Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 26164 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 131(@200wpm)___ 105(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26164 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 131(@200wpm)___ 105(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
“What is it? What happened? Are you hurt?”
He appeared out of the rain, dressed in a large rain jacket that nearly reached his feet. She stared up at him, not even able to speak. She was that upset and defeated.
“Oh, baby. What happened?” She must have imagined the endearment; the soft crooning note in his voice. Because her gruff neighbor would never talk to her like that. He’d never kneel down in front of her and run his hands over her, looking for injury.
And he definitely wouldn’t pull her close, cradling her against his broad chest.
Yep, turns out she was having delusions. Or perhaps this was a dream. Maybe she was inside, on the couch, dreaming about all of this.
“What happened? Did you fall, baby?”
“I n-needed wood. B-but the w-wheelbarrow t-toppled.” Her teeth started chattering.
“What were you thinking? Leaving it so late to get more wood in?” he demanded.
Oh, there he was.
But today she couldn’t shake off that tone. Couldn’t tell herself to kill him with kindness.
She burst into tears.
He froze. She knew he was staring at her. Probably in horror. Probably wishing he’d never come over here. That he’d never moved here. That he’d never met her.
“Hush. Come on. Let’s get you inside.” He stood and held out his hand. She stared at it in exhaustion. “Lucie, I’m not staring at you in horror or wishing I’d never moved here or met you. Now, come on, you’re soaked and cold. Let’s get you inside and dry.”
Oh crap. She’d said that all out loud?
“Lucie,” he said in a warning voice.
“T-the w-wood.”
“I’ll get it for you. Now, come on before I throw you over my shoulder and haul you inside.”
She reached up and put her tiny hand in his.
“Fuck, you’re freezing. Where are your gloves, little girl?” he grumbled.
She ignored him calling her little girl, same as she was ignoring when he called her baby. Because she had to be dreaming.
When he helped her up, she stumbled forward, falling against him. He put his arm around her to steady her. Then they started moving towards her cabin. But her legs failed her, and she began to slip.
Suddenly, she found herself cradled in his arms and held against his chest. He swiftly carried her up onto the back porch and into her cabin. There, he set her down on the wooden bench next to the door. He crouched in front of her, tilting up her face.
“What’s wrong? Did you hurt your legs?” He ran his big hands over her legs.
Her teeth chattered as she shook her head. “I-I’m fine.” Then she had to turn her face away as she hacked up half a lung.
“Fuck. You’re sick?” His hand rested on her forehead. “You’re burning up, little girl. What were you doing out in the storm when you’re sick?”
He drew off his jacket as he scolded her, then bent to take off his boots before pulling hers off.
“You don’t even have any socks on.”
She stared down at her toes. Huh. He grasped hold of her feet and she hissed. Shoot. He was so warm.
“Your feet are freezing. You’ll be lucky if you don’t catch pneumonia. You need a keeper.”
Was he offering?
Darn. She didn’t say that out loud, did she? Leaning back against the wall, she stared up at him tiredly. Everything felt hazy, and it was an effort to stay upright.
“Told you. N-needed wood.”
He shook his head.
“We need to get you warmed up. I’ll run you a bath.” He took off her jacket. Then he stared down at her soaked flannel pajamas.
“Is that the Cookie Monster on your pajamas?” he asked.
“Love the Cookie Monster. Cookies. Yum-yum.”
“That’s a terrible fucking impression.”
“I know.”
She started coughing again. He quickly picked her up and carried her into the living room, where he started swearing. “Your fire is nearly dead. Have you been sleeping out here? Why? To keep warm while you were ill?”
She pretty much always slept out here, but she let him think it was just because she was sick.
“You can’t sleep on a couch.” He moved through the house. “Where’s the bathroom?”
After pointing towards a door, she lay in his arms and just let him carry her around like a baby.
“You’re very strong.”
“You’re not that heavy.”
She snorted. “Tell my thighs and butt that.”
“Nothing wrong with your butt or thighs.”
“Really? Aww. That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.” She started coughing again, her entire body shaking as he sat her down on the bathroom floor.
Grabbing her robe off the hook on the back of the door, he handed it to her. “Get undressed.”
Something she’d dreamed of hearing from him, but not under these circumstances. Turning away from her, he started the bath.
Her fingers were like icicles as she drew off her soaked bottoms, panties, and pajama top. Then she pulled the robe around her. It was soft and blue with two big googly eyes on the hood.