sammy, and Connor held a plate out while I grabbed some pizza to take up to our room.
“Let’s go dry off upstairs,” Connor told me, waggling his eyebrows suggestively and making me laugh. I nodded and we nearly ran up the stairs, laughing and grinning like lovestruck teenagers as we made our way up with the rain still pouring outside.