“Stop. This is nothing.” She did manage a smile when hearing how he sounded with the towel pressed against his face, muffling his words.
“I hate rats. Since I was a child. We used to have them and sometimes they’d come into my bed.” She pulled the towelaway, checking the condition of his nose. “It’s not broken and the bleeding has stopped.”
He took the towel away from her and used his thumb to lift her chin so she’d look at him. “Hey, it’s okay. I understand.”
She met his gaze and what she found there made her heart skip a beat. He truly wasn’t angry or bothered. “Thank you for understanding.”
“Maybe this was for the best. You deserve more than a ramshackle camper.”
Aasia felt closer to him than she ever had. She sat down on his lap and wrapped both her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. “You are an amazing man, Bear.”
“I’m glad you think so, but you’re cutting off my air supply.”
She quickly let go. “I’m truly not trying to beat you up.”
He chuckled. “How about we get you out of here?” He lifted a tendril of her hair and tucked it behind her ear.
“I agree.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to catch the rat and take it home as a friend for the kitty you rescued?” His teasing made his eyes light up.
“That’s not even funny. I think that’s where Pedora would draw the line.” She stood and found her clothes.
She found him watching her. His expression trickled excitement through her. “You’re probably going to have a bruise on your nose.”
“I’ll come up with a good story to tell the boys.”
“Yea?”
“Yea. How I got attacked by a lioness, she knocked me to the ground and nearly consumed me with her sharp teeth, but I managed to save myself from her claws.” His eyes sparkled.
“You’re full of jokes, aren’t you?” She threw her shirt in his face, and it fell onto his thigh. He lifted it and inhaled her scent from the material.
Something changed between them. An understanding of sorts. She realized the rough and tough Bear had a softer side, and she wanted to investigate it further.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“This old place is as cold as a cave.” Phoebe shivered dramatically.
Aasia glanced over at her sister sitting at the table, her head bent over her hand as she painted her nails. They’d been civil to each other for the last few days. “You must forget what it was like living in the trailer.” The trailer always had a leaking roof, holes in the walls and floors, and a toilet that barely flushed. The farmhouse was a mansion compared to where Aasia and Phoebe had lived as kids.
Phoebe lifted her head peering at Aasia through her thick lashes. “Relax, sis. I’m only saying that this is not my vibe. I wish I had an apartment in town.”
“Maybe you should start looking.” Aasia didn’t mean her words to sound so rude, but Phoebe’s snort was a silent statement that she needed to watch how she said things.
“You never were a morning person.”
Looking at Phoebe, Aasia shrugged. “If I remember correctly, you never were either.”
“People can change. I wish you’d see that.”
“Is that my shirt that you’re wearing?” Aasia narrowed her gaze.
“Oops, it is. Sorry. My clothes are in the wash. I needed something to tide me over until the dryer’s done.”
“And you had to grab something that still had tags on it?” Aasia bit her lip to keep from losing her temper. She promised Pedora she’d try to reconcile with Phoebe, or at least not force her to leave again.
“I thought since it still had tags on it you must not want to wear it.”
