Page 40 of Tommy

“As pancakes,” I told him, cuddling my arms around myself in the chill of the room. He took notice of it and told me he’d take care of the fire soon.

“I can make pancakes,” he said. “As long as that was a serious answer.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely. I could even make you a cake if you asked nice enough.”

My jaw could’ve been on the floor with the way it opened.

“Not the first things I learned,” he said. “But I’m surprised that you’re surprised by that. I made the bread yesterday, and I made all that food the other days.”

Honestly, I’d thought they were box mixes, and there was no shame in that, but when someone could make food from scratch, it put them in a new light. “Now I have more things, like, what about cookies? We could make Christmas cookies?”

“We could, but I don’t think we will.”

“Boo! Why not?”

“Because you looked at me like that,” he said with a big smirk. “I’ll happily make cookies for someone who actually think I’m skilled in the kitchen.”

“I do, I do!” I was near ready to throw myself on the floor and beg for it.

I’ll see how you behave today and then I’ll think about it,” he said, flashing me a wink.

I knew he could cook, but baking was different. I was digging myself out of a mental hole. I didn’t want Hardin to think I just thought of him as a hard faced cowboy who only knew how to reheat soup—because that wasn’t the case at all. He could do that and more.

He made pancakes, thick and fluffy for the two of us to share.

“You need as many of these as you can get down you,” he said. “You’re gonna be getting a work out in once we’re finished eating.”

“A work out?” I asked, wiggling my brows. “Is that what we’re calling it now?”

He laughed. “Oh no, not that type of work out. Two feet of snow type of work out. And then to check on the animals,” he said. “So, eat up. That’s a good boy.”

There he went, using those two magical words like they were sugar, and there I went right after them, lapping it up.

16. HARDIN

Usually, I’d have grown annoyed by someone in my space, but Tommy wasn’t just someone in my space, he was someone I’d found space with, created it together from the fort, which was now a little worse for wear in the light of day. Tommy’s spirit seemed lighter now, after telling me he was here to reset himself and get out of a funk.

After breakfast, I helped Tommy actually dress for the weather. He was unable to do it himself, dressing in layers that barely kept the heat in. It was no wonder he’d gathered those bruises on his legs. I don’t think he was in any rush to get back on the horse, but we still had a little while together, and I’d do my best to convince him it was worth it.

The two foot of snow in front of both the front door and porch as well as the backdoor had been the next issue to tackle. It wasn’t compacted snow, thankfully, and with Tommy’s help, we managed to shovel our way out to the path. Sully’s grit had made the world of difference, or at least two feet of snow difference. The dogs were unphased by it, jumping around and chomping through the fresh snow.

“Could you imagine if I had my shoes on in this?” Tommy asked.

“No,” I told him. “Because I wouldn’t have let you out here without them on.”

“Really? Even if we hadn’t had that moment?”

“Yes, because those sneakers you had on would’ve gotten you some serious case of frost bite,” I said. “And I don’t think I’m equipped to take care of someone going through that.” That was a small lie. I definitely could’ve taken care of someone in need, especially if they were sick, but only if I was pushed to it.

“So, did you give me the boots because you didn’t want to deal with the frost bite, or because you actually wanted to take care of me?”

I laughed, turning back to him as he was busy whacking a shovel into the snow, flattening it into shapes. “They’re the same thing,” I said. “Keep up. We need to conserve that stretch to get into the barn.” I noticed it, a little further up, the snow had banked higher up in front of the barn from where the wind had been hitting it.

“When are we getting the Christmas tree?” he asked, catching up with me.

“A couple of days,” I said. It would take that amount of time for most of thick snow to clear. “But don’t worry. I said I’d get one.” I didn’t know if I’d actually said it, but he definitely could’ve coaxed it out of me last night while cuddled up against my body.

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