Page 32 of Unpacking Secrets
Juliet
HenrysaidNanmusthave known what she was doing by leaving the inn and cottage to me; I would simply hope that he was right. Now that I knew what was at stake, there was no turning back.
After opening up to him, conversation flowed more easily between us. Henry told me more about the places on my sketch list—none of which were quite as remote as Cooper’s Point, fortunately.
“If you ever want company when you’re checking them out, I’m happy to go with you.”
My breath caught in my chest at the sweetness of the offer, the earnest smile on his face when he made it, the fact that I’d judged him so very wrong.
“That’s . . . really nice of you,” I said after an awkward beat of silence.
His eyes were warm in the lamplight. “I’d rather be there to keep you from falling than worry you’re out wandering the wilderness on your own.”
I would’ve laughed at the thought he might worry about me, at least up until a few hours ago. Before I could settle into the intimacy of the exchange, Henry smoothly changed the subject, telling me about the inner workings of the Lakeside Inn and stories of his afternoons at the cottage with Nan when he was a child.
When I looked out the window sometime later and realized the evening had faded well into night, I blinked in confusion, surprised at how much time had passed. As if on cue, I yawned, covering my mouth with both hands. Henry stood and reached out to help me up.
“Come on, you managed to stay awake for four hours, now you need to get some rest. Doctor’s orders.”
He pulled me carefully to my feet and I let him help me limp to the bathroom. Though Libby had cleaned me up pretty well, my clothes were filthy and I was desperate for a hot shower. Even so, I couldn’t bring myself to put forth the effort, nor was I sure I could stay upright that long on my own.
A sudden flash of embarrassment swept along my skin when I remembered Henry was standing there, watching my silent debate. Hopefully he wouldn’t notice the pile of dirty laundry in the corner, because draped right on top of the heap was my favorite turquoise bra.
My cheeks flamed as I fought to keep myself from glancing over at it. “I can take it from here,” I said.
Henry gave me a curious look but nodded. “If you need anything, just yell. I’ll be right out here.”
“I will,” I said. “And Henry . . . thank you.”
A slow smile spread across his handsome face. “You’re very welcome, Juliet.”
I latched the door with a soft click and leaned my cheek against it. New town, surprise inheritance, knight in shining armor. Whose life was I living, anyway?
Then again, most princesses probably wouldn’t fall down a rocky hillside in the middle of nowhere. Maybe I should practice walking with a book on my head, once I could walk again without limping.
I tried hard not to think about him out there on the sofa as I grabbed my pajamas from where I’d left them on the radiator that morning. I was able to shove my shorts down over my hips without too much trouble before I carefully pulled on a well-worn pair of flannel pajama pants covered in unicorns. At least they were soft enough not to terrorize my raw skin.
After managing to pull my t-shirt off, I froze, staring into the mirror over the sink. Even if I unwrapped my wrist, I wasn’t confident that I could twist it behind my back to unhook my bra.
Maybe I could do it one-handed—hadn’t my college boyfriend bragged about having that talent? My battered muscles complained before I even got my hand level with the clasp, and whether it was fatigue, painkillers, or simple clumsiness, I couldn’t get it undone.
I brushed my teeth, stalling for time, then pressed my ear against the door. Though Henry must’ve known about the hidden TV and cable channels, no sound came from the other room.
Frantically, I considered my options. Would I be able to slip into the bedroom without him seeing me half naked? Could I stand leaving the bloodstained bra on under my nice clean pajamas?
When I looked back at my reflection, my eyes were wide with panic and twin spots of brilliant scarlet highlighted my cheeks.
My knee was unbearably stiff by that point and every inch of my body ached with the reminder of the day’s adventure. Trying to wriggle the bra down and over my hips with only one hand was almost too much to fathom. I clutched the oversized pajama shirt to my chest, unable to make a decision.
When Henry's voice came through the door, I jumped like a scalded cat.
“Juliet? Everything okay in there?”
Think!There had to be some way to put him off, but when I opened my mouth to reply, nothing came out. What would Sarah do in this situation?
His knuckles rapped lightly against the door. “Juliet, I’m going to open the door, all right?”
I beat him to it, hoping to salvage what little dignity I had left. After reassuring myself that I was covered as much as possible, I opened the door. Heat crept up my neck as I took in his look of concern. To his credit, his gaze stayed on my face, though I swore those eyes grew molten.
