Page 6 of Pick Yourself Up (Heroes to the Core #3)
Getting Up To Speed
A mber woke from a restless sleep, her norm for the past few months. Boomer lifted his head as soon as she rolled over. “Hey, Boomer. Did you sleep okay, or did I drive you crazy through the night?”
The dog tilted his head, making her smile. “Okay. It’s the first time I haven’t slept in a hotel room in about a decade. I’ll try to do better tonight. I still can’t believe we’re here.”
She stood and stretched, then lowered her voice. “And I can’t believe he’s here. Dark Eyes.”
How small was the world that the man who’d rescued her in Chicago was a friend of her brothers? All her brothers. A good enough friend that they’d asked him to join them on their farm. Now he was sleeping across the hall.
Mind-boggling. “Do you think he’ll keep my secret?”
Boomer didn’t have an opinion. He just yawned and moved through his stretching routine.
“I’ll have a quick shower, then we’ll let you out and grab you some breakfast.”
She’d dropped into the habit of talking to the dog. The sound of her voice helped her feel less alone and isolated. Reminded her she had someone to talk to, even if he didn’t talk back. Not with words.
She ruffled his fur as she moved into the bathroom, smiling at the yellow fixtures. They reminded her of Jolie and her brightness. And of Jolie’s plan to leave Burke with the pink fixtures.
Apparently, Ford oversaw renovations and maintenance at the farm. He would start working on the farmhouse interior once the weather stopped him from working on things outside.
The pink bathroom wouldn’t be around forever, and she wasn’t sure they could get Burke or Lawson here before it was updated.
When they headed down the stairs, she moved at Boomer’s pace. According to his trainers, he needed to inspect the entire property wherever she lived. That way, he’d be aware of scents that didn’t belong.
He’d reacted perfectly to the new people and Hemsworth so far. He was a fantastic companion.
Dark Eyes had studied Boomer throughout the previous evening. None of the men talked much about their time in the army. She was sure they’d all been through trauma. Much worse trauma than what she’d experienced. But none of them required a dog to help them cope with life.
Boomer stopped and whined softly as he looked at her. “Sorry, bud. Feeling sorry for myself.” Or ashamed of herself, but she wasn’t saying that aloud, not even to her dog.
She wondered if Dark Eyes—Gray—had drawn conclusions about Boomer. Probably. Unlike her siblings, he had the information about the attack, and she was sure he’d figured out Boomer was much more than a regular pet.
She’d avoided being alone with the man last night. With all the people and activity at the farm, it shouldn’t be difficult to keep doing that. Even though she was incredibly attracted to him, she knew keeping her distance was safer.
Knox had explained the group’s routine for meals the night before. They were all on their own for breakfast and lunch. Everyone ate supper together, with each person taking turns cooking while everyone helped with cleanup to make things go more quickly.
Amber had brought a cooler and several bags full of food with her. Nothing frozen as that wouldn’t have survived the trip, but enough that she wouldn’t feel like she was mooching off the others until she could shop locally.
She’d forgotten to bring in the food the previous night, so she headed to the exterior door.
At her side, Boomer showed no nerves or anything other than curiosity.
Still, it took her a moment to build up the courage to open the door.
What if the Lauzons had followed her? What if they were waiting for her?
It was a ridiculous theory. She’d been alone on the highway for hours. It would have been easier to attack her at that point. The police thought no one was watching her, but they couldn’t be sure.
A shudder ran through her, but a peek through the door showed nothing unusual. Boomer didn’t alert and didn’t leave her side until they walked down the porch and the stairs to the driveway.
After Boomer checked out the area, she used the Easy Guard command. It let him know she didn’t think there was a threat. He could move about but needed to stay alert and close by.
While he did his business and explored the immediate area, Amber took the groceries out of her car and stacked them on the porch.
On her last trip, she found Gray lifting the cooler she’d placed there.
His smile warmed her up even as a flutter of panic rippled through her.
He hadn’t divulged her secret last night.
She thought he’d figured out that she hadn’t told anyone, so he’d kept the story of their meeting truthful and straightforward.
They’d met because he was protecting a client at her hotel.
Everyone knew he wouldn’t divulge details of a client he was protecting, so no one had asked any more questions.
“Good morning, Amber. Hey, Boomer. Is this stuff going inside?”
She nodded but didn’t manage any words. Aside from her worries, the man was gorgeous enough to have her tongue tied.
During her job, putting on a persona who interacted easily with the public was a skill she’d learned early.
But personal interactions with gorgeous men? She didn’t have any skills or much experience there.
Amber followed Gray in with her cloth bags. They were alone with Boomer in the kitchen, and he set the cooler by the fridge. “There’s a freezer in the mudroom. Do any of these things belong in there?”
“No. It’s all pantry-type items for the fridge.”
The kitchen was huge, and she busied herself by opening cupboards and adding her supplies.
She filled Boomer’s bowls with food and fresh water. Out of immediate tasks, she turned her gaze back to Gray to find him watching her with quiet intensity.
Twisting her hands, she tried to think of what to say.
Gray smiled softly. “I’m thinking bacon and eggs. You in?”
She smiled in relief. He wasn’t going to talk about the attack. Perfect. “Sounds good. I spotted a griddle.”
She pulled out the griddle she’d found, and Gray grabbed a bowl for the eggs. The others entered the kitchen. Knox and Thea from upstairs. Ford and Jolie from the back door.
Knox grinned. “Bacon and eggs? Add more eggs to the mix, Claus. We’re all in.”
Having everyone in the kitchen meant Amber could relax. She might not know Gray well, but she knew he wouldn’t bring up what had happened at The Sidderlight in front of the group.
Gray flipped the bacon onto a tray he kept in the oven until he’d made enough for the entire group. Then he cooked the eggs while Amber handled making toast and adding it to the oven. They worked seamlessly together, which surprised her. She was used to doing most things on her own.
Once the group sat around the table, Jolie turned to her. “Do you want to take a tour of the property today? We already released the quackens, but you have to meet them and see the coops that Ford made.”
Amber nodded. Seeing things on video chat was one thing, seeing them in real life was better. And this was her real life.
For now.
No one had asked her why she was here yet. Or for how long. She knew those conversations would come, and she hoped she had good answers ready for when they did.
Thea grinned. “You have to see the Worminator in action.”
Gray stopped with his fork halfway to his mouth. “The Worminator?”
Thea grinned. “It’s our latest addition to the farm. It’s been operational for a few months now, and it’s amazing. The worm poop—” She broke off with a grimace. “Sorry. It’s breakfast and not everyone wants to hear about worm poop while they’re eating.”
Knox laughed and kissed Thea’s temple. “Only you, my Queen of Compost.”
Jolie turned to Gray. “You should come with me and Amber. I’ll give you both a tour of the whole place.”
His eyes flicked to Amber and back to Jolie.
“I’d like that. It’s been a while since I’ve dug into a gardening project.
I’m looking forward to tackling the mess between the farmhouses, but having an overview of the farm and your vision for it will help me with my planning.
I want to work with native plants as much as possible. ”
Amber’s belly fluttered. Again. The man’s voice was enough to have her girlie parts take notice.
It had been far too long since she’d been involved with a man.
Her work consumed her life, and she didn’t like the club or bar scenes.
Most of the men she met worked with her or were guests.
She wasn’t a woman who could have a happy weekend with a man and then move on.
It would be easier if she could take that approach, but she couldn’t change her personality.
Having seen Gray in action, she knew he was one of the good guys. One of the best, from what she could see.
But that didn’t mean she should be ogling him. He was a friend of her brothers’ and he was here to work on the gardens. She wasn’t sure if it was a permanent or temporary position. Either way, he wasn’t for her.
She just had to convince her girlie parts to settle down.
But when she caught him looking at her, those parts cheered.
So did her heart.
G ray wanted to kiss Jolie for including him for the day. Well, he really wanted to kiss Amber, but that was for a whole different reason and a whole different kind of kiss.
The woman was compelling. Gorgeous, obviously, but he already knew there was far more to her than a pretty face and hot body.
Seeing her in jeans and a sweatshirt had his blood singing. She’d been attractive in her professional but boring hotel uniform. This was better. He felt as if he was seeing the real woman behind the professional facade.
Touring the farm with her and her sister would allow him an opportunity to learn more about her without coming across as creepy. He hadn’t been this attracted to a woman in a long time. Ever?