Chapter 16

TAMMY

"So, what do you think?" I asked Macy over dinner.

"I think it's too soon to move in together, but if you really feel like this is the right thing to do, you have my blessings," Macy said. "But you have to promise to come back if anything goes wrong."

"I promise," I agreed.

"What did Lindsey say?" Dillon asked with a chuckle.

"She's picking out wedding presents already," I sighed.

Both Macy and Dillon laughed. We finished dinner talking about the cabin and logistics of moving. I had just two suitcases here but a fair amount of stuff in storage outside of town. I was going to have to rent a U-Haul and get some help with the furniture.

"I can come down," Dillon said. "And we can probably get Bradley from the storage place to help us move at that end."

"I can help," I offered.

Dillon nodded his agreement.

"Tomorrow's my day off," I said. "Can we go tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow I have a call at nine," Dillon said, "but I could go in the afternoon."

Macy took pity on me, seeing my pinched face. "I can go in the morning."

Dillon opened his mouth to protest.

"It's just a dresser and a mattress," she pointed out. "Tammy and I can handle it. And like you said, we can get help from Mr. Bradley."

Dillon shrugged. "If you want to wait, I can help."

"We'll be fine." Macy stood up and kissed him on the top of his head, clearing away the dishes.

I spent my last night in the laundry room, staring up at the ceiling, too excited to sleep. I texted Mike when it became apparent that I would be lying awake all night. He texted back immediately.

Thinking about the cabin, I texted.

Do you have a TV? he wrote.

Yes. A small one.

Do you have any lamps?

Maybe. I don't remember, I answered.

We went back and forth about our day, about how we were going to organize things in the cabin, and about our jobs. I told him Lindsey was picking out China patterns already. He sent back three laughing emojis and one heart.

I was finally able to sleep, hugging my phone to my chest. By tomorrow, I would be able to cross the hall if I wanted to talk to him. We could lie in bed together and let our thoughts wander. We could make love anytime we felt like it. It made me nervous to be moving this fast, but it also felt right. I had been down in the dumps in Austin for too long, emotionally. This could be just what I needed.

Icouldn't wait to get up and going the next day. Macy barely had time to feed the kids breakfast before I was jumping on her to get going. I hadn't felt right for the past few days, and my stomach protested all the movement. I had taken it easy on breakfast, but there was still something sour down south. I wondered if it was the stress of the move or if maybe I was coming down with something. I didn't want the kids to get sick, so I kept my distance except when they hugged me goodbye.

Climbing into the car with Macy, I winced.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"My stomach isn't happy," I said, rubbing it above the seat belt.

"Too much excitement?" Macy asked.

"I think so," I agreed.

"Let's get moving. I want to be home by lunch." Macy shifted into gear, and the car chugged down the hill toward the road.

"Am I doing the right thing?" I asked suddenly.

Macy put her foot on the brake, just about to emerge from the trees. "Should I turn around?"

"No," I said quickly, "keep going. I said I would share the cabin, and I will. At least for now. I think I'm just scared."

"That makes sense." Macy nodded. "I don't know how much you know about how Dillon and I met, but it was under less-than-ideal circumstances."

"Oh?" I asked. I knew nothing about their relationship, other than that they were happy together. I had always thought it had been something romantic like a secret cruise or spur-of-the-moment vacation that had taken them off the grid for several months.

"We had to share our cabin before we even knew each other," she said. "And it was hard. I admit, I got angry sometimes."

"At Dillon?" I asked. I couldn't imagine anyone getting angry at him. He didn't do much or say much beyond providing support to his family.

"Well, I didn't know him then," she repeated.

"So, you're saying I should do it?" I guessed.

"I'm saying I understand that it's scary. You don't have to do it, but if you want to try it out for a couple weeks, you can always use us as an excuse if it doesn't work out." Macy pulled onto the highway, headed for Nashville where we could rent a U-Haul.

"I really like Mike," I said dreamily. I couldn't help it—just his name on my lips made me feel all warm inside. "But I thought I liked Greg when I moved in with him, and that ended disastrously."

"Greg is not the same as Mike," Macy said firmly.

I sat back in my seat, thinking about Mike's expert caresses and Greg's sweaty palms. They certainly weren't the same. And Macy was right—I could always go back to couch surfing if it didn't work out. Or Mike had suggested staying until I found my own place, if that was what I wanted. It seemed like there were enough possibilities that I wasn't boxing myself in. But if that was the case, why did my stomach still seem so fragile?

We made it to the outskirts of Nashville, to the closest truck rental place. I paid for a full day, and I drove Macy's car back to Singer's Ridge while she drove the truck. It took us another half hour to reach the storage unit where I had stashed my stuff. As we had expected, Mr. Bradley was more than happy to help us empty out my locker. There was a respectable amount of furniture, but not enough that the three of us couldn't handle it.

Afterward, the owner of the storage company offered us lemonade, which we accepted gratefully. We sat in the air-conditioned office for a moment, chatting about hair. The owner was a client, and I had scheduled her several times for trims and colorings.

Having quenched our thirst, we said goodbye to the first two people I had seen upon arriving to town and headed up to the mountains. Pulling off Deer Tail Road, we took a short trip up the driveway and parked. Mike was already there, his truck giving him away. He came onto the porch after hearing the unmistakable sound of the moving truck. I had an urge to run to him, like some lovesick little girl romping through a field of daisies, but I stifled it. He was my new roommate, not my knight in shining armor.

Mike came down the porch steps to greet me, just as another, older gentleman appeared at the door. Macy emerged from the U-Haul, slamming the door. Mike kissed me on the lips, a sweet, chaste kiss the kind I had seen my parents share when I was a kid.

"Welcome home," Mike whispered, picking up my hand. He led me forward, up the steps to greet his companion. "This is my dad. Dad, this is Tammy."

"Pleased to meet you—" I began, before Mike's dad wrapped me in a hug so large it startled me. I laughed, wondering why I was surprised that Mike's dad would be so affectionate. Wasn't his son?

"Mike's told me so much about you," his dad said when he set me down.

"Oh?" I looked at Mike. Had we really passed into the "meet the parents" phase of our relationship? It seemed so.

"Macy Ford." Macy held her hand out for a shake.

Mike's dad took it, pumping enthusiastically. "Tammy's cousin?"

"That's right," Macy said. "Can you guys help us move the furniture? I have to be home in time for lunch."

I checked my phone. It was near 11:30. "I think we can do it." I glanced at Mike.

"Of course," Mike said. "You should go home. We'll take it from here."

"Are you sure?" Macy hesitated.

I gave her a kiss on the cheek and a firm hug. "I'm fine. Go home and take care of your kids."

"I'll come get you anytime," she whispered.

"That won't be necessary," I assured her. "Mike's a great guy."

Macy finally gave up her anxiety over me and climbed into her car. She waved at us all as she backed down the driveway. I stood between my new roommate and his dad and watched her go, feeling not a bit remorseful. The upset stomach had ceased to bother me, and I was ready to unpack. It took Mike and his dad almost no time to move my furniture into the spare bedroom.

While they were doing that, I checked out Mike's room. He had moved in already. That famous bed that I knew so well fit snugly into the master bedroom, leaving just enough space for Mike's desk. There was a closet door on one wall and a landscape painting resting on the floor. I stopped to study it, not remembering ever seeing it before. A ray of sunlight broke from snowcapped mountain peaks in the distance, the vista sweeping forward to a patch of sunflowers in the foreground. Another win for Mike; he had an eye for beauty.

I checked out the bathroom and found half of the medicine cabinet full of male toiletry items. Shaving cream, deodorant, and cologne shared one shelf while a pack of razors and a nail clipper rested above them. Somehow the supplies seemed more intimate than Dillon's had. I picked up the shaving cream and sniffed it. It smelled like Mike.

"What are you doing?" he surprised me.

"Oh." I dropped the can into the sink. "Nothing. Just seeing where I'm gonna store my stuff."

He came up behind me and circled his arms around mine. With one foot, he flicked the door shut, giving us privacy for the first time that day. I smiled at our reflection in the mirror, a man and a woman locked in a loving embrace. He kissed my ear, sending ripples of heat flooding down my neck.

A knock on the door interrupted us, and Mike withdrew reluctantly. He opened the door, grinning like a schoolboy caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Where do you want this lamp?" Mike's dad held up a floor lamp, its cord dangling to the ground.

I pushed past Mike, out into the hallway, my face flushed with embarrassment. "It can go in the living room." I accepted it from the older man, walking it to the front of the house.

Mike ducked out from behind his dad, wearing a wolfish grin. We completed the unpacking together. We had amassed enough furniture to populate the living room, enough kitchen appliances for a modest cook, and enough soap and bodywash to fill the shower caddy. Mike's dad and I sank gratefully onto the couch while Mike worked to connect the television to the dish.

"How 'bout I buy dinner?" Mike's dad asked. "I think pizza is traditional for a new home."

I looked at Mike. I hadn't had that many new homes, but pizza did sound good. Mike nodded his agreement. Mr. Newbury got up and left the living room to place a phone call. The television flickered, and then the warm-up screen appeared, announcing that the dish was updating. I gave him a virtual high five from across the room.

Mike laughed. "Wore you out, did we?"

I nodded sleepily. "A lot of excitement today and moving around. Plus, I think I might be coming down with something."

"Don't share it with me," he joked.

"Hard not to." I grinned, allowing him to consider all the activities that might get him sick.

"I think I'll take my chances," he agreed.

Dad came back into the room, pocketing his phone. He was forever walking in on us in the middle of flirtation. I wondered again what Mike had told him about me. Did he share Lindsey's views and expect that I would become his daughter-in-law before too long? Or was he familiar with Mike's charm because there had been other women in the past?

I sighed. It was too big of a conundrum to untangle right now. All I wanted was to relax for a minute in my new home, maybe make a cup of soup and curl up in front of the television. But we still had to return the U-Haul and eat pizza, so I fortified my energy by giving myself a pep talk. Mike's dad was only being friendly. It was clear that they had a close relationship, and that Mike was moving out from under his parents' roof. Maybe it was the first time they had been apart. I had to give them time to say goodbye without appearing rude.

When the meal arrived, we sat at the kitchen table. It was my old table from my apartment, and it was designed for just two people. There were two wooden chairs that went along with it. Mike opted to lean against the counter instead, refusing to sit. His dad and I settled into our seats, and we each grabbed a slice.

"I'm glad I was able to meet you, Tammy," Mr. Newbury said.

"I'm glad to meet you too, sir," I replied. "Thank you for dinner."

"My pleasure." He winked. "Don't let Mike's bad-boy past scare you. He's as kind as a mother hen."

I focused on my pizza, chewing to avoid confusion. What the hell did that mean? I didn't think of Mike as any kind of chicken, certainly not a mother hen. And what was he talking about, "bad-boy past"? That made it sound like Mike had been in a gang. From across the kitchen, I saw Mike's face tighten. He didn't know what to do with his dad's statement any more than I did.

Mr. Newbury chatted on about the lumberyard and the things Mike had done as a teenager. I tried to pay attention, but I was really glad when we finally said good night. Mike and I stood on the porch, his arm over my shoulders, my arm around his waist, like a proper couple, waving goodbye. Mr. Newbury climbed into his car and drove off, leaving us just a few hours of daylight left.

I leaned my head against Mike's shoulder. Being left alone with him felt new but right. This would be our first night together, our first time seeing each other in pajamas, our first Netflix binge. But there was still more work to do.

"Are you up for taking the U-Haul back?" Mike asked.

"We have to," I agreed.

"Let's get it done," he said, grabbing his keys from the kitchen counter. "Do you want to drive my truck or the rented truck?"

I studied both vehicles in the driveway. Mike's truck was only slightly smaller than the rental. I had opted for Macy's car on the drive over here, but I thought I should take responsibility for the rental truck under my name. Besides, if I messed up Mike's ride, I would never forgive myself.

"I'll take the rental." I returned to the house to fetch my purse and the car keys. "What about the house?" I asked as we both stood outside, ready to go.

"Oh." Mike patted down his shirt pocket before withdrawing a single key. "We'll have to make a copy."

"I think there's a machine at the hardware store."

"We can do that tonight, if there's still time," he offered.

I nodded. I would have to. I couldn't very well walk around without a house key. The next thing I would have to do, possibly as early as tomorrow, was find myself a car. I said as much to Mike, and he offered to go with me. He had taken two days off from work to move but had only used one. I accepted gratefully. It would be nice to have a man on my team and to stop asking Macy to drive me everywhere. I climbed up into the cab of the U-Haul, adjusted my mirrors, buckled my seat belt, and shifted into reverse.

I could barely see going down the hill, and when I backed up onto Deer Tail Road, I held my breath, praying there wasn't anyone behind me. It was a twenty-minute drive back to the rental office and another twenty minutes for the inspection of the vehicle before they let me off the hook. Afterward, we drove to the hardware store, arriving half an hour before closing. There was a machine near the door that provided duplicate keys for pocket change. I picked out a red, white, and blue key so I could distinguish it from all the other keys I didn't have. When we finally returned to the cabin, we were both exhausted.

"I think we're both looking forward to… living together," I said, dropping my key on the counter. "But I'm really tired."

"Of course," he said, setting his own keys down beside mine. He bent to catch me above the knee, scooping me into his arms.

I laughed with delight, unsure if he would honor my request to sleep that night. He took me to my bedroom and dumped me on the bed, but instead of kissing me or climbing in beside me, he pulled the covers down so I could scoot underneath. I pushed my shoes off onto the floor and slid my legs in between the sheets. Mike kissed me gently on the forehead and turned the lights out.

"Sweet dreams," he whispered, leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

I considered getting up, changing into my pajamas, and brushing my teeth, but his gesture had been so sweet, I didn't want to waste the effort. I would just sleep for a couple of hours and then get up and change later, I decided. It helped that I was bone-tired and finally resting on a mattress instead of a cot. I drifted off to sleep in my own room without any major appliances for company for the first time in a month. This cabin was going to be a little slice of heaven, complete with an angel for a roommate. Just before slumber claimed me, the inner recesses of my brain brought Mr. Newbury's words back to me. Don't let Mike's bad boy past scare you. I wondered again what he could possibly have meant but let it go. There would be plenty of time to worry about that tomorrow.