Page 98 of Sunshine
We all laugh. “Of course you are.”
Case comes up to me, puts his arm over my shoulder and whispers in my ear, “Sunshine, let’s sneak away while they’re distracted.”
Biting my lip, I nod. I poke Paige just as we slip away. “Where are we going?”
“Still a surprise, Sunshine.” We don’t say another word until we’re ten feet away from the treehouse.
“Did you know both of them were coming?”
He shrugs. “Kinda.” Grabbing my wrist, he tugs me along toward the house. Not the cottage but the house. We’re not due to move in for a few more weeks. Once we do, I’ll be using the cottage as my writing cave. For now, we’re happy tripping over each other though.
“You’re not still mad at Mack, are you?”
“No, but I think there’s something going on with them.”
His brows rise before they furrow. “Really?” He shrugs again. “He does like sweet girls, and Paige is the sweetest.”
I have to skip to keep up with him now. “What are you not telling me, Case Callen?”
He stops dead in his tracks. “Turn around.”
“What?”
“Turn around, Sunshine.”
I sigh and then growl, so he puts both hands on my shoulders and turns me himself.
“Close your eyes.”
“Case! Tell me!” A stinging smack lands on my ass. “Ow.”
“Do I have your attention, Sunshine?”
“Gah, fine. Yes.”
“Good girl. Now close your eyes.”
I blow out hard but do as I’m told. When I open my mouth to ask what he’s doing he stops me with another swat to my ass. And then he puts a blindfold on me.
“Is this really necessary?”
“Start walking slowly.” I hear a very un-Case-like giggle and my brow furrows. Some scuffled footfalls follow, making me narrow my eyes beneath the blindfold, but I say nothing about it. I know a secret plan when I hear one.
I take a few steps, my arms out. “This is freaky. I can’t see, Case. I don’t want to fall and break my neck.”
I’m suddenly lifted off my feet. Squealing, I grapple for something to grab onto. “Oh my god, Case!” And then I’m dangling upside down over his shoulder.
“Stay still,” he demands as I squirm. “Or we’re both going to fall.”
“I’m too big for you to be carrying me around, biker.”
“Please, you’re practically a feather.”
I gripe the whole time he carries me, but I remain still. And when he finally sets me down and takes off the blindfold, my jaw drops open.
“Surprise!” And all my favorite people are in the kitchen of our new house— the house I sabotaged every chance I got. The house that’s so much like our love, in that it grew and became whole regardless of the number of times I tried to disrupt and prevent it from happening.
“You left it in my hands, and I ran with it,” Paige says spreading her arms out.
