Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 154379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 772(@200wpm)___ 618(@250wpm)___ 515(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 154379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 772(@200wpm)___ 618(@250wpm)___ 515(@300wpm)
But the truth was I was trying to outrun everything.
Every threat.
Any danger.
Still, I inhaled a staggered breath when I stumbled into the warmth of the cabin.
I let my attention sweep the bottom floor of the great room.
A cozy couch sat in front of a gas fire that already roared from the hearth. It was made of rugged stones and had a wood beam mantel with a flat-screen television that hung above it.
The entire wall to my left was made of windows and climbed high to the pitched roof.
Through it, I could barely make out the view of the lake in the distance. An endless expanse that was hugged by the wintry forest.
A kitchen sat on the far side of the living area, the two spaces separated by a low bar with three stools. A four-person round table sat under the giant windows in the corner on the left.
It wasn’t large, but quaint and cozy.
Theo stomped his boots out on the rug in front of the door before he stepped into the space.
Consuming it. The air churning with the tension he emitted.
Warily, I turned toward him, hugging my son tight. The rock that grounded my purpose.
“There is a bedroom downstairs.” Theo gestured to the far right of the living room where there was a door next to the staircase.
Then he waved his hand toward what looked to be a loft upstairs. “A loft with another bedroom and bathroom is upstairs. I’ll have housekeeping bring over a baby gate. Not sure if you’d rather be upstairs or downstairs, but thought Nelly might want to be downstairs.”
My spirit stirred.
Did he really think all this through?
Taking into consideration my grandmother’s age?
Caring and caring and caring when there was no reason for him to?
I swallowed around the lump in my throat. “I’ll probably take the second floor so Nelly doesn’t have to navigate the stairs.”
“Probably a good call. Wouldn’t want to take a tumble down them.” Nelly ambled into the first-floor bedroom, her voice drifting out as she enthused, “Oh, lord a mercy. I’m never going to want to leave. You’re going to have to drag me out of here.”
I had to wonder if she issued it a challenge.
“Which bags are yours?” Theo glanced at the pile of baggage he’d left just inside the door.
“I got the owws!” Finn exuded, pointing at his backpack with white snow owls all over it. I wasn’t sure when he’d become obsessed with them, but they had become his favorite thing.
“Yeah. Thought this might belong to you.” A grin hitched at the edge of Theo’s wicked mouth as he tossed the small backpack onto his shoulder.
“I can get the suitcases,” I told him.
“Know you can,” he grumbled as he picked up the black suitcase and matching carry-on. “But why would you want to if you have me to do it for you?”
I sighed. I was picking up quickly that there wasn’t much use arguing with him. “Those are mine. The mint green ones are Nelly’s.”
“Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?” He smirked, the man a storm in the middle of the cozy room. In four long strides, he bounded up the stairs with my bags, and a moment later, he was coming back down.
My attention got trapped there. On his lithe frame as he swept downstairs.
Pure, volatile energy.
He grabbed Nelly’s bags and moved for the room where she was staying.
“Where do you want these?” His deep voice rumbled out. Tendrils that could weave right into my spirit.
“Oh, right there under the window would be just fine. Thank you.”
“That’s what I’m here for.” It was a grunt that radiated through the walls.
“Rescuing damsels stranded in the snow?” Nelly giggled.
“Pretty sure it was not damsels that I stumbled upon. A pack of lionesses seems about right.”
Another giggle. “Oh my.”
Great. He was wrapping my Nelly around every one of his tattooed fingers.
He appeared back in the doorway.
A riptide that could pull an Olympic swimmer out to sea.
“Let me know if there’s anything else you need. Food should be here in about ten minutes.”
“I want food.” Finn nodded his head emphatically, shifting around to get in my line of sight to let me know how eager he was over the proposition.
“It’s on its way, little buddy,” Theo said. Then he tipped his full attention back to me. “I’ll grab it from the delivery driver and bring it over as soon as it gets here.”
Every second he stayed sent my nerves fraying further.
I blew out a sigh, trying to keep myself together. “You’ve done enough, Theo. Why don’t you head home and enjoy your evening and I can grab the food?”
It basically came out a frenzied plea.
We didn’t do this.
Rely on others.
And this man had single-handedly done more for us in one evening than any other person had done in years.
I needed to get away from him. I didn’t know what it was about him, but just the sight of him felt like a warning flare.