Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

O nce the snow started in Jasper Falls, it usually lasted months. Erin usually appreciated the buffer the cold weather created at first, but sooner or later that welcomed barrier from the world started to suffocate her. But this winter, things were different and she was happy hiding in her winter cocoon. Because this year she had company.

The townsfolk lived their same routines, working their day jobs—most of them up on the mountain at the lumberyard—and then going home or to the pub after work. For a short time, she'd tried that life, even rented a small efficiency apartment on Main Street, but the loneliness quickly got to her.

When she lost her job working for the mayor, it made sense to move home. It took only two weeks for her to regret that choice, but she somehow got roped into staying and started working at the hardware store. Then, she turned thirty and assumed the role of a modern day spinster—if there still was such a thing.

But she didn't feel like a spinster anymore. She felt like she was a part of something. Her moods had softened and she no longer suffered the seasonal depression she once had. There was only one person to blame for this recent change.

Erin closed the cardboard box, locking away the tobacco-scented flannel as she taped the lid shut.

"Is that the last of them?" Giovanni lifted the box from the floor the second she cut the packing tape.

She nodded, briefly glancing at her dad's dresser. That was next to go on the curb. Someone would hopefully take it and save her the chore of borrowing a truck to haul it away.

A gust of cold air slithered through the house as Giovanni carried the box to his car. Erin stood and left her father's bedroom, never comfortable in that space.

He returned, clapping his hands together as if brushing off dust. "What do you say we drop off the boxes then go grab something to eat?"

"Sure. I just have to find my shoes."

"Take your time." He pressed a kiss to her temple then disappeared into the kitchen. The fridge rattled and she heard him pour himself a drink.

Their relationship confused her. They were officially sleeping together and their connection felt strangely normal. Any animosity from their childhood had faded away, replaced by an unexpected, but natural, familiarity.

She didn't know why he was so nice to her when no one else was. Maybe it was the sex. They were good in bed, but they were also good out of bed. If she were being perfectly honest, she liked him, as a friend and more.

The more wasn't a surprise. Giovanni was extremely attractive and sweet when he dropped the act and showed his true self. Any girl who got to know him would easily fall for him—a threatening thought she didn't like to entertain.

Their friendship worried her more than their chemistry. Sex was easy, but sex with Giovanni always demanded more from her than with anyone else. With him, it was deeper, emotional, and ten kinds of earth shattering. He was giving her feelings she wasn't ready to feel.

Erin didn't have many friends. The few she had, she often wondered if friendship was too generous a label. Was Finn her friend, or simply an acquaintance from her past? Even now, she shied away from such technicalities, afraid the truth might leave her with an unwelcomed emptiness inside.

Giovanni came to her house every day. They watched TV together, talked, laughed, and sometimes just sat in silence, enjoying each other's company. Maybe that was normal for him, but it was a novel comfort for her.

She didn't share her life with anyone—never had. When her father was alive, no one was ever allowed in their house. Finn never came over when they dated, and it wasn't like she had any urge to hang out with the one-night stands she'd had over the years.

Yet, she often found herself telling Giovanni secrets she never shared with anyone. Maybe it was because her father was gone and couldn't hurt her anymore. But she suspected it had less to do with the man who made her life miserable and more to do with the man who made her laugh and smile daily. Giovanni made her happy, a feat few had accomplished before.

Confused as to whether this advanced comfort level was a postmortem-empty-house thing or a Giovanni thing or a compatibility thing, she simply observed and let it happen. But the more consistently he appeared in her life, the more she expected him to be there— wanted and anticipated his presence—and that scared her because everyone she cared about eventually abandoned her. She worried one day she'd anticipate his arrival and he'd never show, and that would be the end of them.

Her fear of abandonment often got in her way, tripping up her thinking and putting her in a temper she couldn't easily navigate. Giovanni showed so much patience with her. He'd wait out her moods and try to talk through her feelings, which caused her to think deeper than she would on her own. Sometimes it was insufferable to dig through her thoughts, but other times it helped her shrink down her demons and focus on the present.

"You're quiet tonight."

She glanced at him as he briefly took his eyes off the road to meet her stare.

He studied her, seeing way too much in only a brief second.

"I'm okay."

"You sure?" His hand closed over hers and he gave her gloved fingers a squeeze, a common gesture she was growing used to.

"I'm sure. Just thinking."

"About?"

She shrugged. "Life. Us."

He glanced at her again, this time his stare wore a hint of concern. "Should I be worried?"

Her lips curled into a soft smile because it was sweet to think that he cared enough to worry. "No. I'm just wondering what we're doing."

"What do you mean? Right now, we're dropping boxes off at Goodwill then we're going to dinner."

"I mean us. Are we…dating?"

Again, he looked at her, then his eyes focused on the road, but she knew he was thinking about her question. "Well, we're sleeping together. I would hope that stayed sacred between us."

"You know I'm not with anyone else. We're together every day."

"Does that bother you?"

"No."

"Good." He smirked. She loved when he showed hints of possessiveness with her, mostly because no one had ever treated her like someone worth coveting.

He turned the car and they headed out of Jasper Falls toward Goodwill. They were silent for several minutes, just the soft rush of the tires under them and the chatter of a radio commercial playing low from the speakers.

She smiled when they passed the side of the road where her car had broken down. That memory seemed a lifetime ago.

"So, do you want to?"

Turning back to him, she frowned. "What?"

"Go out? Be a couple?"

"Are you asking?"

He shot her a dimpled grin as he shifted lanes on the highway. "Erin Montgomery, will you go out with me?"

It was so juvenile and silly, but she loved that he voiced the question, framing it so there was no possible way of misinterpreting his intentions. Heat bloomed in her chest and she realized she'd been hoping he'd ask. "Yes, I'll go out with you."

"Then it's settled. You're my girlfriend."

No matter how hard she tried to hide her smile, her lips stayed curved in a grin. Giovanni Mosconi was her boyfriend. She lifted her brows, still surprised by their connection and her attraction to him. Stranger things had happened, she supposed.

When they reached the thrift store, he loaded the boxes of her father's clothes onto a cart and wheeled them inside. The clerk went through each item and tallied up the donations. "Do you want a receipt for taxes?"

Erin only wanted to be rid of her father's personal things. "No, that's okay."

"Then you're all set."

"Thanks." Erin turned away from the register, but Giovanni was no longer by her side.

She searched the rows of secondhand clothes and located him in the back corner of the store. When she reached him, he was intently rifling through a rack of tacky shirts.

"What are you doing?"

"There's some amazing stuff here." The swipe of metal hangers over the display pole continued as he perused the shirts. "Oh man, check this out." He pulled away a hideous top sewn out of orange shag carpet and yarn. "I always wanted a genuine Muppet fur sweater."

She laughed. "Who buys this stuff?"

He scoffed with feigned outrage. "You obviously know nothing about fashion. This fabric is exquisitely rare, up there with dragon tusks and unicorn pelts. Everyone in Milan, London, and Rome is dying to get their hands on similar garments."

She snorted. "You wouldn't be caught dead in such a thing. You're more into labels than most women."

He smiled at her, not bothering to deny the truth. "You think I'm prissy?"

She laughed again. "I think you've got a thing about appearances."

He shrugged and proceeded to sort through more items on the rack. "I like nice clothes. That doesn't mean I'm too pretentious to have fun."

"Fine, let's play a game," she challenged. "I'll find you an outfit, and you can find me one. We have to wear it out to dinner tonight."

His jaw practically unhinged with a gaping grin. "Are you serious?"

"Yup."

"You have to wear whatever I pick?"

"Yup. Out to dinner. Tonight. But the same goes for you, Mr. GQ. You have to wear whatever I choose for you."

"Oh my God, I don't think I've ever been more attracted to you. What are the ground rules?"

She thought for a second. "It has to be weather appropriate. I'm not wearing flip flops in the snow."

"Holy crap, I forgot about shoes! Anything else?"

She couldn't think of any other rules. She supposed most women might freak out about such a game, but what did she care? No one in Jasper Falls had anything nice to say about her anyway. Let them see her dressed like some sort of sideshow attraction. She had nothing to lose. "Do your worst."

"Oh, I will."

They divulged their sizes and broke apart. Giovanni rushed to the women's section as she grabbed the shag carpet sweater and went in search of pants. She found an amazing pair of psychedelic printed bellbottoms for only two dollars in his size.

Over in accessories, she found a pair of glasses, one lens shaped like a martini glass, the other shaped like an olive. A metal ring belt would go great with the pants and she found just that by the shoes.

There weren't many exciting options for men's shoes, and she almost gave up until she spotted something red sitting on the floor. They were perfect. Ruby patent leather boots that rose to the knee. If Wonder Woman were a boy, he'd wear boots exactly like that.

At the register, she snagged a thick chain that looked made of brass but it was lightweight and plastic.

"Will that be all?" the clerk asked, as she bagged up Erin's items.

"How much is that hat?" They kept the hats behind the register to keep customers from trying them on.

"This one?"

"No, the blue cowboy one with the pheasant feather."

The clerk pulled it down and examined the price tag. "Nine-ninety-nine."

Erin smiled. "I'll take it."

She paid the bill and waited for Giovanni at the front. He was taking a while and she wondered if that was good news for her or bad news.

Finally, he appeared at the front with a cart full of items and a grin cracked wide across his face. "No looking!" He skipped past her, giddy, and let out a maniacal laugh.

Erin chuckled. He was having a blast.

Once he paid and had his bags in hand, he met her by the door. "Ready?"

She lifted a chin to his haul. "What did you get?"

"You'll see." He snickered.

They decided to go to the restaurant and change in the bathrooms there before ordering. Both in the mood for Italian, they drove to Vincenzo's and carried their bags inside.

The restaurant was run by Vincenzo's three daughters, each distantly related to Giovanni through the marriage of one of his McCullough cousins.

"Hey, Giovanni! I heard you were back in town."

"Hey, Nikki. You remember Erin."

The second the waitress recognized Erin, she did a double take but said nothing. She took their drink order and dropped two menus on the table. "I'll grab your drinks then give you some time to decide."

Once they were alone, he grinned at Erin. "Shall we?"

Now that they were in public, she was having doubts. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Are you kidding? I've never been more ready in my life."

"Okay, but you have to do it, too."

He chuckled. "You can't scare me. I love being the center of attention and I live for laughter. This is going to be hysterical."

They traded bags and disappeared into the restrooms. Once locked inside, Erin opened the bag and burst out laughing. "I'm going to kill him."

Nikki returned with their drinks and stopped in her tracks at the sight of him. "Um…What the hell are you wearing?"

Giovanni grinned proudly, loving Erin's selections. "It's a long story."

"You look like Elton John and Liberace's love child—if he were an extra on the Sopranos."

His grin doubled. "I know. It's fabulous."

"You're…proud of this look?" She slid the drinks onto the table.

"Hell yeah. Erin picked it out."

"About that—" Nikki's words cut off as the door to the women's restroom opened.

Giovanni forgot the waitress as Erin's scintillating presence demanded every ounce of his attention. His stare traveled from her platform glitter boots, to the teal, windbreaker track pants tucked inside, over the thick, snakeskin belt to the fitted emerald green body suit with a plunging neckline. When he met her stare, she wore the hottest blush he'd ever seen and she could hardly contain her laughter.

"What the…?" Nikki stared as well.

"Wait for it," Giovanni warned, practically licking his lips in anticipation.

Erin lifted the bulky, tiger print, faux-fur coat with a collar big enough to make all the pimps of the world jealous, and swung it over her shoulders with appropriate flair. She then cocked the lace fascinator on her head and sauntered to their table, not flinching or sparing the slightest concern for how Nikki and the other patrons gawked.

"I believe you've been waiting for me," she said as if this were a planned rendezvous.

The words all my life filled his head but he swallowed them back. "You're..." Words failed him. Brilliant. Exceptional. Stunning. Everything he always wanted… "Enchanting," he finally said.

"I'll pass your praise to my personal shopper." She gasped and brushed a hand over his sleeve. "Why, is that genuine Muppet fur you're wearing?"

He glanced down at his ensemble and rubbed the shag of his sweater between his fingers. "It is. Very exotic and very expensive," he informed her in his snootiest voice.

"May I sit down?"

He waved a hand. "I'd feel robbed if you didn't. I'm afraid I missed your name."

Without skipping a beat, she lowered into the chair, holding out a hand that displayed the doorknob shaped ruby ring he grabbed from the register display at the thrift store. "Madame Jezebel McHuffinpuff the third, panderer of flesh and connoisseur of men."

He took her offered hand and kissed her fingers. "The pleasure is mine, Madame."

"And you are?"

"Lord Luther Van Tiger Duke, great, great, great grandson of Beau Brummell, the English dandy and fashion leader of the regency—break-dancer extraordinaire."

She snorted, unable to hold a straight face a moment longer.

"I'll, uh, be back for your orders," Nikki said, her brow pinched in confusion.

She backed away from their table as if fearful she might catch the crazies . He and Erin laughed for several minutes, unable to contain themselves long enough to finish a single sentence.

"We look ridiculous," Erin finally admitted, yet somehow, with her cheeks rosy from laughter and her eyes glistening with tears of joy, she'd never looked prettier.

"I can't wait to get you into bed tonight."

Her laughter cut off and her smile transformed into something shy and fragile. Then her blush deepened.

He was slowly coming to understand the qualities she didn't openly share. Glimpses of vulnerability slipped out whenever her guard came down, and he loved puzzling all her personality traits together. She was nothing like the girl everyone assumed she was.

"You just want to get me out of this ridiculous outfit."

"That ridiculous outfit is stirring a serious response in my psychedelic pants, Madame."

She batted her eyes and waved a ruby-laden finger at him. "Careful, my lord. I charge by the hour and I'm very expensive."

No, she was priceless, he thought.

They shared a dish of homemade lasagna and had cannoli for dessert. Everyone who came into the restaurant noticed their attire and tried hard not to stare. After a while, the conversation became more interesting than their clothes, and he forgot how they were dressed. But, when they paid the bill and stood, he took in her tacky getup and lost it all over again.

They laughed to a point of tears and when they made it back to Erin's house, their clothes didn't make it to her bedroom. Hideous pants and faux-fur littered the hall. But he made her wear the boots and that little lace fascinator for fun.

Erin was turning out to be the greatest, unexpected surprise to his life. He loved how unpredictable she could be and how strong she was.

Only a woman of great confidence could have done what she did tonight. So many people cared what others thought, and changed to please strangers more than themselves. But not Erin. Erin did whatever the hell she felt like doing, and he absolutely loved that about her because he tried to live his life the same way.