I’ve stumped him—with flirting I’m not supposed to be doing. I promised I wouldn’t seduce him.
Okay, let’s get back on track.
I open the chest of clothing Garrett keeps at the foot of the bed. Not that I recall putting my boot in there, because who puts away only one boot? Likewise, wearing only one boot to go outside is equally ridiculous which means it has to be in this cabin.
Holding the chest open with one hand, I toss out pants, sweaters, socks, and extra pillows. There’s nothing here.
“Try a blindfold,” he calls again.
“Fine.” I shove the entire pile of clothes and pillows back into the trunk. He can scold meafterI find my boot.
After I tie one of his socks around my eyes, I pull air into my lungs. Suddenly, I’m confronted by dozens of scents I’ve never noticed before. My wolf sorts them until she finds one that piques her interest. That pungent smell of old, worn leather dredged through mud and river water, from when we went fishing yesterday.
“It’s working,” I call out. “This blindfold trick is really smart,”I say a second before I crack my foot into the corner of the bed. “Damn it.”
“Watch where you’re walking!”
“Very funny.”
His chuckle from off in the bathroom makes the pain disappear. Well, he and my wolf who’s finally fully recovered after nearly two months at this pack. Or has it been my time here with Garrett? Either way, I’m back to full strength, with a lot more skills in my pocket.
When I bump into what I think is a wall, I rip off the blindfold. Not a dead end, after all… a closet. I open it up to find a tangled pile of canvas bags and backpacks that Garrett takes on his missions.
“And he says I’m a slob,” I mumble under my breath as I bend down and sort through the mess. “Found it!” I yell out when my hand snags the worn, cracked leather trim at the top of my boot.
“Where?”
“Looks like it got caught up with the last bag you shoved in the hall closet.” As I pull out my boot, the pile shifts. Something shiny buried in the far, right side of the closet catches my eye. I reach for the small box wrapped in shiny red foil. A Christmas gift!
My heart thumps with excitement. Garrett got me a gift!
“Angel, did you hear me? I asked if you want to try fishing again tomorrow? We’d have to venture beyond our territory for salmon and char, but I know a place where we won’t be trespassing in anyone’s territory.”
When he appears in a towel riding low on his hips, I hold up the gift. “I can’t believe you got me a Christmas present.”
Garrett’s smile falls. “That was for Marla.” He takes the gift and tosses it into the kitchen trash. “I didn’t realize it was still in there,” he says as he retreats back to the bathroom and shuts the door. Just like that, the mood darkens.
I need to get rid of her ghost. And yet… I want to know the woman who still has a hold on him. I reach into the trash and pull out the box. Unwrapping it seems like an invasion of privacy, though I’m not sure whose. Garrett’s or Marla’s?
Carefully, I slide my finger under the tape and remove the red foil wrapping paper in one perfect piece. Inside the box is a very cute Christmas ornament, a penguin wearing a red scarf and white skates.
“She loved penguins. And her wolf loved sliding on the ice.” Garrett’s voice carries from where he’s standing in the doorway to the bathroom, fully dressed.
“It’s an adorable present.”
“She died a week before Christmas. I never had a chance to give it to her.” He takes the ornament from me, letting it twirl on the string before placing it back in the box.
“You were right, Angel. Time to move forward.” He tosses it in the trash, then takes my hand. “I promised you a fun time tonight,” he says as we head outside into the biting wind.
I shiver, but I’m not sure why, since my wolf is keeping me plenty warm. “Give me a sec to get my hat and gloves.”
With Garrett waiting outside, I head back in, snag my winter wear… and the box sitting atop the trash.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
GARRETT
Never in my life has it been this hard to keep myself from touching a female, even just to hold her hand on the walk to camp.
