Chapter Seven
“I think this will be a good time to get to know one another again.” Cole swigged from his coffee cup, and when he swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbed.
“What?” Peyton slid the last bite of her eggs to the side of plate with her fork.
“You heard me.”
“I think…we already started don’t you?” She laughed. He was acting strange this morning. The emotional entanglements were normally hers to bear.
“That’s not what I meant, Peyton and you know it.”
“Don’t add anything extra to what happen.”
His right eyebrow inched higher and he leaned back in his seat. “What are you saying?”
“Sympathy sex. That’s all that was.”
“Well, now that I know what one feels like, I’ll just mosey onward.” He rose. His clenched jaw ticked on the right side. He wheeled and strode to the living room
Seated in front of her desk, the echo of her intimate releases with Cole rang in her ears. Peyton tried to forget how he consumed her every thought. The bed ridiculed her. Again, the blank page was a constant reminder that she hadn’t succeeded to wipe Cole from her mind. She had said some pretty mean things. Sympathy sex, what in the world was she thinking? He had been attentive and loving. She should apologize for her behavior. Peyton rose from her chair and found Cole diligently working at the roll top desk.
“Feel like taking a break?” She waited for the same response he gave before.
An exasperated sigh escaped from Cole.
He had taken her smart ass comment to heart. “I’m sorry for what I said earlier. I was out of line.”
“Want to go snow-shoeing?” Cole swiveled to face her.
****
Cole grinned as Peyton squealed.
“Yes, lets.” She jumped up and down and clapped while her pony tail bounced.
“Get ready and I’ll meet you outside.”
Cole waited for Peyton to close the front door. “Come and sit on the steps, I’ll help you.”
She gingerly sat and gave him her right foot. Several minutes later, he had both feet harnessed. He offered his hand. “Up.” Then he gave her two poles.
“Where we headed?” Peyton jabbed both of them into the snow.
“The lake.”
“How far is it?”
“About a half a mile and well worth every step.”
He had always enjoyed sharing outdoor activities with Peyton. She took great care of her body, mind and spirit. He figured this was a perfect opportunity to share and get to know one another again, beyond the bedroom. And in their case, he had to include the kitchen table. Maybe once she relaxed, Peyton would let their relationship happen naturally instead of fighting him. Little worry lines spider-webbed at the corner of her eyes that weren’t there before. Yes, he had noticed, but he thought they were from stress of her job, certainly not anxiety.
“There’s a path through the woods we can take. Follow me.” He set an easy pace and she trailed behind. Once he forged a footpath in the virgin snow, it would be easier for Peyton.
She kept up without complaint and zero conversation, which was not the old Peyton he knew. When they were dating then engaged, she would talk until the next blue moon occurred. Maybe, he didn’t know her as well as he gave himself credit for. And what was with the sympathy sex? That blew his ego to hell and back.
A plan, he needed an outline, a strategy by the time they got to the lake. He drew a deep cleansing breath into his lungs. With Peyton, he’d have to use more than his smile as a tactic. She’d require a heavy dose of…He blew the air out…Like he actually knew what women wanted. Well, he used to. A good dinner at an expensive restaurant, high-priced wine and most of them just wanted a roll in the sack. Which he obliged and had fun. But that was years ago, before he admitted that he still loved Peyton. He had to show her how much he cared and changed.
“Oh wow.” Peyton smiled as she stepped from the tree line to the beach of the shore. “It’s beautiful.”
“Richard had a good idea when he built this.” He led the way to the park bench nestled under the boughs of several evergreens. His arm swiped the crusted snow to the ground and revealed the wooden slats. Peyton helped brush the icy crystals off the tarp and yanked the canvass from the pit. Wood lay ready in the hearth to light.
Cole opened his backpack, withdrew the dried kindling and tossed the tinder underneath the stack then used the propane lighter from the cabin and lit the tiny sticks. Once the fire ignited, he added several more logs piled beside the pit.
“Regular boy scout aren’t you?”
“Make that Eagle.”
“I didn’t remember. I’m impressed. My turn.” She whisked the straps of her pack from her shoulders and let the bench hold its contents. She dug out water, peanut butter crackers and trail mix.
“Glad we are only going to be gone for a couple of hours.”
“Oh, shush.” She withdrew the sandwiches she must have made earlier and jerky. “And for dessert.” A bag of marshmallows followed the chocolate bars and graham crackers. “Yummy.”
“I know what my next job is, whittling.”
“Perceptive. But I have that covered, too.” Two wire hangers emerged.
“Anything else in that satchel?”
“How did you know?” She produced a flask.
“What’s in it?”
Peyton twisted the cap off of the leather pouch and squeezed. “Hmm, wonderful.”
She handed him the container and he inhaled. “Peach schnapps. Baby, now we’re living the high life.”
Peyton laughed out loud. He hadn’t heard that beautiful sound in ages.
“Sit and I’ll help you out of the shoes.”
He knelt before her, wrestled them off and lingered. Her gaze met his and a new calm settled in his gut, somehow he would make Peyton his.
She tilted her head to the side. “What are you thinking?”
“How beautiful you are.” He cleared his throat, rose and put all the food stuff back in her bag then settled beside her. “Jill and Richard offered to sell me some acres, right over there.” He pointed across the lake. “For a very reasonable sum I might add, to build a house. I’m thinking I should.”
“That’s great.” Peyton fidgeted and scooted to the edge, away from him.
“I can visualize raising two kids here. Teaching them to swim and fish.”
“That’s nice. Dating anyone special to share your future?” She rose, sidled over to the pit watching the flames. The only sound was the constant crackle from the blaze.
“I have my eyes on someone.” He joined her and slid his arm around her shoulders.
Peyton flinched and shoved him forcing his forearm to drop to his side. “Congratulations, I hope everything works out for you.” She strode to the shoreline.
Cole trailed her footsteps and stopped behind her. He placed his palms on her hips, tugged Peyton’s back against his chest then embraced her.
“Don’t. I can’t believe you want to marry someone and we were together. You haven’t changed at all. Still the same stud.” She tried to pull away from him, but he refused to let go.
“Baby, the woman I have in mind is you.”
“What we have is temporary.” Her chin lowered.
He bristled. “Why?”
“I can’t make any plans for a future.”
“I see.” What she failed to say was with him. He released her. The calm he had experienced moments ago was gone and anger rose from the fiery depths of his soul, because he had screwed up three years ago.
When she turned to face him, tears glistened in her eyes. “Do you? Did anything I told you earlier sink in or are you still playing hero? I’m not going to saddle you with my problems.”
“Can’t or won’t.”
“Does it matter?”
“There’s a big difference.”
She whirled and trotted to her backpack, withdrew the liquor and guzzled. “Ahh, much better.”
He shadowed each of her steps and stood beside her. Peyton slammed the flask to his chest. “Here, drink.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He squeezed the pouch shooting the fruity mixture into his mouth, and swallowed. “Let’s sit and soak up the fire’s warmth.”
“Love to…This could easily become my favorite place.” Peyton sat near the end of the bench and placed her backpack between them.
Yep, he had a long ways to go. He’d ply her with the warming brew. If he remembered correctly, she talked incessantly under the influence and he looked forward to hearing her zany stories.