Page 41 of Gifts

“Move the kiddie drinks and make room for these.”

I don’t do either. “Why would you do this?”

He looks taken aback. “Do what?”

“This has to be ridiculously expensive and extravagant. One bottle of wine would have been fine.”

His head lists to the side a bit and he shrugs. “I went to get you wine, read about this, and thought you’d like it. It’s no big deal.”

He steps toward my wine refrigerator, but I cut him off. “You have to return it, and do it fast before they burn my name into anything.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Because I don’t know you!” I exclaim. “Just because you’ve given me two crazy-intense kisses doesn’t mean you can do things like this. This,” I shake the papers at him, “is not what you bring someone when you come to their house for a dinner of cornflake chicken and Caesar salad. Cornflake chicken, Asa, because it’s one of the five things Saylor will actually eat without throwing a mother-fucking fit and I don’t want her to throw a fit in front of you yet. It’s gonna happen eventually, but it’s ugly, so if I can put that shit off I’m going to. I can’t accept this and feed you cornflake chicken.”

He smirks, still holding all six bottles of wine and steps forward pinning me to the counter where the juice box refrigerator hums away at my ass. Leaning in close, he says against my lips, “When you say fuck, it makes me want to kiss you.”

I try to push him away with the crinkled contract that basically promises me wine and all its accompanying activities for years to come. “Did I mention the Caesar salad is from a bag? All of it. Even the croutons.”

He kisses me and continues to smirk. “We eat food from a box all the time, so a bag is no big deal.”

I feel my body slump. “Asa, please. I can’t accept your barrel of wine.”

“Baby,” he whispers against my lips. “The barrel doesn’t come full of wine. You get it empty. Now move your pretty little ass so I can put these bottles in the fridge for you.”

This is ridiculous. I roll my eyes. “Oh, well, I didn’t know the barrel came empty. That makes it all better.”

He chuckles and I move, because I could stand here all day and argue, but I have a feeling it wouldn’t make a bit of difference. I leave him to rearrange juice boxes and go straight to the island to search for my trusty wine bottle opener. I don’t even look, but grab the first bottle I come into contact with in the box. Asa exits the pantry as I’m pouring myself a glass. I have a feeling I’ll need it since he’s barely been here fifteen minutes and I’m pretty sure he’s just given me a gift worth a lot of money.

He snakes his arm around my waist and leans down to kiss my neck when he murmurs, “I like your pantry.”

I close my eyes to overcome the goosebumps when the doorbell rings.

He lets me go. “That’s Levi. I’ll go let him in. Pour me a glass of that.”

The next thing I know, Asa’s mini-me waltzes into my kitchen. “Hi, Ms. Lockhart. Dinner smells good. I’m starving.”

“Cornflake chicken and Caesar salad,” Asa announces bringing his son up to speed. “Park yourself on the sofa to start your homework before Saylor gets wind you’re here. Once that happens, she’ll talk your ear off.”

Levi looks between his dad and me, shaking his head. “Yeah, this isn’t weird at all.”

Asa barks out a laugh as Levi moves to my family room.

I take a big gulp of wine and look at the clock. It’s only six-thirteen. I guess it’s a good thing I have a case of wine to get me through the night.

Chapter 10

Shoveling Goat Shit

Keelie

“Dad, I’m heading home and Emma wants to come with me.” Asa starts to stand, but his son stops him. “We’re good. Stay if you want.”

Asa looks conflicted. “Keep an eye on your sister and call me if you need me. I’ll make sure this fire is burned out for Keelie and be right home.”

“Sounds good.” Levi looks to me. “Thanks for dinner, Ms. Lockhart.”

“Thank you for putting up with Saylor. And for the tenth time, you can call me Keelie when we’re not at school.”

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