Page 33 of Wild For You
Andrew’s mother returned a minute later with a cold glass of lemonade for me and one for herself. She settled into the chair beside me and hummed a peaceful sigh.
“We all appreciate what you’re doing for us… and for him.”
“I enjoy my work, and he’s come a long way.”
Marisol and I turned around in our chairs as Nash laughed at something Andrew must have said, and even the grump himself was cracking a sincere smile.
“He really has, hasn’t he? I know he can be… difficult at times. Ever since he had his heart broken right after high school, he’s been a bit aloof.”
“What happened?” I asked curiously, tilting my head to face her.
“Things don’t always pan out the way we expect them to,” she replied vaguely, and I wasn’t sure if she was talking about the breakup, Andrew, or even me.
Thinking back to my old job and Caleb, I had to agree with Marisol, and I told her so.
“It’s when you can adapt to the changes that life throws at you that you will find where you’re meant to be.” She reached over and clasped my hand in hers. It was the kind of motherly advice I always dreamed of hearing from my own mom but never received.
We spent the afternoon with his parents until the sun dipped beyond the tree line. While I stayed with his mom, Andrew was able to ride around the property in one of the UTVs, which I knew he hated, preferring his horse, but he seemed to take the change in stride. Mainly because he got to see Thunderbolt and check in with the ranch hands who lived on the property.
Marisol and I spent the afternoon sipping lemonade and baking the most delicious banana bread I’d ever tasted. I knew her daughter was a skilled baker, but it was clear the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.
As we were leaving, Andrew directed me to drive the truck behind the house and follow the gravel path. “At the fork in the road, take the one on the right, and follow it until it ends.”
I did as instructed, excited he took the initiative to go somewhere besides his rental home. When a mowed area came into view, I saw the plot of land was scattered with construction equipment and that the foundation of a house had been laid. It made me even more excited, because this was definitely where his new home was being built, which meant he took to heart my earlier confession of hoping to see it.
I knew from the blueprints I found in his kitchen that Andrew was building a house a bit more modern than his siblings’. His design had clean lines, sharp angles, and tons of windows. While it didn’t match the country aesthetic of the property, I could see how it would fit on the plot he’d been given.The house would sit on the top of a hill overlooking most of the property. From here, I could see for what seemed like miles in almost every direction. Plus, the back of the land met a nature preserve with a small creek running through it, so it’d stay just like this with no worry of someone commercializing it.
“It’s beautiful, Andrew,” I told him as I walked around the property. He followed me at a leisurely pace with the crutches under his arms.
“Thanks. It was supposed to be finished by December, when winter hits. I’m not sure we’ll make that deadline.”
“Are there people you can call? I mean, money talks, or so I’m told.”
“Probably. Colton had an entire house renovated in like a month. They worked around the clock.”
“Wow.”
A biting chill blew through the air, a sign that fall was on the horizon. I hurried back to the truck as I rubbed my hands along my arms, trying to stay warm. Andrew didn’t seem to mind the drop in temperature, even though he wore nothing more than a T-shirt and shorts.
“I probably should have brought a jacket,” I joked as he situated himself in the passenger seat. His eyes trailed up and down my bare legs, and I felt it like it was his rough hands caressing my skin.
I really needed to keep my head in the game. In a few short weeks, I would be leaving. Not to mention he was my best friend’s brother…andmy patient.
There were so many things wrong with being attracted to Andrew, but as I started the car and he directed me back to the main driveway, I realized I was starting to not care.
I heated up a frozen pizza for dinner, because we had finally made a decent dent in the number of casseroles and frozen dishes people had brought to Andrew. I knew he was embarrassed by the gesture, since it meant they now knew he wasn’t invincible, but it was one of my favorite things about being in a small town. Yes, the gossip ran rampant, but they also cared. They all cared so much.
By the time darkness fell, I was ready for bed, even if it was only 7:00 p.m. I hadn’t been that tired since exam week in college. Andrew helped me set up my bed—a first for him—and struggled with getting the sheets hooked over the corners of the mattress. The elastic of the fitted sheet nearly hit him in the face a few times before he gave up and kicked the airbed.
He relented the task to me and went into his room to watch a movie while I got ready for bed. I could barely keep my eyes open as I brushed my teeth. The trek to the bed was a blur, and I tripped over things along the way, but the moment my head hit the pillow, I was out like a light.
“Come here,” the deep voice growled as he hovered in the shadows of the room.
I couldn’t tell if I was shivering with fear or if I was turned on by his voice.
“Now,” he demanded, and I felt my panties grow wet as I shifted beneath the sheets.
“Don’t listen to him,” another voice warned, this one sounding more timid and definitely frightened.
