Page 71 of Somebody to Save
“Yes, and if you want me to hurry, I need you behind a closed door.”
She shut the door in my face with a playful smile, tilting her sweet lips, and I pouted in the kitchen by myself.
Driving through the mountains, Addison was in awe of the view from outside her window. Although it wasn’t snowing in the city, the surrounding landscape was scattered with white flakes that pelted the windshield. It wasn’t cold enough for it to really stick, but it had been a few days ago.
“I’ve never been to the mountains before,” Addison murmured from the passenger seat. My palm was pressed against her thigh, and she’d wound her arm around mine. “I’ve never really been anywhere, actually.”
She leaned against the window, her breath fogging up the glass with each exhale.
“Where do you want to go, baby girl? I’ll take you anywhere.”
When she didn’t respond immediately, I glanced over to see her eyes were heavy and struggling to stay open. But before she really fell asleep, she sighed and readjusted in her seat.
“Everywhere.”
A little over three hours later, we were pulling up to my parents’ mountain home.
Glancing over to the passenger seat, I smiled at Addison’s sleepy form. I reached over and tucked her hair behind her ear and dragged my fingers down the left side of her neck, lingering over her birthmark.
“We’re here, baby girl,” I whispered.
She stirred slowly and blinked awake. Peering out the window, she straightened with a yawn and stretched her arms out in front of her.
“Oh, wow. Where are we?” Her voice and eyes were still heavy with sleep, as was the lazy smile she shot my way.
“It’s my parents’ second house. They had some people do work on the kitchen a few weeks ago but haven’t had time to come check it out. When I offered to do it, I realized it would be the perfect getaway for us. It’s beautiful and secluded.”
“It’s so pretty,” she muttered to herself and leaned forward to look out the windshield and up toward the second story.
“Let’s go.”
She didn’t wait for me to round the car and open her door as I usually did. She stepped out of the car, and I gathered our bags from the trunk before leading us to the front door. I juggled our bags into one hand and managed to unlock the door, which creaked with the cold.
It was a beautiful house. The exterior was dark wood and dark gray stone. Large windows were a focal point in every room and were a requirement when my parents’ bought the house when Andrew and I were kids.
I waved Addison inside. She took a few steps and spun around in a circle, staring up at the vaulted ceilings and the large chandelier Andrew and I had almost tugged out of the ceiling when I’d egged him on, daring him to jump from the top of the staircase and reach for it.
I’d put a mattress beneath him at least.
“Beckett, this place is insane,” she said in an awe-filled voice. “If this is your parents’ second home, what does theirfirsthouse look like? The Palace of Versailles?”
I dropped our bags by the door and locked it behind me as I tossed my keys into the metal dish on the long side table. “Yes, exactly, but act surprised when you see it for the first time.”
“I’ll do that.”
“So, I figured I’d give you the short version of the tour tonight and maybe the more in-depth one tomorrow, if you want.”
“Yes, please. I want.”
We peeked into the study, lined with partially empty shelves and dark wood paneling to our left, and the dining room to theright. I then led us through to the sunken living room directly across from the front door.
My mom had decorated it with the softest fabrics and leather accents. All the furniture was facing the large, stone fireplace and the picture windows spanning the back of the house.
“What an amazing view,” Addison muttered, pressing her hand against one of the chilly windows.
The view was pretty spectacular. It was a small yard that cascaded down a tree-heavy hill to a small stream that was likely frozen or close to it. Beyond the stream were hills and mountains of trees and snow as far as the eye could see.
It was beautiful, but watching her stare in awe and smile back at me was my version of the perfect view.
