Page 47 of Point of Contact

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

COURTNEY

"WHAT IN THE hell do you have in there?" Reed looked over the packed cart she was pushing.

"What do you mean, what do I have?" She looked over the items stacked into the bright red buggy. "If you’re keeping the RV, then we might as well make it comfortable. Especially since we’ll be in it for another week." She poked one finger into the plastic-wrapped queen-sized pillows she’d carefully selected. "I got you a side-sleeper pillow and I got myself a back-sleeper pillow so you don't have to listen to me snore all the way to Alaska." She moved her poking finger to the sheet set beside them. "And I got a nice set of flannel sheets so we don't abrade all the skin off our bodies with the shitty ones I stole from Walmart." She moved on to the next item. "I also got a duvet with a removable cover, so when we get up to where it’s crazy cold neither of us will turn into an ice cube." She lifted her hand into a shrug. "That's all. It looks like way more than it is, but it's just so we can be comfortable while we sleep."

Bernadette was definitely growing on her, but the bed in the back was terrible. The mattress was old and uncomfortable and barely big enough to fit both of them.

Maybe she didn’t hate that second part so much. Especially since she’d been right and Reed turned out to be a cuddle bug the second he fell asleep. Having his heavy arm draped around her waist and his warmth baking into her back went a long way in making their current sleeping arrangement more tolerable.

And now it would be even better. As long as he didn’t make her put everything back.

Reed turned from where he'd been perusing windshield wipers, the frown curving his mouth softening a little. "Why is everything so pink?"

She was ready for that question. Saw it coming a mile away. "Because Bernadette's favorite color is pink."

He'd started this whole let's name the RV thing, and now she was going to run with it. Use it to get something to brighten up the dreary seventies interior while they drove through equally dreary weather.

Reed crossed both arms over his broad chest. "Is it now?"

Courtney nodded, keeping her expression serious. "Absolutely. She also mentioned she was fond of gold accents." Once she found out Reed planned to keep the RV, she'd started looking at it a little differently. Seeing it for its potential instead of for all it lacked.

It was small, but the layout wasn't bad. Sure, it was cramped, but it had everything you could need. A bed big enough for two people who didn’t hate each other. A little kitchen that would be great for cooking once they made sure it wouldn’t blow up. A table to eat at or work at. The thing even had a toilet and a tiny shower, though neither of them felt confident using it until it got the same look over as the kitchen.

It was cozy, and would be even cozier filled with fluffy blankets and comfortable sheets. And maybe if they painted the cabinets white. Added gold hardware. Possibly even painted the walls. Not pink, but something bright. Something cheery. Bernadette was a cheery bitch.

"You’re thinking about this awfully hard, Princess." Reed’s voice sounded grumpy, but there was no hiding the hint of a smile on his lips.

"I guess that's good since you clearly haven’t thought about it all." She pointed at his empty cart. "You’re supposed to be picking stuff out too."

Reed looked pointedly at the pink sheets and duvet cover in her cart. "I was supposed to be finding what we need to keep Bernadette up and running, not making her look like a little girl's birthday party exploded."

He was teasing her, she knew that. But his jab hit a little close to home. Close enough to bring out yet another humiliating admission about her sad little life. "I never had a birthday party when I was a kid, so maybe I’m trying to live vicariously through Bernadette."

Reed took a deep breath, his head tipping back toward the ceiling as one hand came to scrub over his face. "You really know how to make me feel like an ass, you know that?"

"I wasn't trying to make you feel like an ass. I just thought maybe it would explain some things." Like why she was a little needy. Why she was a little difficult. Why she had taken more than a slight interest in making Bernadette feel like a home.

Reed turned back to the wipers, shaking his head. "The more you explain, the more I want to punch somebody in the face."

She perked up a little bit. "Really?"

His head came her way as he looked her up and down. "The fact that you sound excited about that worries me."

She reached out to adjust the pile of linens filling the cart. "I don't know that anyone has ever been pissedforme before." She lifted her eyes, watching as his jaw clenched tight. "I just liked that you were angry on my behalf."

Reed sighed, his focus going back to the rows of wipers in front of him. "Go find more shit for the camper. Pick out anything you want."

He was trying to get rid of her by giving her what she wanted, but it didn't feel like it was because she was annoying him. It seemed like Reed was sending her away because her birthday admission made him feel things he didn't quite know how to handle. It made her want to lighten his mood. Take away some of the upset she’d accidentally caused. "Can it be pink?"

Her tactic worked. Reed’s tight posture immediately relaxed and he huffed out a laugh. "Sure. Go crazy."

She beamed at him, gripping the handles of her cart. "Okay." He didn't have to tell her twice. She was more than happy to find all sorts of things for Bernadette.

Courtney headed across the Target store they'd stopped at after reaching Kentucky. It was in a pretty posh area, so the selection was top tier. And definitely better than what she’d come across at Walmart. No shade to Walmart—the place was kind of growing on her. Their bedding selection sucked, though.

She made a beeline for the center of the store where all the home and decor items were located, and went to work packing as much into the cart as possible. She grabbed towels. She grabbed washcloths. She loaded in throw pillows and fuzzy blankets. Then it was on to housewares for a couple pots and pans to add to the single one they currently had. Some more cooking utensils that might encourage Reed to make her another batch of japchae. A tiny coffee maker and a couple of mugs.

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