Page 92 of Sugar & Shadows

With two big steps back, Sabrina held up the radio.

“We got the bear footage,” she said dryly. “We almost died.”

“Even better,” Harper said. “Come back to base. We can start editing.”

She lowered the radio, looking almost disappointed. “We better get back.”

But she didn’t move. She only continued to stare at me. Finally, needing to do something before I gave in and dragged her back to the maple shack, then stripped her naked, I trudged to the ATV.

We packed up in silence, securing the camera equipment, my tools, and the sap. Then we loaded up, and she wrapped her arms around me without hesitation.

When I started the engine, she leaned into my back, and a fire ignited inside me. Damn, her touch felt way better than it should.

Shaking that thought free, I hit the throttle and navigated back to the real world.

Chapter 24

Sabrina

“You’re going.” Mom gave me a firm look, handing me my water bottle.

The ice inside clinked. Good. I was thirsty and hot and uncomfortable.

“This is not a basic stomach bug.”

“Mom,” I groaned. As I brought the sweet, cold water to my lips, I had to hold back from guzzling it.

“I mean it. Doctor Storrow is the best. I made you an appointment at the clinic.”

Annoyances flickered through me. “I’m fine.”

“You are not fine. You are pale and sweaty and you can’t eat without throwing up. Let me call Karen. She can cover for me so I can take you.”

“Mother,” I gritted out, “I can go to the doctor by myself.”

She stroked my hair and gave me another motherly glare that silently told me I best get up and go, then.

“You’ve worked so hard for so long. And if I know you, you neglected your health the whole time. It makes sense that now that you’ve gotten a little downtime, things have caught up with you.”

I’d hardly call my visit to Maplewood downtime, but she had a point. In the last few weeks, I had been eating and sleeping more than I had in years. Of course my body would choose to break down on me in small-town Vermont.

The sickness might have to do with the deeply conflicting feelings I was having about a certain small-town mayor. The butterfly sensations, at least. Because I couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss inside the sugar shack. His warm, insistent lips. The way those strong hands had roamed all over my body.

It had taken weeks of mental discipline to stop thinking about our night together. But after one kiss, all my mental barriers had crumbled.

Every time I saw him, my body went to war. Fierce attraction fought with strong dislike. We were so different; ideologically opposed on everything. He was the last man I should be attracted to.

Yet the pull between us was stronger than anything I’d ever felt before.

No wonder I was sick. Was this what a nervous breakdown felt like?

Eventually, I gave in, but I refused to allow my mother to come along.

The medical clinic was in a brick building on the outskirts of downtown, with a warm, comfy waiting room where I sat and sipped my water, praying I wouldn’t vomit again.

I’d expected Dr. Storrow to be a condescending old man, like the small-town physicians of my childhood. So imagine my surprise when a tall Black woman greeted me.

She wore yellow scrubs, and her makeup was done impeccably, and…