mother must be on some really good meds with the way her sons are constantly risking their lives.”
Landon laughed. “You’d think so, but she’s super chill.”
“She was here earlier. She brought me dinner, and we had a nice visit.”
“That’s nice of her. She’d tell you that having ten kids means you can’t sweat the small stuff, because all you’d do is sweat.”
“Having her sons out in a raging storm isn’t small stuff.”
“To her, it’s just another day. We’ve been doing it for years. Hunter and Will have been on search-and-rescue teams since they were in high school. The rest of us followed as we got old enough.”
“You’re a bunch of studs.”
He rolled his eyes at her. “If you say so.”
“I say so. Most sane people want a woodstove, a blanket, a good book and some hot chocolate during a Nor’easter. You guys want to trek through the woods looking for lost people.”
He laughed again. “We don’t want to do it. Unfortunately, we’re required to do it several times each winter when someone gets lost. And we get called out in the spring and summer, too, when hikers fail to return on time.”
“It’s very cool to someone who’s a total wimp when it comes to the cold and bad weather.”
Landon turned onto his side to face her.
This was starting to feel an awful lot like pillow talk, not that she minded pillow-talking with him. From the first night they’d gone out, she’d found him easy to talk to. Their conversation had flowed effortlessly as he’d entertained her with stories about growing up with nine siblings. She’d also enjoyed hearing him talk about being a volunteer-turned-paid firefighter with the Butler Volunteer Fire Department and the travails of overseeing the family’s Christmas tree farm.
But what she’d really liked best about him was the way he’d listened to her when she responded to a question about her life. He’d seemed genuinely interested in everything she had to say. That’s not to say that Lucas hadn’t been every bit as lovely a dinner companion. It was just that, for whatever reason, she’d connected on a deeper level with Landon.
“How’s your ankle?”
“A little better, but it’s still so swollen.”
“Sprains are the worst. They take forever to heal.”
“I’m sorry it’s taking so long. I should get out of your way and go home to my mom. She’s calling me every day and asking me to come home.”
“You’re not in my way, and you’re welcome to stay as long as you want. I like having you here.”
“You do?”
“Yeah, it’s fun.”
She gave him a skeptical look. “You think it’s fun to have a roommate who steals your bed, stinks like smoke and never stops crying?”
Landon’s grin did wondrous things for his already exceptionally handsome face. “Yes, I think it’s fun to have you here.”
“You’re not right in the head.”
“Believe it or not, I’ve been told that before.”
Amanda laughed.
“And you don’t stink like smoke.”
“Yes, I do. It’s all I can smell.”
To her great surprise, he leaned in close to her, picked up a chunk of her hair, brought it to his face and took a deep breath. “Nope. You smell like honey and something else. Something sweet…”
“Oatmeal.” His closeness and the intense way he looked at her made her feel breathless. “It’s the shampoo.”
“You don’t smell like smoke.” He let her hair slide through his fingers while she watched, her every nerve ending attuned to him. “And I really do like having you here, so stop worrying about things that don’t matter, okay?”
“Only if you’ll tell me when I start to smell like old fish.” She laughed at the face he made. “My grandmother used to say that, after three days, guests start to smell like old fish. And I’ve already been here longer than three days.”
“And you smell like oatmeal and honey and nothing at all like old fish—thank goodness.”
“If that changes, you have to tell me to get out. I really can go home to my mom, even if she’d drive me crazy with the hovering.”
He further surprised her when he took hold of her hand and brought it to his lips, setting off goose bumps and other curious reactions when he kissed her knuckles. “Don’t go yet.”
She swallowed a huge lump that had taken up residence in her throat. “Why?”
“Because I like having you here. I like you. I want the chance to get to know you better. I wanted that before the fire, and I only want it more so now.”
It was the most either of