Page 69 of Big Dill

Maybe…just maybe…we could have this secret. What Jaxon doesn’t know can’t hurt him, right? And if Brody and I agree to a couple more hook-ups before I leave, is there really any harm in it? We both know the score now as much as we did that night in Halifax. Neither one of us are looking for anything more than an escape. This is a small rumor-fed town, but hey we’re smart enough to pull it off, right?

Jeez, how is that for logical thinking at its worst?

“I could help you build a website,” he offers.

“What would we call it?” He looks up in thought and I continue with, “Oh, I know. Veils and Varmints. Varmint rhymes with garment.”

“That’s good.” His eyes go wide like he just had an epiphany. “Fur, fins and feathers,” he provides.

“Yeah, yeah, that could be in the running. Hmm, what do you think of critter couture?”

“Brilliant. Oh, the velvet ferret.” He waves a finger. “We can’t forget the ferrets.”

“No we can’t, but how about Glitter and Gills? We can’t forget the goldfish.”

“Sure we can,” he says with a grin and I laugh as I clue in.

“Right, because they forget everything in five seconds anyway. Poor goldfish.”

I laugh loudly at my own joke, and he laughs with me. God, I love being around this man.

After my laugh dies down, and reality hits, I begin. “None of this matters anyway, Brody. I lost my sewing machine in the breakup.”

Right.” He puts his hands in his pockets and with a nod, gestures toward the room.

The room…

(Insert dramatic music here)

That’s how I’m going to think of it now.

The room where we got naked.

The room where he commanded my body.

The room where he made me forget about real life for a while.

The room that is now haunted with things we never should have done.

10/10, would recommend.

“There was a delivery this morning, before you got here.”

“Really, I didn’t order anything.” Oh, maybe he had a lamp delivered overnight, although I can’t imagine anything would come overnight in this northern town. I start toward the room, and he moves ahead of me, swinging open the door.

I step in, completely confused at what I’m looking at. “I don’t understand. I didn’t order this.” Heck, I have like two dollars in my bank and the gorgeous sewing machine I’m looking at is worth thousands.

I lift my head. “Where…”

My words fall off the second I take in the concern on Brody’s face. My legs go a bit wobbly and I sink onto the couch, the cushions all back in place after the circus came through last night.

“Brody, no.”

“Hey,” he says quickly dropping next to me. “I overstepped. I know. I’m sorry. I just couldn’t help myself. I’ll send it back if you want me to.”

“I want you to.” It’s too much, too generous. He’s already doing so much for me. He frowns. “What?” I ask.

“I guess I didn’t really think you’d say that. The truth is, I don’t want to send it back.”