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“Wear my clothes,” I blurted, interrupting her more than a little rudely. But I couldn’t help it. The words had flown out of my mouth without my permission.
She tilted her head and frowned at me. “What?”
I sighed. Now that I thought about it, this wasn’t even the caveman. This was just common sense. “Blondie, I’m not sending you home in a dress and heels. You can stay in that. Give me a few, and I’ll grab a pair of socks and my snow boots.”
She turned and shuffled to the window. The sigh that escaped her as she brushed her fingers over the glass hit me square in the chest. With a soft smile on her lips, she took in the snowy wonderland that Boston had become overnight.
“It’s always a mess, but I love a good snow day.”
I nodded. Not because I agreed, though. No, not at all. But because that sentiment was 100 percent on par for her.
“You’re right. I should probably borrow your clothes. I’ll freeze in my dress.”
“Exactly. And if you froze, then what would Puff do?”What wouldIdo?
She laughed, but she didn’t turn away from the Boston skyline.
“Okay, I’ll grab a couple of things. Give me a sec.” I turned in a circle, searching the main area of the apartment for my phone. It only took two rotations to locate it where I’d left it on a stool by the ping-pong table. I pocketed it, then I headed back down the hall to my room. I knocked softly, and when Gianna didn’t respond, I tiptoed in.
I wasn’t a total dick, so I left the light off, but that meant I was forced to rummage through my drawers blindly. Once I’d found what I needed there, I slipped into the large closet and closed the door. In here, I could get away with using the light, so I flipped the switch, then searched for my Timberlands. I slipped into a pair of wool socks, then stuffed my feet into the boots and tied them tight. I tossed a hoodie over my head and grabbed what I needed for Avery, thenslipped back out of the room. Thankfully, my sister didn’t so much as stir.
In the living room, Avery pulled the sweatshirt I’d given her over her head and then put on the socks.
“I don’t know about those.” She eyed the boots I’d set in front of her. Although they’d be enormous on her tiny feet, they were tall, so they’d keep the snow out.
“Just tie them tight.”
A crease formed between her brows as she pulled them on. She yanked on the laces, but struggled to get them tight enough, so I dropped to my knees on the rug at her feet. After tucking the black sweats into the top of the rubber, I tightened the duck boots as far as they’d go.
I sat back on my haunches and fought a laugh. She looked like a clown wearing shoes ten sizes too big.
She stood and lifted one foot awkwardly, taking a single step. “These suckers are half the size of my leg.”
“My feet aren’tthatbig.” I frowned at her.
Her eyes went wide. “Are you kidding? Fourteen is huge.”
Objectively, I was tall, yes, but in the world I lived in, a world full of athletes, I was hardly average.
“You should see Miller’s eighteens.”
“I have, and what he wears can’t even be considered shoes. They’re skateboards.” She took another step, but the toe of the boot caught, and she stumbled. “There’s no way I can walk in those things.”
I roughed a hand along my jaw and chuckled.
She zeroed in on me, and her eyes went soft.
“What?” I asked when she only watched me silently.
“I love it when you smile.”
Damn, that sentiment made my chest feel weird. I rubbed a circle over my heart and cleared my throat. “What can I say? You make me smile.”
She tilted her head to the side, and the ends of her loose ponytail fell over her shoulder. Damn, she was cute.
More than anything, I wished I didn’t have to say these next words. “Grab your stuff. We gotta get you home so I can get to Florida.”
For the first time, I found a positive side to leaving for spring training. There wouldn’t be any snow to greet me when I landed in Tampa.
