Page 48 of Searching for Bristol
As he stared down into her eyes, it felt as if they were the only two people in the world. He had a feeling she and Lilly would probably still laugh at him when he went to shower, but at that moment, knowing he and Bristol were on the same page, he didn’t even care.
He lifted his other hand and brushed the backs of his fingers over her cheek. “Something smells good in here.”
She smiled. “It’s nothing fancy. Pork roast in the Crockpot. Lilly helped, since it’s still hard to stand on one foot for long.”
“You shouldn’t be up for long periods of time yet,” Rocky scolded.
Bristol rolled her eyes. “I’m fine. I know my limits. And as I just said, that’s why Lilly helped. She did the leg work. Literally.”
Rocky nodded at Lilly. “Thanks.”
She was sitting on the other end of the couch, watching them closely. “You’re welcome.”
“Been a long time since I’ve walked in here and had dinner waiting for me,” he told Bristol.
“How long?” she asked, then wrinkled her nose. “Sorry, no. Forget I asked.”
Rocky couldn’t deny he liked that she sounded a little jealous. And he was on the same page. He was extremely envious of the time others got to spend with her when he was out working. It wasn’t rational, but he felt it anyway. Oddly, knowing she was experiencing some of the same emotions made him feel closer to her somehow.
But he also didn’t want her to think she had anything to worry about when it came to their relationship. So he whispered, “Never.” Then leaned down, kissing her once more. A hard and fast kiss, before standing and heading for the hallway.
He wasn’t quite in his room yet when he heard Lilly say, “Giiiiirl. You two are hot enough to throw sparks.”
Pausing to hear Bristol’s response, he smiled when she said, “He’s pretty amazing.”
He was still smiling as he grabbed a change of clothes and headed to the bathroom. By the time he was finished and back in the living room, Lilly was gone.
“I didn’t mean to chase her off,” Rocky told Bristol.
“You didn’t,” she reassured him. “Apparently everyone who comes over takes their babysitting duties seriously. They don’t like to leave me by myself until you get back. As if I’m gonna leap up and start breakdancing or something the second I’m alone.”
She snorted a laugh when she was done, so Rocky knew she wasn’t upset. Hehadasked people to hang out until he got back from whatever job he was working on, simply because he was leery of Bristol falling or somehow hurting herself, having to lie on the floor in pain until he got back. It was irrational, and stemmed from the knowledge of her doing that exact thing in the woods until he’d found her, but since it didn’t look like Bristol was upset about having company, he didn’t worry about it.
“You’re getting around much better,” he said.
“Yeah. Other than feeling a little lopsided and being extremely cautious not to put weight on my leg, I feel really good,” she agreed. “Are you hungry? The pork roast should be done.”
“Starving,” he said, then offered his arm. He missed carrying her around, but he was glad to see her getting more mobility back every day. When it was just them in the apartment, she used him as a crutch instead of the unwieldy things Doc Snow had given her. She’d ordered a knee walker, a wheeled contraption that had a pad she could rest her knee on as she scooted around, but it hadn’t arrived yet.
He helped her to the small table next to the kitchen area, and chuckled upon seeing it. The entire surface was covered with plastic bins full of art supplies. Beads, sparkly doodads, a pair of pliers, and small plastic squares with Bristol’s logo on them, which she used to hold pairs of earrings and other jewelry for sale.
“Jeez, I’m a slob,” she said with a small laugh. “Give me a second and I’ll clean this up.”
“It’s fine,” Rocky told her honestly. Being in the Navy had made him a neat freak, but seeing her things strewn across his table was a sign she was comfortable in his space, and that was exactly how he wanted her.
“Rocky, it’s a disaster. I’m sorry. I’m used to leaving my crap out in my workroom at home. I didn’t even think.”
He helped her sit, then squatted next to the chair. He put one hand on her thigh and the other at the small of her back. “You know what seeing this makes me think?” he asked.
“That you can’t wait until you get your nice clean space back?” she suggested dryly.
“No,” he said with a shake of his head. “It makes me appreciate the fact that you’re here. Healthy and happy. I love seeing your enthusiasm and pleasure when you’re in the zone creating something. This stuff on my table? It means I get to share my space and life with a beautiful, interesting, and talented woman.”
Bristol licked her lips and stared at him. “Um…okay. Wow.”
“I don’t care if I find beads in every nook of this place years from now. No matter what happens tomorrow, next week, or in a year, they’ll remind me of you, of seeing your smile, and the feeling of not being so alone, if only for a little while. Now, what do you want to drink with dinner?”
He’d purposely lightened the conversation, because he was getting into dangerous territory. He genuinely loved having her around, but didn’t want to pressure her into doing something she might not want to do. She had her own life back in Kingsport, and the last thing Rocky wanted was for her to give that up on a whim.
