“For as long as you need me.” His hand slides over to cover the one I have resting on my knee and I don’t flinch. In fact, I close my eyes and embrace the comfort I feel when he squeezes it.
“Well, ain’t this lookin’ cozy?” I jolt awake when I see Cole’s wife standing in front of me with her hand on her hip and a judgmental look on her face. Then I realize what she’s judging me for. I got my arm wrapped around Everleigh’s shoulders, and she’s tucked her body right into me. I have to close my eyes and reopen them to check I’m seeing things right.
“Savannah, what are you doin’ here? I thought Garrett told you girls to?—”
“I’m digging you out of a hole,” she tells me, not even trying to hide the way her eyes flit over my bare torso. “I gotta hand it to ya, Mitch, you're packing for an old guy. Now, what you got to eat in this place?” She pats the neat bump that's sticking out over the top of her jeans and makes her way over to the kitchen. While I carefully stir Everleigh awake.
I don’t know how we ended up like this, but the girl looks cute as hell when she’s sleeping.
“Evy, darlin’, you gotta wake up.”
“Huh!” She gasps when she sees how close we are and I hold my hands up so she can see I’m respecting her boundaries. “We must’ve fallen asleep,” I tell her, still wondering what the fuck Savannah’s doing here.
“I’m sorry.” Everleigh leaps up from the couch and when she sees the stranger routing through our kitchen cupboards, she looks even more daunted.
“Everleigh, this is Savannah,” I explain quickly so she doesn’t panic. “She’s married to Cole, and she’s here to…” I turn back to look at her. “What are ya here for?”
“I’m here because Josie’s sick and Garrett needs you back at the ranch. Do you have any chocolate sauce I can put on these?” She tips some Cheerios into a bowl.
“I appreciate that, Sav, but?—”
“Mitch, Garrett really needs to see you.” The glare she gives me warns me that it’s important. “I promise, me and Everleigh here will be just fine, now get yourself gone.” She looks me up and down and when she winks at me, I quickly shove on my jeans and pull on a shirt.
“You okay with this?” I check, knowing how hard it is for Everleigh to be around people she doesn’t know.
“Go, I’ll be fine,” she assures me, still looking unnerved by the fact we woke up together.
“Okay, I’ll be back soon as I can.” I move in to touch her the same as I did last night, but think better of it when I see how overwhelmed she’s looking.
“Behave.” I point at Savannah, before lifting up my hat and quickly heading out the door.
“What time ya call this?” Garrett smirks as I park my truck up beside his. He’s already in his driver's seat looking ready to roll.
“I was… It was a long night, and what the fuck were you thinkin’ sendin’ Savannah up to the cabin?”
“Didn’t she tell ya? Josie’s sick.”
“Yeah she told me, but, Savannah? Really? Don’t ya think she's a little too much for Everleigh?”
“Well, we were all outta options. Maisie’s still shaken up from the package she opened up yesterday and Leia had to take Dalton to get his shots.”
“Hell, I think Finn or Tate would’ve been a better option than Savannah.” I roll my eyes. I think highly of the girl, she’s sure done a lotta good for Cole, but she’s intrusive and has no filter. That's gonna be hard for Everleigh to handle.
“So where we goin’ that's so urgent?” I ask, getting in beside him.
“We are goin’ to pay a visit to Bianca Mason,” he points out as he starts the engine.
“Are you mad?” I look across at him in shock.
“No, I’m attackin’ this head-on.” He stops himself when he realizes his choice of words is insensitive. “I mean, if she sent me Bucky Hall’s head as a threat, I want her to know that she’s gonna have to try harder.”
He lifts a napkin-covered dish off the console and places it in my hand.
“What the hell’s this?” I look down at it.
“That, Mitch, is a pie. I had Maisie make it so we can take it to Mrs. Mason and welcome her to my peaceful little town.”
“You have got to be jokin’?” I shake my head, and the grin he directs back at me tells me he ain’t. “And why do I have to come along to this doozy?” I question him.