Page 44 of Home Ice

She clenches and unclenches her fists several times in her lap. "I'll leave. You won't stop me."

I press the button above the rearview mirror, and the garage door closes behind me. "Garage is locked."

"Then I just won't go in."

"The garage gets chilly at night, but I'll make sure you have a blanket."

"Huge asshole."

I grin. "The biggest."

"I bet they can see a mammoth asshole like you from space. Aliens take one look and just nope right on by."

I trace a giant A on my chest with my finger.

She flips me off. "You need to go to my house."

"Didn't we just have this discussion?"

We stare at each other. After a few seconds, she opens her eyes wider. After a couple seconds more, she tries to raise her eyebrow. Her left eye narrows, and I can see that she's focused on that eyebrow, but every time she tries to move it, the right one shoots up too. I add this to the list of things that are adorable about her. After a few seconds more, she tilts her head. "Brant…"

"Oh, Silver!"

"Yeah, Silver. Just wait until he finds out you wanted him to stay all by himself for two days while you once again live out your hero complex with me."

My jaw drops open. "You wouldn't dare tell him."

"I most certainly would."

"I'll bribe him with treats. He'll never believe you over me."

She flicks her wrist, dismissing me. "I apparently have nothing to do for the next two days except give belly rubs. Whose side do you think he'll be on after that?"

"Oh, the asshole has turned. Let me get you situated first. Then I'll run over and get him. But don't you dare think about taking off while I'm gone. We'll track you."

"I know better than to try to escape. You'd have the sprained ankle police after me before I got to Mrs. Hanson's house."

I smile. "Look at you, knowing your neighbors."

"Just because she makes the best honeycomb cookies. And was one of the only ones who accepted me when I was growing up. Anyway, don't forget to bring his dog food and dishes. He usually grabs Pinky when I ask if he wants to go walksie-woo, but be sure to bring him if he doesn't."

Does she really expect me, a grown ass man, to ask a dog if he wants to go walksie-woo? "Got it." Of course she does. And of course, that's exactly what I'll do.

CHAPTER 31

THE UNDISPUTED WORST THING IN THE WORLD

LILY

Being at Brant's is the undisputed worst thing in the world. Except maybe for pollution. And disease and poverty and authoritarian governments. But this is definitely up there. He seriously wanted to carry me into his house even though I have a new pair of perfectly good crutches and one-and-three-quarters legs. If I hadn't speared him in the gut with the end of one of the crutches, I'm sure he would have actually done it.

As soon as we got inside, he herded me to the sofa, lifted my right leg onto the cushion, and put every extra pillow in the house—which is exactly one because he's a guy—under my foot to elevate it. Then he asked me if I needed anything, and rather than letting me answer, he went through a list of options longer than The Cheesecake Factory's menu. Then he started to take off my freaking left shoe, like having a sprained ankle has rendered me physically unable to untie a shoelace on my good foot. I tried telling him I could get it, but he persisted. So I gave in and sat there like a two-year-old and let him take off my shoe. Although, maybe I was sort of acting like a two-year-old when I kicked at him.

Now, it's half an hour later, and on the end table next to me, I have a bottle of diet coke, a sandwich I've taken two bites from, and the crumbs from a cookie that might be the most delicious thing I've ever eaten. Silver keeps looking at the sandwich, hoping I'll divert my attention for the one-third of a second he needs to snatch it, but every time he shifts, I stare at him to let him know I'm on to him. Oh, and on my other side is Brant, who looks at my ankle every ninety seconds like it might have somehow changed in that time. He's probably already wishing he hadn't made me come here. That makes two of us. Silver seems to be the only one excited about our situation.

"Do you think he needs out?" Brant asks.

"Now that he's heard you say it, I know he does, regardless of his bladder."

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