Page 35 of His Wounded Heart

“You’re the second person who has called me fancy since I’ve been here in Jasper Creek. That is not the honorific I really want.”

“Well, if you keep using words like honorific instead of title, you’re going to continue to be called fancy.”

He turns his head to give me a long look. “And I stand by my assertion that you are a smartass.” His voice is all growly.

“I can live with that. Actually, it’s an honorific that I’m proud of.”

I watch as his eyes begin to sparkle, then he turns back to his computer screen. “Yep, NOAA changed their projections. The ice storm is due to hit tonight. They’re predicting high winds and icy rain at five o’clock tonight.” He snaps his laptop closed and shoots out of his chair. I watch as he prowls across the room toward me, ending up standing over me with his hands on his hips.

“There is no way you’re going with me this afternoon.”

“If you want to accomplish your mission,” I say, speaking SEAL, “then you have no choice but to take me with you.” I keep my voice calm and reasonable, the same way I do with Drake when he gets all He-Man.

“I’m getting my gear.” He turns and goes to his bedroom. I’ve already peeked in, not surprised to see his bed made up, and not just having the comforter pulled up. It was like a hotel maid had done it. The man has some true OCD tendencies.

He comes back zipping up a thin down jacket over a tight, long-sleeved thin shirt. It’s a shame he’s putting on the jacket, because I like how the shirt molds to his abs. Forty-seven looks damned good on him.

Then he holds out what looks like a windbreaker.

“A windbreaker?”

“Do you have anything that’s waterproof to wear?” he asks me.

“My poofy parka is waterproof. Kind of.” I answer.

He frowns.

“You’re going to take this. I know it’s going to be too big for you, but when we’re out in the freezing rain, it’ll keep you dry. If you’re not wet, then you won’t get as cold. Stand up.”

“Please,” I say.

“Please what?”

“Trenda, will you please stand up?” I say in my Bella-teaching voice. “That is the proper phrase if you want me to stand up, Commander.”

He doesn’t roll his eyes, but I can tell he wants to. “Trenda, my dear, will you please, with sugar on top, stand up?”

“And you call me the smartass,” I say as I stand up.

“You should quit pushing your luck seeing as how I’m taking you with me.”

“You finally see the logic in my argument, you mean.”

He sucks in a deep breath, then lets it out. “Are you wearing anything underneath that sweater? What’s it made of?”

I don’t bother flipping him anymore guff. I choose to answer him instead. “I’m wearing a bra, and it’s made of cotton.”

“Hold on.” He goes back into his bedroom and comes back out with a long-sleeved shirt similar to the one he’s wearing underneath his down jacket. “Go put this on under your sweater. Chances are we’re going to be working up a sweat as we go from house to house, so you’re going to want to wear something that wicks away the moisture when you perspire, and cotton doesn’t get the job done. This is polyester and Lycra; it will get the job done.”

I take the shirt and head for the other door that I assume is the bathroom. When I go in and turn on the light, I find a room that’s in perfect condition. Nothing’s on the counter except a dop kit. All towels are folded and hanging up. What would Simon think about how Bella and I live? It certainly would be a shock to his system. I grin at my reflection in the mirror. Simon would probably say a bad word and Bella would make some money off of him.

I quickly put on the Lycra shirt, which isn’t as big as I thought it was going to be. Actually, it’s big in the waist, but tight in the boobs. I would have thought with his wide chest that it wouldn’t have been. I throw my sweater on over it and hustle out to join him before he tries to leave without me. Which is why I haven’t given him the coordinates yet.

The cabin is empty.

“What the hell?”

The door opens and Simon is holding all my gear from my car. “You won’t need to put any of this on until we get to the first house, if then. We should have at least four hours before the snow or sleet or icy rain starts. Where are we going first?”