Chapter 177

With deliberate slowness, she straightened the bedding, yet even dawdling had its limits.

Bowen knew what was troubling her. With an amused smile, he stood by, making no move to hurry her as she fussed with the bedding.

Then he said calmly, “You should take the inside by the wall tonight. The bed’s a bit narrow. Wouldn’t want you to fall off.” His face was the picture of composure, as if he didn’t have a single ulterior thought.

Aubree sat on the edge of the bed, nervously fiddling with her fingers. “I’m not sleepy yet. I think I’ll go to bed a bit later,” she said.

Bowen didn’t insist. Instead, he quietly began straightening the bedding himself. Before long, his phone rang; it was from Hugh, the family butler.

“Hello?” Bowen answered as he settled onto the bed.

“Bowen, when are you coming back tonight?” In Ellis Heights, Hugh glanced at the beautiful, doll-like girl on the sofa and felt troubled. “This girl’s brother is truly unreliable. How could he leave her here like this?” he thought.

Isla, sitting on the sofa, seemed to notice Hugh’s gaze. She looked up with a sweet smile and asked, “Mr. Watson, when is Bowen coming back?”

Hugh rubbed his temples in frustration. He couldn’t understand a word of Odionlandian, and the little girl’s chattering might as well have been gibberish to him.

“I brought Aubree to Gracefield Church to fulfill my father’s vow,” Bowen said. “The snow has blocked the roads, and I don’t think I can make it back tonight. Did something happen at home?”

Hugh frowned and said, “Bowen, your foreign friend said he had to go back to Odionland, but his younger sister wanted to stay. He asked you to look after her. He came to look for you but couldn’t find you, so he just left his sister here.

“Carol and I don’t understand a word of Odionlandian. What are we supposed to do?”

Bowen frowned for a moment, then seemed to have an idea and chuckled. “Hugh, go get Alvin–and have him entertain our guest.”

Hugh hesitated, his expression uncertain. ‘Is it okay to call Alvin over?’ he wondered.

Whether Alvin would come was another matter. At that time, the bed was already ready in the church courtyard.

Aubree tried to keep herself busy, stubbornly scrolling through her phone despite the terrible signal. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Bowen taking off his coat, and from the looks of it, he was about to shed more layers.

Aubree was instantly scared straight. “Bowen, what are you doing?” she blurted out.

“To get undressed for bed, obviously,” Bowen replied matter-of-factly. “There’s nothing much to do up here in the mountains, so we might as well turn in early, rest up, and see if we can make it down tomorrow.”

Well, I guess that makes sense, but isn’t this moving a little too fast? Aubree thought and bit her lower lip. Honestly, it’s not that I’m being dramatic. Anyone would feel awkward sharing a room with a guy she barely knew!

“Are you getting sleepy?” Aubree asked.

“Kind of,” Bowen replied, tilting his head at her. “Just do your thing, don’t worry about me.”

Hey, that’s not the point, Aubree thought frantically. She grew restless, unable to decide whether to sit or stand.

Bowen watched her agitation, a faint, knowing smile playing in his eyes as he feigned ignorance. He removed his outer garments, remaining in his shirt and pants, and lay down on the outer side of the bed.

Just as Aubree was still hesitating, a voice called out from outside the window, “Miss Miller, Mr. Turner, are you still awake?”

From the sound of it, it was the same priest who had arranged for them to stay.

“Yeah, is there something?” Aubree asked.

“I noticed your lights were still on, so I thought I’d come by and see if you needed anything. The pastor was a bit concerned and sent me to check on you. If there’s anything you need, just let me know,” said the priest.

“Nothing needed. We’re turning in now,” Aubree replied.

Not wanting to trouble the priests, she reluctantly switched off the light.

With the lights out, Aubree felt even more flustered.

Come on, Aubree thought to herself. Bowen won’t do anything inappropriate. We’re not even under the same blanket, so what am I so nervous about?

With a resigned sigh, Aubree took off her outerwear and shoes, then slipped into the inner side of the bed.

Bowen kept his eyes closed. It was only after a while that he sensed Aubree quietly slipping into bed.