Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

Calvin

A unt Pearl is talking. I know because her mouth is moving. But I don't hear a word. My heart is pounding too loudly in my ears.

I have no clue what happened upstairs but Caroline and I had a . . . moment. My body however is behaving like it was an earth-shattering event.

There's no mistaking the attraction between us. Had Aunt Pearl not interrupted us, our forward momentum would have resulted in a lip lock like no other.

Beads of sweat line my brow and I wipe them away. Seriously, who perspires in subzero temps?

"Earth to Calvin!" Aunt Pearl is standing in front of me, shouting, mostly because she's deaf in one ear. Her robust fingers are snapping but given her diminutive height, they only reach my chin. "What's going on in that head of yours, Sonny?"

She's been calling me Sonny since I'm a kid. She never had children of her own. Me and my sister, Kim are the closest she'll ever get.

"Sorry, tired from the drive, I guess." I sit, take a sip of the hot drink and it's as delish as I remember. Two cookies materialize in front of me and I down one of them.

"You okay?" Caroline asks, taking a seat as far away from me as possible. There's an awkwardness that wasn't there before our ‘moment.'

That's what happens when you test the romantic waters with a friend.

"I'm fine. I probably should take a nap and head back to the city."

Aunt Pearl's eyes nearly pop out of her head. "You're leaving?" She's looking at me like I lost my marbles.

"I have to get back to the hospital."

"Oh, that's ridiculous. You just got here."

Aunt Pearl moves away the plate with the remaining cookie and pushes it over to Caroline who grins at me.

"It's not like I want to leave. Actually, I'd love nothing more than to stay here with you."

I can't help looking at Caroline whose face is pinker than usual. Same color as her beautiful lips. Someone has to name that particular shade of pink. There's nothing more alluring in the world.

"What's Caroline going to do here by herself?" Aunt Pearl scratches her head. "I guess I'll have to move in to keep her company."

"No!" Caroline and I say in unison, startling Aunt Pearl. She frowns.

"We mean," I say, "that's very kind but no thank you. I brought her up here specifically for solitude. She's had a rough time of things."

Aunt Pearl squints at Caroline. "She seems okay to me."

Caroline says, "Thanks but looks aren't everything."

Aunt Pearl nods. "Don't I know it."

The three of us laugh and sip our ciders. The awkwardness is gone between me and Caroline. Thank heavens. I almost made a disastrous mistake. I can't lose her friendship.

"How about this?" I say to Caroline. "I'll drive you through town, show you the sights which shouldn't take long, then we'll come back, rest a bit, and I'll head back to the city."

Caroline says, "Sounds perfect."

The two of us stand.

Aunt Pearl says, "If that's not a signal for me to leave, I don't know what is. I'll leave you two love birds alone."

"We're not?—"

"Yeah, whatever you say. Caroline, call me if you need anything. My number's on the fridge." She points to it. "And while you're in town, pick up some extra batteries and candles."

"What for?"

"The storm," she says, looking at us like we're as dense as a cloud of bees.

The sky is still a perfect winter blue.

"Sound advice," Caroline says, placating her.

I kiss my aunt goodbye and see her out. I don't bother offering to drive her home. She'll never agree. She's convinced walking—in all temperatures—is what's keeping her alive.

Caroline and I lock up the house, though merely out of big city habit. The only crime in Sugarbush Falls is taking too long to return a book to the library.

Caroline dons the wool hat I gave her. It brings me inexplicable joy. Teeth chattering, we hurry to my car, laughter mixing with our shivers as the cold air nips at our heels.