Page 65 of Cabin Mate

She looks up at me with teary eyes. “Really?”

I nod.

“With the lavender vanilla bath salts?”

“Whatever you want,” I say, meaning it.

A tear slips down her cheek. “That sounds perfect.” She sighs. “And afterward, we’ll talk. I promise.”

Swiping the tear off of her cheek with my thumb, I whisper, “All right.” I give her a reassuring smile before turning and heading toward the bathroom to get her bath ready.

Maybe I should try to relax while she’s in the tub… because my stomach is in knots, and my brain is fuzzy with anxious thoughts. Something shifted today, and I think it’s good. But if I read her all wrong, I’ll be wrecked.

Molly Vanderbilt is it for me. There’s no one else.

My only other future is being a single, crazy cat man. Or maybe I’ll have a herd of emotional-support Highland cows?

While Molly is in the bath, I change into my unicorn onesie and relax on the bed while watching funny animal videos on the internet. Funny animals always calm my brain.

When she finally steps out of the bathroom, her skin is pink from the hot water and she’s wearing knee-high fuzzy socks with flannel shorts and a matching flannel top. Her hair has gone from a fancy updo to a neat ponytail.

She’s. So. Freaking. Cute.

I have an overwhelming desire to wrap her up in a blanket and cuddle with her until we fall asleep together. I swallow slowly, reminding myself that one kiss doesn’t give me the right to unlimited cuddles.

Molly sits on the bed, looking a little nervous and lacing her fingers together in front of her and then resting them on her outstretched legs. Her very smooth legs …. that now smell like french-lavender.

Facing her, I give her my full attention, waiting patiently for her to gather her thoughts and speak.

“Todd proposed to me today,” she blurts suddenly.

My shoulders tense and I feel suddenly warmer in this onesie than I did a moment ago. “Excuse me?” I ask, thinking maybe I heard her wrong.

She hugs her knees to her chest. “Yeah. Apparently, our mothers arranged it and sprung it on me right before the wedding.” Her head tilts to look at me. “I said no, obviously. But he told me something, and I can’t stop thinking about it.”

Breathing a sigh of relief that she turned him down, I unzip my onesie to my belly button. Because I’m starting to sweat. “What was it?”

Molly pulls her lips into her mouth, making me think back to our kiss earlier, then she looks down at her knees. “Well, for the past six years, I’ve received a plethora of gorgeous antique spoons.” She finally looks at me again.

A bead of sweat drips down my back. Damn this onesie!

“They’ve all come with a note. Each one has been very sweet and romantic. Naturally, I thought it was Todd.” She pauses but doesn’t break eye contact. “But today he told me he has never sent me a spoon. Not once.”

My throat feels thick and I clear my throat. “Really? How strange.”

“The strangest thing is … I just received one this morning. The prettiest one yet.”

Wiping my sweaty brow on the sleeve of my onesie, I squeak out, “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” she answers, a playful smile tugging at her lips. “My brain has been spinning all day, trying to think of who could be sending them. And unless my sister has been writing me love notes… my only other guess is… you.”

The warm fabric of my onesie feels suffocating, sticking to my sweat and making my nervousness unbearable. My usual cool, confident persona is in shambles as the woman I’ve hidden my feelings for for years has found me out.

I stand from the bed and strip the onesie off—unable to tolerate it any longer—leaving me, once again, in nothing but boxer-briefs in front of my best friend. I pace next to the bed and drag a hand through my hair, trying to think of what to say.

Small, cool hands grip my arms gently. “It’s okay, Brooks. I— I’m glad it was you.”

I release a deep breath and look up to meet Molly’s wide, blue eyes. The look on her face conveys vulnerability and a little apprehension. “Wait, what? Really?” Here I was worried she’d think I was a huge creep.