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He points to the fire. “Best get in there so I can fulfill your wish.”
For a moment, I forget what I’d said about drinking the warm beverage in front of the fire and I imagine him leaning over me, his muscles straining as he drives into—
“You okay?” His head tilts.
“Oh…yes.” I hurry to the fire and sit in front of it, pulling the blanket over my legs.
Callum isn’t far behind, placing a tray of hot chocolate carefully beside me.
“I can’t believe you’d ever trust me with hot chocolate again,” he says.
“It’s me that I don’t trust, and neither should you.” I point at him.
He sits next to me and picks up one of the mugs.
“I trust you,” he says. When I smile over at him, he adds, “And I didn’t make it as hot.”
I laugh and his smile is sweet as he takes a sip.
“I don’t suppose that bath changed your mind about going back,” he says.
I stare at the fire wistfully and shake my head. “No. And, to finally answer your question…I have to go back to see what I can do for the emus. When Junior told me the ways they’re showing signs of distress, I was ashamed that I’ve stayed away this long. I’ve hoped my parents would step in, even though deep down I knew they wouldn’t.”
“Do you believe Junior’s telling the truth?”
“I don’t know,” I admit. “But I can’t, in good conscience, ignore that he might be.”
“What will you do if he’s right?”
“I need to find homes for them, one way or the other. I don’t trust him to do that. If I had my wish, I’d keep them forever. Uncle Pierre said we could talk about building a new barn on his property, but there are renters in his house for the next nine months, and I wouldn’t feel right taking that over until I have enough to pay him well. Which would take time. So I think the best option is to find homes for them. I can post about it and then go through a heavy vetting process.”
“And, what—you’ll just make nice with Junior in the meantime?”
“I don’t know if that’s possible,” I admit.
I crinkle my nose and pick up my hot chocolate, leaning over the tray and blowing carefully before taking a sip.
“This is so delicious,” I sigh. “And the perfect temp. Thank you. I really wanted it so bad on that first night and then I had to go and ruin everything by spilling it.”
He chuckles. “I’ll make lukewarm chocolate for you any time. But back to the emus…what if—”
He pauses for so long that I set my mug down and turn to face him, my legs crisscrossed under the blanket.
“What?” I ask.
He takes a lengthy swig of the hot chocolate and I grin when he sets the mug down and has a ring of whipped cream over his top lip.
I don’t know what comes over me.
He just looks so unbelievably cute.
I lean over and wipe the whipped cream off with my thumb and then lick it clean. His eyes dilate, his tongue coming out to swipe over his lips.
“I just forgot every thought I’ve ever had,” he says gruffly.
Everything inside of me spikes up—heat, adrenaline, lust.
“I haven’t forgotten you were crying not that long ago though,” he says.
