Two Together by Reina M. Williams

Author:Reina M. Williams
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Sierra Mountains, wholesome romance, clean romance, military hero, modern fairy tale retelling, forced proximity
Publisher: Rickrack Books
Published: 2018-04-29T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

HE WONDERED IF THE cottage they’d be going to had a piano. He didn’t want to die without hearing her play again. He leaned his head back. That didn’t help him get his head on straight.

Why did she have to smile like that? Her brighter smiles he could begin to ignore, but her sad smile made his chest ache and his arms strain to hold her again. That was not happening.

If he kept her talking, she’d eventually say something irritating or interrogate him again. That would make his mutinous feelings stand down.

“Do you usually walk to work?” He watched the firelight dance shadows on the ceiling.

“Yes, or bike. Are you familiar with Menlo Park?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s a lot different than it is here. I like both. Do you think we can take that walk tomorrow?”

“If the storm lets up.” He was getting too relaxed. He sat tall again.

“I’m not used to being inside all day. I always walk at my lunch hour. It could be fun...” She eased forward, leaning toward him briefly as she adjusted her position.

Her scent, her closeness, made his hands twitch, wanting to hold her. “If?”

“It’s been fun, I guess.”

“You guess?” How was it that her teasing had become cute?

“Hard to have fun when danger shadows you.”

He eyed her carefully, not wanting her to see him watching. “It’ll be over soon.”

“Will it? How long have they been investigating my stepfather? And these other people?”

The pop of annoyance wasn’t enough. “Years.”

She drew in a breath and exhaled audibly. “For your sake, I hope it doesn’t take that long. I wouldn’t want you to feel like you had to protect me for years.” Her tone was teasing again.

Years...he could know her, all her cute quirks, her depth, her passions and pains. He tried to force a bark of a laugh, but it came out a cough.

“Wow, that bad, huh? Don’t cough too much. It might aggravate your injury.”

He opened his mouth to form a sarcastic come-back, but that choked in his throat too. This wasn’t going according to plan. He rubbed his hand across his mouth.

“I don’t need a nursemaid.” There, some anger revved up.

“Did I say that? But, you know, if you’re being appointed my bodyguard, I need to know you’re up for the job.”

“I’m good.” He crossed his arms, waiting for her to challenge him. But she didn’t.

“That’s a beautiful painting above the mantel—it’s a Bierstadt, right? But I really like that one by the door—did you draw it when you were little?”

She chose the kid’s art over an expensive original painting. “Yes.”

“You captured the joy of sledding. Did your parents frame it?”

He shrugged. He assumed the Kettles had framed it and hung it there. It’d been after his mother had died.

Something crashed against the porch. He shot up and jogged along the wall to the doors. Just a fallen branch. He rolled his shoulders.

“Okay?” she asked, peering over the sofa.

“Yeah. Probably we’ll lose more trees, but hopefully nothing else.”

“Has the house ever been damaged?”

“No.” Not by any storm, at least.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.