“Hell,” I muttered. “Not going to help things.”
The last thing Laiken needed was me pouncing on her like a horny teenager the second she came out of her room. The dogs looked up from their cozy bed. I scowled at Peaches. “Just rub it in. You got your damn cuddles last night.”
Her tongue lolled out of her mouth in a happy pant. I crossed over to them and hooked on Gizmo’s wheels. “Come on. I’ll clear you a path to pee.”
I grabbed my jacket and boots from the mudroom and headed outside, the dogs on my heels. Sun greeted me instead of gray clouds. And more snow than I had ever seen in my life. I wondered how a plow would ever even get up here. As I waded down the steps, I found that it was up to my thighs.
I dug a path that was more like a tunnel and lifted Gizmo down the steps. “There you go.”
He and Peaches made quick work of doing their business and then charged back for the stairs.
“Blue balls in more ways than one,” I grumbled, lifting Gizmo and setting him on the front porch.
I left the shovel leaning against the house and did my best to brush most of the snow off my boots and pants. Pulling open the door, I stepped inside.
Laiken turned around at the sound. She held an empty mug, and her gaze landed on everything but me. “I was just making some coffee. Do you want some?”
I slipped off my boots, dropping them and my jacket in the mudroom. “Sure.”
“Okay.” She grabbed another mug from the cabinet. “I think there are plenty of Lucky Charms left if you want them. Or I could scramble some eggs. I don’t think even I could ruin that. Or there’s bread for toast. Or—”
I took Laiken’s shoulders and turned her around to face me. “Hey, what’s going on?”
Tears filled her eyes. “I’m so sorry.”
“About last night?”
She nodded, a few tears slipping free. “I’m such a mess. But I shouldn’t have left. Not like that. You shared something so important with me, and I just…” Her words trailed off as if she couldn’t find what she wanted to say.
My thumbs swept across her cheeks, wiping away the wetness. “You got scared. You’re human.”
“You’re not mad?”
“No. Was I frustrated in the moment? Sure. Did I have the worst case of blue balls since the eighth grade? Probably.”
Laiken let out a squeak of laughter and then winced. “Sorry about that.”
“I’ll live.” I stroked her cheeks. “But more than anything, I want you to stay in it with me. Even when things get scary or hard or uncomfortable. Talk it through with me. I promise not to push you for something you’re not ready for.”
“I might call you pushy but never with that kind of thing.” She let out a shaky breath. “I don’t know if I’m ready for this.”
“There’s no way to know unless you try.”
Her hands fisted in my t-shirt. “I’m scared.”
“I know. We can stay right where we are for as long as you need. Until you’re ready for that next step.”
Laiken leaned forward, resting her forehead against mine. “Thank you.”
I pulled her against me, relishing the simple contact. It was enough. For now.
I formedthe pile of snow into a ball, packing it tightly as Laiken drew eyes and a smile on our snowman. She stepped back, surveying our work. “It might be days before we have a way out of here, but I don’t think I mind. I could make an army of snowmen in that time. He’s cute, don’t you think?”
She turned to see my response, and I lobbed the snowball at her. It crashed into her chest, exploding into a million pieces and spraying her face. Laiken’s jaw dropped. “You didn’t.”
I grinned. “Pretty good for an LA native, don’t you think?”
She sank to her knees, scrambling to pick up some snow. I hurried to form another snowball, but it was too late. A half-formed one splattered against my face.