“Of course not, dear.” She smiled curiously at me, before turning her attention back to Brody. We can’t send him back out in this weather, Mom,” I blurted out, sounding more desperate than I meant to. I know we’re full, but it’s awful out there. If there was a direct line to my mother’s heart, it was complimenting her inn. “You have a really nice place here,” he said, flashing his gorgeous smile at my mom. “Hi, I’m Brody Murphy.” He offered his hand again.

“Hi there!” my mom said in her typically warm, welcoming tone. “Stay right here.” I turned to go find my mom, but she was already coming around the corner from the kitchen. I’m sure there’s something up the road a little more.” “No biggie, I’ll figure out a way to get my truck out and keep going. “Oh.” He took a deep breath and forced it back out. “No, they’re all taken,” I answered in a quiet, almost inaudible tone. “Uh-oh.” He read the disappointment on my face. Any chance I could grab a room for the night?” Anyway, my truck is stuck in the mud out there. “I took a wrong turn and thought I was on a road. Quickly, I snatched it back and wrapped my arms around myself, instinctively. I felt like an idiot when I realized that we were done shaking hands, but I hadn’t bothered to pull mine away yet. His warm, strong hand acted as an accelerant that set all the cells and nerves in my entire body on fire. The minute his giant hand enveloped mine, I felt my entire body wake from hibernation. When I paused, he raised a curious eyebrow and smirked at me. “Hi, I’m Brody Murphy.” He extended his hand for me to shake. “Whew! It’s brutal out there.” He shook the excess water off his jacket and ran his hands back and forth through his hair, messing it up in the most adorable way. My heart was pounding so loud, I was sure it was about to jump out of my chest and land on the foyer floor at his feet.

This time I noticed the two big dimples on either side of his mouth. He pulled his hat off, revealing dark chocolate brown hair that was a wet mess of short, loose curls. I guessed he was almost a foot taller than my short five foot, two-inch stature. He was big, much bigger than he looked when he was on the porch. Once he was in the door, my mouth went dry. I stepped back, motioning for him to come in.

Room for You by Beth Ehemann