this. She’d always known about my crush on her brother, but I was always just a retainer clicking little girl to Tate. “I’ll get my stuff and go,” I said.
“Nah, it’s starting to snow out there.”
“Surely, the ever popular Tate Harris isn’t spending the weekend alone at the cabin. I’ll be in the way. I’ll leave before she gets here.”
“Before who gets here? Actually, I just came out of a relationship, or I just raced the hell away from a relationship would be a better way to put it. I came up here to get away from people for a few days.”
“See, that’s my cue. I’m sure the snow is still light enough—”
He grabbed hold of my arm, and as I swung around, I nearly crowned him with the poker. He took it gently from my hand. “Don’t think you’ll need this anymore, miss ninja. Just stay, Cricket. You’re not people .”
“Something every girl wants to hear,” I said.
“You know what I mean.” God, he still had that fucking glow around him, but now it was bigger because he was even broader in the shoulders and arms. And his beard stubble was much denser along his strong jaw. I used to stare at his jaw whenever he was chewing gum and think he should be in Hollywood snatching up all the romantic leads in movies just because of that damn jaw. “You’re like family,” he added, but I wasn’t completely sure that made me feel any better. In fact, it made me feel a little creepy because when I daydreamed about the man it had nothing to do with family.
He dropped his backpack by the fire. “There are three bedrooms and plenty of space.” He grew quiet for a second. “Unless you were expecting someone? Then I could leave.”
“Nope, just me and my cocoa and marshmallows.”
“Cocoa and marshmallows? Tell you what, I’ll be the keeper of the fire as long as you share your cocoa.”
“Deal. But really, Tate, I feel bad intruding on you. Your sister is going to get an earful from me when I get back to town.”
“Really, Cricket—” He smiled as he said my nickname and swiped the beanie off his head. “Sorry, old habits, you know. Anyhow, don’t worry. I think this will work.” He patted his stomach. “Have you eaten yet? My mom mentioned that there were some steaks in the refrigerator.”
“Sure, I guess I could eat something.”
He took off his coat. The black shirt underneath clung to his back and shoulder muscles as he hung the coat on a hook. I needed to stop gawking. I took off my coat too and, strangely enough, now it was his turn to gawk.
“Nice, Cricket, you’ve filled out some since I last saw you.”
My face heated with a blush, and I pulled at my sweater to make it less clingy on my breasts.
He sensed my embarrassment. “Sorry, about that. I guess it has been a long time since I’ve seen you. I just remember a skinny, sort of curveless girl on the cross country team.”
“Thanks. Curveless sounds so lovely and is so not a word.”
He looked down at me. “Hey, you had the best legs on the friggin’ team. Half the guys in the stands came out to watch those legs run.”
My blushed deepened, and I quickly fanned my face. “Boy, that fireplace sure does its job, huh?”
He chuckled. He was still that same incredibly confident hunk, who never let it go to his head. “I’ll go look for those steaks.”
I grabbed my duffle bag and pulled out the bag with the groceries. I put it in on the kitchen counter. “I’m just going to go put my stuff in a bedroom. I’ll take the room with the bunk beds. It holds wonderful memories of me stepping off the top bunk in the middle of the night thinking I was in my own room at home.”
He laughed and then seemed to feel bad about it. “I do seem to remember that happening more than once. You’re lucky you didn’t hurt yourself.” He leaned into the refrigerator. “There is not much in here.” He straightened. “Shit, I’ll bet those steaks are in the freezer.” He opened it up. “Yep.” He pulled out
“Nah, it’s starting to snow out there.”
“Surely, the ever popular Tate Harris isn’t spending the weekend alone at the cabin. I’ll be in the way. I’ll leave before she gets here.”
“Before who gets here? Actually, I just came out of a relationship, or I just raced the hell away from a relationship would be a better way to put it. I came up here to get away from people for a few days.”
“See, that’s my cue. I’m sure the snow is still light enough—”
He grabbed hold of my arm, and as I swung around, I nearly crowned him with the poker. He took it gently from my hand. “Don’t think you’ll need this anymore, miss ninja. Just stay, Cricket. You’re not people .”
“Something every girl wants to hear,” I said.
“You know what I mean.” God, he still had that fucking glow around him, but now it was bigger because he was even broader in the shoulders and arms. And his beard stubble was much denser along his strong jaw. I used to stare at his jaw whenever he was chewing gum and think he should be in Hollywood snatching up all the romantic leads in movies just because of that damn jaw. “You’re like family,” he added, but I wasn’t completely sure that made me feel any better. In fact, it made me feel a little creepy because when I daydreamed about the man it had nothing to do with family.
He dropped his backpack by the fire. “There are three bedrooms and plenty of space.” He grew quiet for a second. “Unless you were expecting someone? Then I could leave.”
“Nope, just me and my cocoa and marshmallows.”
“Cocoa and marshmallows? Tell you what, I’ll be the keeper of the fire as long as you share your cocoa.”
“Deal. But really, Tate, I feel bad intruding on you. Your sister is going to get an earful from me when I get back to town.”
“Really, Cricket—” He smiled as he said my nickname and swiped the beanie off his head. “Sorry, old habits, you know. Anyhow, don’t worry. I think this will work.” He patted his stomach. “Have you eaten yet? My mom mentioned that there were some steaks in the refrigerator.”
“Sure, I guess I could eat something.”
He took off his coat. The black shirt underneath clung to his back and shoulder muscles as he hung the coat on a hook. I needed to stop gawking. I took off my coat too and, strangely enough, now it was his turn to gawk.
“Nice, Cricket, you’ve filled out some since I last saw you.”
My face heated with a blush, and I pulled at my sweater to make it less clingy on my breasts.
He sensed my embarrassment. “Sorry, about that. I guess it has been a long time since I’ve seen you. I just remember a skinny, sort of curveless girl on the cross country team.”
“Thanks. Curveless sounds so lovely and is so not a word.”
He looked down at me. “Hey, you had the best legs on the friggin’ team. Half the guys in the stands came out to watch those legs run.”
My blushed deepened, and I quickly fanned my face. “Boy, that fireplace sure does its job, huh?”
He chuckled. He was still that same incredibly confident hunk, who never let it go to his head. “I’ll go look for those steaks.”
I grabbed my duffle bag and pulled out the bag with the groceries. I put it in on the kitchen counter. “I’m just going to go put my stuff in a bedroom. I’ll take the room with the bunk beds. It holds wonderful memories of me stepping off the top bunk in the middle of the night thinking I was in my own room at home.”
He laughed and then seemed to feel bad about it. “I do seem to remember that happening more than once. You’re lucky you didn’t hurt yourself.” He leaned into the refrigerator. “There is not much in here.” He straightened. “Shit, I’ll bet those steaks are in the freezer.” He opened it up. “Yep.” He pulled out
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