The Meltdown Match (A Romance Novella) (6 page)

“This is the most perfect ending to any day I’ve ever had,” Courtney whispered.

Mitch couldn’t agree more.

Mouth-watering smells of homemade cinnamon rolls filled Courtney’s senses as her eyes blinked open. She stretched her body and smiled at her bedroom ceiling. With dreams of Mitch and a new plot for a book fresh in her mind, it was easy to leave her bed behind and make her way to the kitchen, where her parents and Hannah were already eating breakfast.

Her father eyed her from over the top of his paper. “What time did you get in last night?”

“Around one.”

Hannah wiggled her eyebrows. “Was Mitch trying to make a new Guinness record or something, because that had to be the longest June solstice date ever.”

Courtney only smiled. She dropped a huge cinnamon roll on her plate and slid her chair next to her mother’s. “Thanks for breakfast, Mom.”

“You look happy this morning,” her mother commented.

A giddy feeling zipped through Courtney’s body as she pulled apart the roll and popped a piece into her mouth. Morning had never been so cheery and bright, and cinnamon rolls had never tasted so good. “Probably because I am happy.”

Hannah and her mother gave each other knowing smiles, and Hannah started chanting, “Courtney and Mitch, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G—”

“We were in his house, not a tree,” Courtney corrected.

Hannah burst out laughing while her father lowered his paper once more, giving Courtney a you’ve-got-some-explaining-to-do look.

“You went out with Mitch Winters?” A man of few words, he’d always been a little behind when it came to keeping up with his daughters’ social agendas.

“We won The Meltdown Match.”

Her father harrumphed as her mother asked, “So... you and Mitch...”

“Will be spending a lot more time together,” Courtney finished. “In fact, I’m heading to his house this morning to get some writing done. Since he’s got to work, it will be quiet there, and wow, you should see his new place. It’s gorgeous.”

Her mother nodded, lips twitching. “I take it you’ve settled on a plot for your next story, then?”

“I won’t know for sure until I get it down on paper, but yeah, I think so.”

“Let me guess,” Hannah said dryly. “Mitch gave you the idea.”

Courtney couldn’t help the grin that sprang to her face as she nodded. She felt like a silly, twitterpated teenager who couldn’t control her emotions. “Let’s just say he’s definitely inspiring.”

Hannah and her mother exchanged another look, making Hannah giggle. “Somebody’s in love,” she said in a singsong voice, swirling her juice.

Although Courtney rolled her eyes, a warm feeling spread through her chest, making her wonder if her sister was right. What she felt for Mitch was definitely stronger than anything she’d ever felt before, but was it the always and forever kind of love? The kind she’d written and dreamed about?

It sure felt like it.

An hour later, Courtney knocked on Mitch’s front door. When no one answered, she pulled out the spare key he’d given her from her pocket and let herself inside. Her footsteps echoed off the hardwood floor as she made her way to the kitchen, where she put a bag of groceries in the fridge and set a plate of her mom’s cinnamon rolls on the counter. Adjusting the strap of her bag with her laptop on her shoulder, she walked to the den. The double doors were already open, the blinds raised, and the chair beckoning. Courtney inhaled the smell of paper and ink, mixed with a hint of Mitch, and smiled. Then she sat down and got to work.

The story came together like no story had before. Scene after scene played out in her mind, and characters became fully formed as her fingers flew over the keys, failing to keep up with her thoughts. Although she’d always been told to write what she knew, Alaska had never seemed that exciting of a place to set a book before. But now, it was perfect.

As the hours passed, her stomach started rumbling. Courtney leaned back in her chair and stretched her arms behind her in satisfaction. Then she rose and went to the kitchen, where she pulled out the bag of groceries and chopped vegetables for gourmet hoagie sandwiches. Mitch had mentioned that he sometimes came home for lunch, and she wanted to have something ready for him if he did.

Soon the rumblings of the garage door sounded, followed by Mitch walking in the door. He tossed his keys on the counter and headed straight to her, taking her in his arms and kissing her soundly enough to make her toes curl. How many times had she dreamed of this happening? Mitch holding her, kissing her, wanting to be with her.

Excited flutters ran through her stomach as she smiled against his lips. “I could really get used to this,” she murmured.

“Me too.” He drew back and ran his fingers up and down her arms. “Get much done on your story?”

She nodded. “I practically have the whole thing outlined, and I owe it all to you. Not only did you inspire me with the idea, but you gave me the most wonderful place to write it.”

“Yeah, well, don’t think it doesn’t come with strings attached.”

“What kind of strings?” She nodded her head toward the counter. “Because I brought you some of my mom’s cinnamon rolls
and
made you the best sandwich you will ever taste in your life.”

His gaze flicked toward the table and back to her. “That should cover about half.”

“Only half?” Her fingers traveled from his waist to his chest to the back of his neck, where they interlocked. She backed him against the counter and pulled his mouth to hers in a kiss that hopefully made up for the other half. When she finally drew back, she felt weak and had to tuck her head against his chest as she struggled to catch her breath.

His arms tightened around her, and he rested his chin against the top of her head. “Wow, Salt,” he said. “I’ll take one of those anytime.”

She poked him in the ribs. “Not if you keep calling me that.”

He chuckled. “But it fits so well. I mean, think about it. Salt makes almost everything taste better, the same way you make my life better.”

Courtney muffled her laughter in the fabric of his shirt before peeking up at him and shaking her head. “That was the cheesiest thing you’ve ever said, and my name is Courtney. Say it with me now. Court—ney.”

“But it doesn’t have the same ring to it.” He tried to kiss her again, but she broke free and shook her head.

“Just wait until I come up with an equally fitting nickname for you. You’re going to be sorry you ever called me Salt.”

He pulled out a barstool, sat down, and reached for one of the hoagies. “I’m quivering with fear.”

Courtney entered the city offices and took the stairs two at a time. Only thirty minutes earlier, she’d officially finished her rough draft, and it was time to celebrate by taking Mitch out for lunch. The book was coming together quicker than any of her others, and although she still had mountains of revision ahead of her, she’d reached a huge milestone and couldn’t wait to tell him the news.

Ever since The Meltdown Match, her scattered life and question mark of a future had become a little less scattered and a little more certain. For the first time since she’d left for college, Courtney wasn’t afraid to stay in Heimel permanently. In fact, she wanted nothing more than to sink her roots more deeply into the place she’d never really pulled them from. She wanted the life that Mitch had shown her during the past couple of months.

Every day had been as close to perfection as she could have hoped. She’d spent her days writing and the evenings hanging out with Mitch. They did everything together. Fishing, 4-wheeling, biking, hiking, shopping, rappelling, swimming—even hunting, although Courtney wouldn’t let him actually shoot anything, so it was more like animal watching. They played games, cooked dinner, hung out with family and friends, and read books together. The added romance had catapulted a good friendship into something truly amazing, and Courtney had never felt more connected to anyone. Which was exactly why she couldn’t wait to see him now.

She rounded a corner and smiled when she spied his secretary. “Hey, Alyssa, how are you?”

Alyssa twirled a pen between her fingers as she returned the smile. “Better and better, thanks to you.”

“Me?” Courtney asked, unsure as to why she’d been given credit for Alyssa’s good day.

“I now have the happiest, most pleasant boss in the world.” Her eyes narrowed as she peered at Courtney through her glasses. “Don’t you ever dump him, or I might kill you.”

Courtney laughed. Only yesterday, Hannah had pretty much told Mitch the same thing. “Why would I dump him? According to the sun, he’s my perfect match.”

“The sun and a whole lot of salt,” Alyssa muttered, returning her attention to the paperwork on her desk.

Courtney’s smile faltered as she tried to make sense of Alyssa’s words. Did she mean “Salt”, as in
her
, or the stuff people sprinkled on French fries? Either way, it didn’t make sense. “What does salt have to do with anything?”

Alyssa glanced up. “Didn’t Mitch tell you? We added salt to the water to make your vases melt faster.”

“Oh.” A heavy feeling slammed into her as she strained to keep a semblance of a smile on her face while Alyssa continued talking, saying words like
romantic
and
sweet
.

Courtney was suddenly eight years old again on Christmas Eve—the much anticipated night that she finally got to stay up to see Santa Claus instead of having to go to bed. For years, she’d how magical and life-changing it would be. Would Santa bring some of his elves? Would she get to see Rudolf and his glowing nose? Would he give her a hug, set her favorite toy under the tree, and tell her she’d been a really good girl? She’d thought of him all year long.

Turned out it was none of the above, because Santa wasn’t real. Just like The Meltdown Match wasn’t real.

Her heart felt as though it had been poked with a pin, and now it slowly deflated, wrinkling like a balloon.

“Courtney, are you okay?” Alyssa’s voice sounded through the fog.

Voices approached from somewhere down the hall, and two men appeared—Mitch and someone else.

“Hey, beautiful, what are you doing here?” He put an arm around her and kissed her cheek before making introductions. Courtney was vaguely aware of trying to smile and shake the man’s hand before he left, his footsteps sounding loud as they descended the hard, marble stairs.

Courtney tried to talk herself out of her emotions. The Meltdown Match was a silly contest. It didn’t mean anything. She and Mitch were meant to be together because they were meant to be together, not because some huge ball of fire decreed it so. No one in their right mind would place any stock in it at all.

No one except her.

Mitch smoothed his hands up and down her arms. “Hey, something wrong?”

Courtney shook her head slowly, trying to clear it.

“I, uh, need to go make some copies.” Alyssa was out of her seat and down the hall in seconds.

Unable to put a stop to her overreaction, Courtney blinked at Mitch, needing to say something. “The Meltdown Match... you added salt... to the water?”

His face took on a sheepish expression as he nodded. “It gave me the courage to finally ask you out. You’re not mad, are you?”

“No.” What Courtney felt didn’t resemble anger, more like a keen disappointment that she didn’t quite understand. She wasn’t eight anymore. She was twenty-seven and should know better than to believe in something like The Meltdown Match.

Why, then, did she suddenly find herself questioning everything? Was her relationship with Mitch even real? Had she conjured up intense feelings because she thought the universe had said she should feel this way? And what about Heimel and her well of inspiration? Would that run dry yet again? She’d been so confident about everything only moments before, but now all her assurances had cracked.

More than ever, Courtney hated the nickname of “Salt.”

She drew in a deep breath and took a step back. She needed to get away from Mitch, away from everyone. She needed fresh air to breathe and time to figure out what in the heck had just happened.

“I’m sorry, but I’ve got to go. I just remembered I have to do… something.”