Page 20 of Beyond the Blue Horizon
Warily, I turned toward him, hugging my son tight. The rock that grounded my purpose.
“There is a bedroom downstairs.” Theo gestured to the far right of the living room where there was a door next to the staircase.
Then he waved his hand toward what looked to be a loft upstairs. “A loft with another bedroom and bathroom is upstairs. I’ll have housekeeping bring over a baby gate. Not sure if you’d rather be upstairs or downstairs, but thought Nelly might want to be downstairs.”
My spirit stirred.
Did he really think all this through?
Taking into consideration my grandmother’s age?
Caring and caring and caring when there was no reason for him to?
I swallowed around the lump in my throat. “I’ll probably take the second floor so Nelly doesn’t have to navigate the stairs.”
“Probably a good call. Wouldn’t want to take a tumble down them.” Nelly ambled into the first-floor bedroom, her voice drifting out as she enthused, “Oh, lord a mercy. I’m never going to want to leave. You’re going to have to drag me out of here.”
I had to wonder if she issued it a challenge.
“Which bags are yours?” Theo glanced at the pile of baggage he’d left just inside the door.
“I got theowws!” Finn exuded, pointing at his backpack with white snow owls all over it. I wasn’t sure when he’d become obsessed with them, but they had become his favorite thing.
“Yeah. Thought this might belong to you.” A grin hitched at the edge of Theo’s wicked mouth as he tossed the small backpack onto his shoulder.
“I can get the suitcases,” I told him.
“Know you can,” he grumbled as he picked up the black suitcase and matching carry-on. “But why would you want to if you have me to do it for you?”
I sighed. I was picking up quickly that there wasn’t much use arguing with him. “Those are mine. The mint green ones are Nelly’s.”
“Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?” He smirked, the man a storm in the middle of the cozy room. In four long strides, he bounded up the stairs with my bags, and a moment later, he was coming back down.
My attention got trapped there. On his lithe frame as he swept downstairs.
Pure, volatile energy.
He grabbed Nelly’s bags and moved for the room where she was staying.
“Where do you want these?” His deep voice rumbled out. Tendrils that could weave right into my spirit.
“Oh, right there under the window would be just fine. Thank you.”
“That’s what I’m here for.” It was a grunt that radiated through the walls.
“Rescuing damsels stranded in the snow?” Nelly giggled.
“Pretty sure it was not damsels that I stumbled upon. A pack of lionesses seems about right.”
Another giggle. “Oh my.”
Great. He was wrapping my Nelly around every one of his tattooed fingers.
He appeared back in the doorway.
A riptide that could pull an Olympic swimmer out to sea.
“Let me know if there’s anything else you need. Food should be here in about ten minutes.”
