Page 82 of Loud Unspoken Memories

I shrug. “It’s not a big deal, Marti. It’ll be good for me to get out of this cold cabin for a while.”

“You want to drive me,” she says again, in disbelief. “To Anita’s. To where Charlie is. And my brother.” She chuckles. “Talk about going before the firing squad. Asher told me he’d drive through ten feet of snow to kick your ass if you touched me.”

I furrow my brow, ignoring the part about her son—because honestly, I hadn’t really contemplated that—and focus on the kicking-my-ass comment. “Why would he want to kick my ass? What did you tell him?”

“I think he assumed that any guy who has a cabin in the middle of nowhere would try and take advantage of a stranded woman.”

“And you didn’t set him straight? Wait…doyou think I took advantage of you?” I stand up and pace, running a hand through my hair as I feel sick to my stomach. “Oh, shit.Did I?I mean you had just fallen through the ice. I’d saved you. You weren’t in your right mind. You were vulnerable. Holy fuck, Ididtake advantage of you.”

Marti stands, troops over, and puts her hands on my shoulders, looking straight into my eyes. “You did no such thing. I swear you didn’t. In fact, I wanted it to happen even before I fell through the ice.”

“You did?”

I try to think back and remember if I did as well. All I recall is that one minute I was irritated by all her snarkiness and wit, and the next we were going at it on a wet mattress in front of the fireplace.

Her lips turn up to form a grin. “Have you seen yourself? You’re smoking hot. That body. This hair. If you hadn’t kissed me, I’d have shamelessly thrown myself at you.”

Relief comes in one gigantic wave. “So just how big is your brother?”

She giggles. Her demeanor has changed. Mine has too. We have more time. More minutes. More hours. Maybe even more memories.

But thingsarechanging. It won’t be just us anymore. We’ll be driving away from our snowy fortress and into the real world. The world with brothers and dead ex-husbands.

One with three-year-old sons.

Maybe it’s a mistake. Maybe I should have left well enough alone.

“He’s all bark and no bite, I assure you. A big teddy bear. Kind of like you.”

I pick her up and scoop her into my arms. “I’ll show you how I can bite.”

Her eyes light up, the fire behind them intense. Why can’t I get enough of her? Is it because I know this is over?

A knock on the door halts my plan to have her one final time.

Cursing, I set her down and go to answer it, Bex at my heels. It’s Luther.

“Hey, Mr. Montana. You doin’ alright?”

“Never better.”

“I passed the lady’s car on the way up. She’s lucky you were around.”

Marti comes up behind me, touching my back gently, but not in a way that’s obvious to Luther. She holds her other hand out to shake his. “Marti Carver. And yes, I am lucky. Thank you for towing my car. I’ll get you the keys.”

Luther looks at her oddly. “You’re not comin’? Thought I was drivin’ you to town.”

Last chance, I think. If I want out, I’d better say so now.

“I don’t need a rental after all,” she says happily. “Dallas is driving me the rest of the way.”

“Is that so?” Luther asks, raising a brow in my direction.

I make a smacking sound with my lips. “Guess I am.”

Marti hands over her keys then fishes through her purse. “How much do I owe you for the tow? Do you take credit?”

I push her wallet back toward her. “I’ll take care of it.”

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