Page 53 of Falling for the Beast

Her anger melted away. “I care about you, too.”

“Then let’s call a truce. You won’t tell me how to spend my money, and I won’t force you out of here before you’re ready.”

Sounded like a good deal to her. “You’ve got it.”

After supper, Aribelle started to feel cooped up. “Mind if I take Bugs out for a spin?”

Thaddeus grinned at the name. “Where are you going?”

“I don’t know. Into town. Drive around. Nowhere specific.” She slipped into her coat. “Wanna come with?”

He looked like he wasn’t sure at first, but then nodded. “Okay.” He followed her outside.

She unlocked the car for him and he got in on the passenger side. She took a minute to adjust her mirrors and make the seat comfortable. He rolled his eyes. “You gonna start this thing up or what?”

“Patience is a virtue.”

“A virtue I don’t have,” he said, although his voice held a smile.

She finally started up the car and put it into drive. After she turned onto the road toward Carson, Thaddeus said, “You drive like a grandma.”

“Is that a compliment? Because it didn’t sound like one. But you’re a passenger in my car, and I can’t imagine that you’d be complaining that I’m a safe driver.”

He smirked. “I guess it’s better than wrapping the car around a tree.”

“There was a deer in the middle of the road!”

“Just trying to rile you up. It’s so easy to do.”

She turned on the radio and slid the dial until her favorite country station was tuned in. “There. This will give you something to do while I drive so painfully slow.”

His chuckle was soft but warmed her insides. She drove to Carson, and before she could think about it, she was in the same subdivision they had been in yesterday. Aribelle looked at the street names. She hadn’t meant to drive back to Catherine’s house, but now that she was in the neighborhood, she wondered if she could find the exact house again.

She turned down Ash street and Thaddeus sat up in his seat. “What are you doing here?”

She thought about pretending she didn’t know where she was. She had sort of ended up here by accident, but he’d probably see through her. “I wanted to see if I remembered where she lived.”

His eyes grew dark. “Don’t mess with her, Belle. She’s dangerous.”

“I’m not going to mess with her.” When he shot her an incredulous look, she repeated, “I’m not! I wasn’t even planning on ending up here.”

“Then let’s go. This neighborhood gives me the creeps.”

“Fine with me.” She drove out of the neighborhood, satisfied that she could find Catherine again if she needed to.

She turned onto a major thoroughfare and headed to downtown Carson. Thaddeus watched the buildings speed by his window. “Where are we headed now?”

“I thought maybe I could run into the library. Pick up a couple books.”

“You’ve read all the books at my house?” He gave her a teasing smile.

“No. But I was in the mood for something more…modern.”

“I see. You’re a library snob.”

She wrinkled her nose at him. “The last time someone at your house bought a book, fax machines were the big thing.”

“You’ve re-kindled my love for reading. I plan on ordering a few new books for my library.”

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