Page 19

“Amara,” I hollered, knowing it would piss her off before I did it. “Let’s get a move on or we’re going to be late.”

“How can we be late if we’re going out a day early?” She called back from her bedroom and I smirked. We wouldn’t be late, but I had a thing for razzing her.

“I’m a responsible adult. Responsible adults have schedules to keep,” I was cracking myself up with this shit, so I added, “Don’t want to be driving in the dark.”

“It’s nine o’clock in the morning, Beckett.

” She huffed, tugging an obnoxious black and yellow suitcase behind her.

She wore a pretty off-white sweater that looked like it would be soft to the touch and a pair of dark snug jeans.

But it was her fluffy purple socks that looked more like slippers that had me grinning hugely.

The woman was fucking adorable.

“Nice socks. You’re really bringing back the Two Headed Monster, babe.”

Her chin tipped down before angling to the side. Her cute little nose was scrunched when she asked disbelievingly, “Are you talking about the monster from Sesame Street? ”

I shrugged, “If it’s purple, got two heads and scraggly fur like your socks—yeah.”

“Wow,” she moved forward to the sound of wheels on hardwood, dragging her bumblebee suitcase. “I guess you really do learn something new every day.”

“Well, Amara Bloom, you wouldn’t be teasing me now, would you?”

“Beckett,” her little kitten hiss was starting to sound. “Will you get a move on? We don’t want to be late. ”

I barked laughter, holding the door open for her as she strutted through with her bumblebee suitcase on her heels.

She didn’t smile, laugh, or tease. But I knew the girl well enough to know that somewhere inside, even though she wasn’t feeling safe enough yet to let it show on the outside, that she was happy.

It was my intention to make this week the week Amara failed at her vow never to let herself show her happiness. I had all the arsenal I needed to do just that in my suitcase in the pretty purple box with the pretty purple ribbon.

It was in the elevator when I pressed the ground floor, that Amara huffed a sigh. I didn’t understand her sigh until the doors rolled open and she shook her head when I gestured her forward, “I’m driving myself.”

“Don’t think so, babe.” I pushed her gently forward with a hand to the small of her back. She dug her little heels in.

“I can drive myself, Beck.”

I really liked it when she called me Beck. “You can, but you shouldn’t.”

“Why not?”

Pinning her with a “you know why” expression she didn’t seem to read, I was forced to explain. “You drive a bug.”

“So?”

“It’s small.”

“Perfect for city driving.” She shrugged. “I don’t see a problem.”

“The problem is we’re not city driving.”

She narrowed her eyes and I readied myself for battle. “Raina drives a car that’s just as small as mine. Proof that people who aren’t plagued with little penis syndrome get around just fine.”

Again, insulting my junk. “We can reminisce in the lobby.”

“What?” Confused, she didn’t fight me when I pulled her gently from the now protesting elevator. Another minute of forcing the doors open and we probably would have shut the thing down. Sensitive metal box.

“First time we met you insulted my dick. If you’re really that curious, I’ll show it to you.” I didn’t grin even though I was dying to when her big blue eyes got even bigger. “Just say the word.”

“I can’t believe I agreed to share a room with you.”

“Believe it, babe.”

“Ugh,” she huffed. “Anyway, back on track—I’m driving my own car, so text me the address and I’ll see you there.”

I started walking for the front doors, leaving her standing alone by the now closed elevator. So I knew by the irritated groan she made in the back of her throat, and the click-click sound of her boots stomping against the tile, that she’d given up and begun to follow me.

“Beckett, you’re being seriously ridiculous.” I ignored her. “And overbearing.” Again, I ignored her. “Like a freaking ogre!”

That’s when I turned, plucked her suitcase from her hand, and lifted it.

If I forced her to get snow on her suitcase, I’d never hear the end of it.

As it was, I probably wouldn’t hear the end of her displeasure at having to ride shotgun in my truck.

But I didn’t give a damn how pissed she was, I wasn’t about to let her take the back roads to the cabin in her little blue punch buggy. Not a fucking chance.

It wasn’t only about her safety, although that was the number one contributing factor. Most importantly, it was the visions I had of taking the time to pull her out of the ditch she’d no doubt drive into, with my little penis syndrome, big truck.

She just kept on talking. If anything, the girl really was determined. “You know you’re being silly, right? At least tell me you know this.”

“Kai’s not letting Raina drive her little car out either.” I felt like my father. I could practically hear his voice, “If your friends jump off the bridge, will you?” I’d always hated that question.

“How do you know that?”

“Because Kai’s a man. Any man worth being called a man isn’t going to let his woman drive on icy back roads, while it’s snowing, in a car the size of yours.

” I opened the passenger door, gesturing her inside.

“Fucking hell, they should be outlawed in the winter. They can barely clear a puddle much less a snowdrift. Riding around in cars like that in a climate like this is dangerous, so I’ll say again, we’re taking my truck. ”

Something in her face changed as she pulled her tight little body into the passenger seat of my truck. It was when she turned to me and announced, “I’m not your woman, Beckett,” that I understood.

Closing the door, the words escaped my throat on a low growl. “Not yet.”

The snow started falling real fast and heavy by the time I pulled my truck up to the front of the cabin.

The picture of my parents’ summer home looked more like a log mansion draped in white, than a cabin.

The drive had been an icy one and I knew, although Amara would never admit it, she was happy I forced her to ride with me.

“Well,” she sighed as she looked into the back seat at the piles of grocery bags. “Happy I wore boots.”

By boots, she meant the cream colored Uggs with the big brown button on the side. The girl had a few pairs of these boots and I wondered if the things were actually warm and comfortable, because style-wise, they weren’t the hottest things around.

Still, they were cute enough on Amara, because if she could pull off fuzzy purple socks, then she could pull off Uggs.

Killing the engine, I twisted to look at her. That’s when I saw her cheeks were pink and her eyes were wide as she stared through the windshield. I knew what she was seeing. She saw a huge overdone vacation house that people with money indulged themselves with. She saw excess. She saw pathetic.

My throat tightened as I said, “I’ll grab the suitcases.”

I didn’t see her blink in startled awe as she pulled her eyes from the big cabin. I was already in the deep snow, slamming my door closed behind me. I was lifting the latch of my cover to pull our suitcases from the back when she called, “These groceries are going to take a few trips to bring in.”

That was saying something as the girl turned into The Hulk on grocery days.

If there was something Amara hated more than making multiple trips from the vehicle to the condo on grocery days, I had yet to find it.

The girl loaded herself until I thought she’d collapse like a little paper doll every time.

I followed her to the door and mentally noted I’d have to shovel the stone path before anyone else arrived.

My parents’ had a family who lived close by employed to maintain the cabin while they were at the main house, which was most of the year.

Still, although I could tell the path had been shoveled a few times, the snow was falling hard enough to demand another.

My eyes fell on the little woman with the cute gray beanie as she waddled up the carved log steps to the front door. Turning, she barked an order that had me fighting my grin. “Will you get a move on? My arms are gonna fall off soon.”

“Heavy groceries?”

“You bought half the store, what did you expect?”

I did as she demanded and got a move on, shoving my key into the front door and pushing it open. The sky was cloudy and gray, so the inside of the cabin was dark without the light from the sun. Amara dropped the groceries to the floor and I set the suitcases next to the wide oak bench.

I caught her by the waist as she made a move for the door, shaking my head. “Why don’t you start putting the groceries away? I’ll bring the rest in before starting a fire, yeah?”

“Oh,” her mitten covered hands rested against my arm across her belly. “Sure.”

I stood for a moment, watching as she tipped her head back to take in the enormity of the cabin.

If it were a house used for regular use, it wouldn’t have been so bad.

So excessive. But it wasn’t used for regular use.

At thirty-seven hundred square feet of living space, not including the loft over the garage which made the total living space forty-two hundred square feet, it was a bit outrageous for a couple who used it no more than three times a year.

Granted when they used it, nearly every room was filled with people, but still.

It was excessive when they could throw the same parties at their estate in the city.

Still, this house was pretty much my dream.

I couldn’t imagine living in a place more peaceful than this, with the tall trees and quiet of nature surrounding the ambiance of wood, space, and flame.

When I finished medical school and got a decent paying job, I intended to buy this house from my parents. That’s how much I loved it.

I assumed that was why I wanted Amara to love this house. Because there was no question, I was falling for her. I was falling fast, and deep, and hard. I also didn’t want to stop.