Page 99 of Take My Love

“Whoa, now. What’s wrong with my dancin’? I thought my two-step was good.”

She bursts out laughing and even when it’s at my expense, it’s my favorite sound in the whole world.

“I saw you at Warren and Maisie’s weddin’…you looked like a snake was crawlin’ up your leg or a bee was in your hair.”

“Wow…” I teasingly drawl. “I must not have been that bad considerin’ you ended up in my bed that night.”

Her lips pinch in a firm line. “I was influenced by overly-priced champagne and tequila shots.”

“So you’re sayin’ all I need is to get you drunk on expensive liquor and you’ll dance with me?”

“Are you talkin’ horizontally or vertically?” she says at the exact moment I take a sip of my coffee and choke on it.

“Jesus.” I wipe my mouth. “Damn near took me out with that one.”

When we arrive, I round the front of the truck and meet her on the other side before we walk in together.

“Have fun with your soaps,” I call out like I do most days.

“Don’t fall in goat shit, city boy,” she taunts, walking toward her office. “But you still didn’t answer me!”

“Guess you’ll have to wait for the weddin’ to find out!” I call over my shoulder and wink before going in the opposite direction.

After a long and hot day working and getting kicked in the shin, you’d think I’d fall asleep until my alarm goes off, but I toss and turn until nearly midnight.

When a loud bang jolts me awake not even thirty minutes later, I’m disoriented and confused if I actually heard something or dreamed it.

But then it happens again.

It doesn’t sound like cabinet doors or drawers slamming closed or anything that Marjorie has done, so I grab the closest thing I can find that could cosplay as a weapon and tiptoe into the hallway.

The colored path of my lightsaber guides me through the house since it’s pitch black—Marjorie usually turns on the lights when she wants us to know she’s upset, so it’s definitely not her.

When I hear it again coming from the laundry room, I quietly sneak in, then whip it around at whoever’s in there.

“What the hell?”

“Posey?” I straighten my spine, recognizing her silhouette with the dim lighting behind her.

“Uh, yeah. I live here, remember?”

“It’s almost one in the mornin’. I thought someone broke in. What’re you doin’?”

She eyes the object in my hand. “And you were gonna what? Zap ’em into outer space?”

“For your information, it cuts and melts throughthings, so I could’ve easily killed an intruder with it.” I wave it in the air to show her exactly what I could do with it.

“Right, clearly,” she mocks, standing against the dryer with her arms crossed and a not-so-faint smile on her face. “You’re such a nerd.”

“Says the girl in goat stuffies…” I point the lightsaber at her feet.

“They’re practical! They keep my feet warm.”

“So is this…it guided me straight to you.” I smirk before turning it off and setting it on the washer. “What’re you doin’ in here anyway?”

“I couldn’t sleep so I came to warm up my blanket once more.”

“AndI’mthe nerd?” I taunt, secretly admiring her cute pink pj’s. Another shorts and tank set. Her hair’s down and messy from her pillow, looking adorably disheveled.