Page 7 of Reckless (Adventures in Love 3)
“My parents are on seventy acres and about thirty minutes outside of town. It’s always an adventure anytime they need anything from the store.” She waits for me to hang up my coat before she follows me down the short hall into my kitchen.
“This is it.” I motion to the kitchen and living room. “Like I said, there isn’t much to it.”
“It’s nice.” She looks around, then stops at the picture window in the living room, where you can see part of the forest beyond my house with the help of the floodlights I have hooked up. “I bet the view out this window is beautiful during the day.”
“It’s not as nice as the view where I plan on building. Maybe if it’s not too cold tomorrow, I’ll take you up there on the snowmobile,” I say, then wonder why the fuck I said that. No one, not even Tanner or Blake, has been up to where I plan on placing my house.
“I’d like that.” She smiles, then looks down at her feet, and I’m surprised to see Caz wrapping herself around her ankles. “You have a cat?”
“No.”
“No.” She gives me an adorably confused look as Caz jumps up onto the back of the couch to get closer to her.
“This place was hers before it was mine. She came with the house.”
“Your cat came with the house?” She laughs, getting closer so that she can pet her.
“Careful.”
“She’s sweet.” She glides her hand down the cat’s back, and Caz’s spine arches like she wants more.
“She must like you. The only time she ever comes to me is when she wants a treat.”
“That’s because she’s a smart girl.” She rubs behind Caz’s ears. “She knows that if she gives you too much attention, you’ll take it for granted and forget that you need to give her something in return.”
“That sounds like you’re speaking from experience,” I say, and she shrugs before meeting my gaze.
“Do you mind if I let Pebbles roam?” she asks on a yawn, covering her mouth.
“Nope.” I head for one of the doors off the living room. “I only have bunk beds in my guest room. I hope that’s okay.”
“I’d sleep on the floor if that’s all you had.” She walks across the room to meet me, and I place her bag inside the room where my nephews have slept when they’ve come to visit me.
“The bathroom is down the hall where we came in, and there’s towels and stuff in there if you want to shower. I think there might even be a fresh toothbrush in the linen closet, but I’m not sure.”
“I have one of those.” She pats the top of her suitcase. “Thank you again. I’m seriously going to bake you a dozen cookies as soon as I have access to an oven.”
“You can bake?”
“No.” She laughs, making me chuckle. “But I’m the best store-bought-cookie-dough baker around.”
“I’m looking forward to experiencing that then.” I smile and shake my head when she yawns once more. “Get some sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“I should call Cybil and let her know I’m here.”
“The house phone is in the kitchen on the wall. Last I checked, there was still no cell service.” I head for the door, then stop and turn to face her. “If you wake in the morning before me, make yourself at home; coffee is in the pantry, and there’s eggs and shit in the fridge to eat. With any luck, the freeze won’t happen, and I’ll be able to get you up to Cybil and Tanner’s place tomorrow.”
“Sure.” She bends to pick up her dog and then holds him against her chest. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“See you tomorrow,” I tell her before going out into the living room and shutting shit down, leaving just enough light for her to see where she’s going so she doesn’t run into the furniture or trip over her dog or Caz. Once I’m done, I head for my room, strip down to my boxers, and get into bed. I don’t know how long I lie there awake, but I don’t fall asleep until after I hear her make her phone call, shower, and shut her bedroom door.
“Pebbles, stop it!” I hear shrieking as a dog yaps, and my eyes fly open. “Oh my God, you’re going to get yourself killed, you idiot! That’s a bear!”
“What the fuck?” I sit up and flip on the lamp next to my bed, then quickly get up and throw on a pair of sweats from the chair in the corner of the room. After grabbing my gun from the top drawer in my dresser, I head out of the room and run down the hall to the front of the house, where I can hear Jade yelling at the top of her lungs and her dog barking.
