#Chapter 68: Two of a Kind

Nicholas’s mouth was so close. As I looked at it, he licked his lips. I licked mine in reply. We leaned closer, closer, dangerously close… Then the oven timer dinged. We immediately straightened, snapping away from each other. Nicholas turned, coughing into his hand. I reached for the oven mitts and pulled the finished stuffed mushrooms from the oven. With the tray safely on the counter, I couldn’t find the courage to look at him again. He cleared his throat. “Nostalgia does tricky things to the mind.” “It does,” I agreed, thankful for the safe retreat his words offered. “I should go now.” He took a step, then paused. “Goodnight, Piper.” “Goodnight.” I didn’t move again until his footsteps disappeared from the kitchen. Even after he was gone, I needed a moment to get my heartbeat under control. Finally, I returned to putting the finishing touches on my stuffed mushrooms and preparing them for storage. I very carefully did not think about what just happened, or what it might